Cork back without O hAilpin

All-Ireland champions Cork will field 14 members of the team which won the title last September in Sunday's re-run of the final against Kilkenny which starts the counties' National Hurling League campaign.

Sean O hAilpin, wing back on the championship-winning team, was injured in Munster's Railway Cup football defeat last month and is unavailable. His place goes to Derek Barrett, a member of the county panel for the past two years, providing the player comes through Cork IT's eagerly-awaited Fitzgibbon Cup clash with city rivals UCC this afternoon at Pairc Ui Rinn.

"We felt we would like to play the same team as won the All-Ireland," said Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy, "but obviously Sean Og's injury ruled that out. We can't continue to put out the same team throughout the league because we have to experiment and try out new players."

Cork returned to training only last Monday week after coming home from the team holiday. "It's been all physical work, in the gym," said Barry-Murphy, "and our first outfield work was on Sunday when we had a match between the A and B teams in Pairc Ui Chaoimh."

All Star Fergal Ryan of Blackrock will captain the team this year.

Laois's hurlers will field four league debutantes for Sunday's meeting with Wexford. The newcomers include Eoin Browne, a minor last year and brother of former county footballer and manager Colm, who is picked at wing back.

Declan Rooney is listed at centre forward, but he hobbled out of Sunday's match and is rated doubtful. The team is missing All Star nominee Niall Rigney, as well as David and Paul Cuddy, who have all withdrawn from the panel.

Last year's finalists Galway did not consider the Athenry players who are preparing for next month's All-Ireland club final. Manager Matt Murphy isn't too concerned at the absence of such prominent players as Brian Feeney, Joe Rabbitte and Eugene Cloonan.

"We'll be able to find out a bit about the other fellas," he said. "There are 32 players on the panel, six are from Athenry, so in the first few games we'll be able to give everyone a chance".

Noel Larkin returns to senior hurling after six years during which he won All-Irelands with the county junior (1996) and intermediate (1999) teams. He became the regular senior centre in Galway's Oireachtas matches.

Kilkenny's only injury concern centres on last year's captain, Denis Byrne, who has suffered a recurrence of an old hand injury.

The former All Star Ciaran Carey has been ruled out of the Limerick team for Sunday's visit to Antrim. The Patrickswell player injured a leg in training and is likely to be out for some weeks.

Limerick manager Eamonn Cregan has dispensed with the services of many of the stars of the 1990s and has introduced five newcomers - Dave Ryan, Tom McLoughlin, Mark Keane, Dave Stapleton and Michael O'Brien. The team will be captained from midfield by Clement Smith.