ALL-IRELAND champions, Meath have named the same 15 which lined out against Dub tin in the first round of the Leinster championship for Sunday's semi- final against Kildare - which means that there is no room for veteran corner back Martin 0'Connell or for Paddy Reynolds, a member of last year's All-Ireland winning team.
Kildare also named their team last night for the Croke Park clash and opted to keep faith with the team which started against Laois in the first round including the two players sent off in that game.
Meath's Martin O'Connell has since recovered from the injury which kept him out of the Dublin game, but his replacement Donal Curtis had a fine 70 minutes against Dublin - at both wing back and corner back and is retained. So is Nigel Nestor, the converted midfielder who enjoyed an assured championship debut at wing back despite his lack of experience at the back.
Otherwise the Meath team is the same with the forwards selected in the positions they started in against Dublin.
Kildare's decision to make no changes to the team that dramatically beat Laois in the first round means that captain Glen Ryan has satisfied any doubts concerning a hand injury that placed a question mark over his participation in this semi-final for much of this week.
Both Johnny McDonald and Martin Lynch, who were sensationally sent off within to minutes of the start of the Laois match, are included at right corner forward and full forward respectively - their suspensions having expired.
One change is made to the substitutes bench with John Finn fit to resume and Eric Dockery dropping off the panel. Midfielder Dale Hynan has also resumed training after injury but was not considered for selection.
Ryan's inclusion is excellent news for the team and he will not be subject to any further fitness test. Wing back Anthony Rainbow did not, however, take part in last night's training session at Hawksfield, the county board's training centre just outside Newbridge. Rainbow was detained by work commitments and has shrugged off an injury which gave cause for concern earlier this week.
"Basically, it was a niggly ankle problem," said team selector Pat McCarthy last night. "But Anthony is over it now." In relation to Ryan's confirmed availability, McCarthy was relieved."
"He's the cornerstone of the team. Last week he had a bad old time because he wanted it better in two days but he's in great form now. He knew himself and the doctors confirmed that there was no problem. Glen will play with his hand bandaged and some little thing in the palm of his hand for added protection but he's very happy, himself"
Dermot Earley, son of the legendary Roscommon midfielder and former Kildare manager of the same name, is listed amongst the substitutes.
Meanwhile, Antrim's manager Dominic McKinley and his selectors have named only one championship debutant on the team to face Down in this year's Ulster hurling final at Casement Park this weekend.
Aidan Mort comes in on the left wing of the attack in a side that omits veteran Cushendall man Terence "Sambo" McNaughton, a former All Star and survivor of the 1989 All-Ireland final.
His position at centre back is filled by Gary O'Kane who would have figured in the selection anyway - and at 33, McNaughton may have reached the end of a distinguished career.
The selection includes Gregory O'Kane at centre forward and Paul Jennings at left wing back as both players have recovered from injury problems that threatened their involvement earlier this week. Seamus Bailie and Ryan McNaughton, who were both considered extremely doubtful have been named only on the bench.
The final comes at the end of a disappointing year for Down, who were Ulster champions only two years ago. A poor National League campaign saw them fail to secure promotion from Division Three and the tight championship victory over Derry was blighted by an emphatic defeat against the same county in the Ulster under-21 semi-finals last weekend.
The Munster Council will be holding another of their now annual commemorative evenings tomorrow night on the eve of the Munster hurling final players being honoured this year are the Cork hurlers from the three- in-a-row sides of 1952-54.
Although such luminaries as Christy Ring and Eamonn Goulding have since passed away, there will be a good attendance, including Josie Hartnett and Johnny Clifford, who scored the winning goal in the 54 final against Wexford and later managed the county to the 1986 All-Ireland title.
According to Munster Council chairman Noel Walsh the football presentation on the night before this year's football final between Kerry and Clare will follow a different pattern than usual.
"Rather than honour a winning team, it was decided to commemorate some famous runners-up from outside Cork and Kerry," he said. In 1949, Clare were beaten by Kerry in the final. In 1957, Waterford lost to Cork after a famous victory over Kerry and then in 1965, Limerick narrowly lost to Kerry after beating Cork."
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