FINAL STRETCHKILKENNY v TIPPERARY – THREE DAYS TO GO

THE CURRENT Tipperary team has only two changes from last season with Brendan Maher yet to win back a starting place after injury and Declan Fanning has retired.

Kilkenny, in contrast, have six different starters from the 2009 final against Tipperary.

Those no longer numbered 1 to 15, we presume when Brian Cody names his team tomorrow, are PJ Ryan, John Tennyson, Michael Kavanagh, Derek Lyng, TJ Reid (who came off the bench in the 2008 and 2009 finals) and Aidan Fogarty.

2011 LINE-UPS

TIPPERARY: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; J O'Keeffe, C O'Mahony, Padraic Maher; G Ryan, S McGrath; S Callanan, N McGrath, Patrick Maher; E Kelly, J O'Brien, L Corbett.

KILKENNY(possible): D Herity; P Murphy, N Hickey, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, JJ Delaney; M Fennelly, M Rice; TJ Reid, R Power, E Larkin; C Fennelly, H Shefflin, R Hogan.

2010 LINE-UPS

Tipperary 4-17

Kilkenny 1-17

TIPPERARY:B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Curran, M Cahill; D Fanning, C OMahony, Padraic Maher; B Maher, S McGrath; G Ryan, Patrick Maher; J O'Brien; N McGrath, E Kelly, L Corbett. Subs: C OBrien for OMahony, S Callanan for OBrien, B Dunne for S McGrath, S Hennessy for B Maher.

KILKENNY: PJ Ryan; J Dalton, N Hickey, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, J Tennyson, JJ Delaney; J Fitzpatrick, M Fennelly; TJ Reid, H Shefflin, E Larkin; E Brennan, R Power, A Fogarty. Subs: M Rice for Shefflin, M Comerford for Brennan, D Lyng for Fitzpatrick, R Hogan for Fogarty, J Mulhall for Reid

2009 LINE-UPS

Kilkenny 2-22

Tipperary 0-23

KILKENNY: PJ Ryan; M Kavanagh, JJ Delaney, J Tyrrell; T Walsh, B Hogan, J Tennyson; D Lyng, M Rice; R Hogan, H Shefflin, E Larkin; E Brennan, R Power, A Fogarty. Subs : TJ Reid for Fogarty, M Fennelly for Lyng, M Comerford for Hogan.

TIPPERARY: B Cummins; P Stapleton, P Maher, P Curran; D Fanning, C O'Mahony, B Maher; J Woodlock, S McGrath; P Kerwick, S Callanan, J O'Brien; N McGrath, E Kelly, L Corbett. Subs : B Dunne for O'Brien, W Ryan for Kerwick, M Webster for Woodlock.

Ticket allocation: More for Tipperary as Premier County lead on club front

TIPPERARY HAVE more clubs than Kilkenny so they get approximately a thousand extra tickets for Sunday’s All-Ireland final.

Tipp’s allocation is 15,000 – 10,000 stand and 5,000 for Hill 16 – with Kilkenny somewhere between 13,000 and 14,000.

The competing minor counties, Dublin and Galway, get 3,000 tickets.

All-Ireland final ticket allocation

County allocations59,005

Term tickets4,155

Season tickets764

Provinces385

Overseas499

Ard Comhairle Iar Uachtarán905

Camogie120

Women's football150

Rounders and handball162

Sponsors970

Press254

TV and Radio74

Schools/education bodies2,229

Third level278

Croke Park residents250

Match officials108

Health bodies/Irish sports council70

Match day/vertigo/minor teams200

Staff and sub committees811

Jubilee teams137

Mini sevens246

Total71,772

Premium and corporate10,528

Total83,200

They've got history: Tipperary and Kilkenny have met 15 times in All-Ireland finals dating back to 1895. Tipp have won 10, to Kilkennys five. Before the current rivalry, their last meeting was in 1991 when Tipp won 1-16 to 0-15.