Nowlan Park to play host

GAELIC GAMES:Nowlan Park will stage Sunday's National Hurling League quarter-finals, the Kilkenny venue being the obvious choice after Semple Stadium in Thurles, which is still unavailable because of minor refurbishment work. The Galway-Wexford clash will open proceedings at 2pm, followed by Waterford against Tipperary, which has a 3.40pm throw-in.

Semple Stadium, however, will be available from next week, and therefore is set to stage the two semi-finals on Sunday week - where Cork and Kilkenny await the winners of this Sunday's ties, and also the league final, set for April 29th. Croke Park will be unavailable at that stage owing to the latest reworking of the pitch.

The Division Two quarter-finals also take place this weekend, Laois meeting Kerry at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick at 2pm on Saturday, and Derry playing Kildare at Clones on Sunday at 3.40pm, part of a double-bill with the Division Three quarter-final featuring Louth against Tyrone.

Tipperary's Michael "Babs" Keating is the first manager to finalise his line-up for Sunday, unsurprisingly announcing the same team that easily defeated Dublin last Sunday.

Defender Conor O'Brien and midfielder Thomas Stapleton, who made their league debuts the last day, hold their places, with Eoin Kelly, Danny O'Hanlon and Paul Kelly - who between them hit 4-6 against Dublin - named in the full-forward line.

Wexford will be without Rory McCarthy, who will be out of the country this weekend, for their meeting with Galway. Manager John Meyler is hopeful Eoin Quigley, Paul Carley and Stephen Banville will have recovered from injuries to make the trip to Nowlan Park.

In the National Football League, Dublin manager Paul Caffrey has named the same team for Sunday's final-round game against Kerry at Parnell Park - despite the second-half collapse against Mayo last time out. Conal Keaney was available after being sent off for a second yellow card, while Alan Brogan remains sidelined with a back injury. The Dublin County Board confirmed the game will be all-ticket.

In Division One B, Armagh's hopes of avoiding relegation have been boosted by the return of their Crossmaglen players, Francie Bellew, Paul Hearty, Oisín McConville and the Kernan brothers, ahead of Sunday's meeting with Westmeath.

TIPPERARY (SH v Waterford): B Cummins; E Buckley, P Curran, C O'Brien; B Dunne, C O'Mahony, H Maloney; S McGrath, T Stapleton; R O'Dwyer, D Egan, P Bourke; E' Kelly, D O'Hanlon, P Kelly.

DUBLIN (SF v Kerry): S Cluxton; D Henry, R McConnell, P Griffin; B Cahill, B Cullen, G Brennan; C Whelan, D Magee; C Moran, J Sherlock, C Keaney; B Brogan, K Bonner, T Quinn.