Clare's selectors will be trundling nearly all the big guns into action for Sunday's decisive Division One A match in the final series of the Church & General National Hurling League.

The All-Ireland champions play Galway and if they avoid defeat by more than three points, they will progress to the semi-finals for the first time in three years.

Most significant of the changes from the side that scraped out a narrow victory over Offaly last Saturday, despite playing the second half a man short, is the return of captain Anthony Daly to the defence and specifically to the left wing spot from where he has led Clare to two All-Ireland championships.

Although manager Ger Loughnane and his selectors appear to have been admirably unperturbed by it all, there has been plenty of speculation that Daly, troubled by pace during last year's championship, was being measured for a return to the cornerback position which he held down earlier in his career.

This switch between himself and Frank Lohan has been tried out in a couple of matches but, according to Loughnane, less because of concern for Daly than because they wanted to see how Lohan fared on the wing.

Speculation concerning Daly intensified when he was left off the team after returning from a holiday with his club Clarecastle. Although his value to the team is frequently pitched by those close to it as more important than the vagaries of his form, a few eyebrows were raised.

Such is the regard in which reserve defender Brian Quinn, a specialist corner back, is held that Daly's omission hinted at the prospect of his finding it difficult to regain his place.

In the end, reservations about the loss of Daly's striking from the half-back line became irrelevant as Quinn endured a difficult afternoon at the hands of Offaly's Joe Dooley and Daly replaced him before half-time with Lohan dropping back to his customary cornerback slot.

The only other change to the team which won last weekend is the return of Fergal Hegarty in place of Fergie Tuohy who was sent off for a foul on Colm Cassidy.

Another familiar face thought likely to make a return is that of Sparrow O'Loughlin who hasn't appeared during this campaign because of his commitments with Clarecastle in the club championship and his lengthy rehabilitation thereafter. He is expected to make an appearance at some stage on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Division One A leaders Limerick make their customary raft of changes although manager Eamonn Cregan says: "With the semi-finals coming up, we'll have to turn our minds to settling on a first-choice team".

Eight of the players who started last weekend's match against Dublin are omitted for various reasons from the side to face Antrim this Sunday. Stephen McDonagh has been given a rest and his place at corner back goes to Alan Browne who filled in for Pa Carey, now returned. Declan Nash comes in for Tony O'Brien at left corner back.

Mark Foley is also back in place of Dave Clarke, Shane O'Neill replaces Anthony Carmody, and other changes are Damien Quigley for Mike Galligan, Padraig Tobin for TJ Ryan, Owen O'Neill for Dave Hennessy.

Finally Ciaran Carey is still missing after sustaining facial injuries in a club match last week. His place at right wing forward is left vacant for the weekend but Cregan has ruled him out for the Antrim match and says that James Moran will probably be the replacement.

All-Ireland final centre-fielder Sean O'Neill will make a comeback in next week's challenge match against Clare.

Offaly will select tonight for the match against Dublin.

Centre-fielder Johnny Pilkington is now back in training after taking some time off to assist Birr in the Towns Cup which they exited at the semi-final stage last weekend.

His Birr (hurling) club-mate Niall Claffey suffered a shoulder injury in an under-21 club match the day after he helped Offaly in the League match against Clare.

Division One B relegation candidates Antrim defer selection until tomorrow. Manager Sean McGuinness moved last night's training session indoors because of weather conditions at Dunloy where practice was originally arranged.

It wasn't Antrim's first negative brush with the elements in the last week. "We won the toss," says McGuinness, "and decided to play into the wind which was like a gale because we had been told that the weather was going to get worse. Of course it didn't and Galway were out of sight by half-time. But they were very good, the most impressive side we've played up to now, really fired up."

Leaders of this division, Cork, also defer selection until tonight. "The bank holiday put us out a day," according to manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy, "and we'll name it on Wednesday."

All Star DJ Carey will play his first full match for Kilkenny in over six months when he starts in Sunday's National Hurling league tie against Waterford in Walsh Park. Carey has been selected a right half forward. He will be joined on this line by Andy Comerford, who has been chosen for his first match at centre forward,

Clare (SH v Galway) - D Fitzgerald; M O'Halloran, B Lohan, F Lohan; L Doyle, S McMahon, A Daly; O Baker, C Lynch; J O'Connor, C Clancy, F Hegarty; N Gilligan, B Murphy, D Forde. Subs: J O'Brien, B Quinn, C Chaplin, PJ O'Connell, G O'Loughlin, E Taaffe, D Scanlan, A Markham, B Scanlan.

Limerick (SH v Antrim) - J Quaid; A Browne, P Carey, D Nash; J Foley, M Foley, C Smith; M Houlihan, O Moran; AN Other, S O'Neill, D Quigley; P Tobin, G Kirby, O O'Neill. Subs: A Shanahan, D Clarke, A Carmody, G Hegarty, M Galligan, J Moran, T O'Brien, D Hennessy, T Hayes, TJ Ryan.

Kilkenny (SH v Waterford) - J Dermody; T Hickey, L Simpson, M Kavanagh; L Keoghan, P O'Neill, W O'Connor; P Larkin, C Brennan; DJ Carey, A Comerford, P Barry; N Moloney, PJ Delaney, C Carter.