Tipperary go with a familiar set

TEAM NEWS:TIPPERARY HAVE named an unchanged side for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final.

Unsurprisingly in the light of the 24-point semi-final demolition of Limerick, manager Liam Sheedy and his selectors have opted to retain the starting 15 from last month despite late injury fears about wing back Declan Fanning.

The Killenaule player hurt his hamstring within the last week in training, but has been included and will play, according to county PRO Ger Ryan.

Fanning has played every minute of the championship campaign to date, one of only three players, along with Paddy Stapleton and Pádraic Maher, to have done so.

Three of the team also started the 2001 All-Ireland final success against Galway, the last time the county featured in the All-Ireland decider.

Goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, full forward Eoin Kelly and left corner forward Lar Corbett all lined out eight years ago.

Substitute Paul Kelly also started, while John O’Brien and Paul Curran were on the panel.

Curran will be the only player to have started all of Tipperary’s NHL and championship matches, although O’Brien and James Woodlock have appeared at some stage in all of them.

Four players, Pádraic Maher, Brendan Maher, Séamus Callanan and Noel McGrath were part of the All-Ireland winning minor teams from the county in 2006 and ’07.

Four of the team started the last championship meeting with Kilkenny, six years ago in the All-Ireland semi-final when, despite leading at half-time, Tipp went down to a 12-point defeat – Brendan Cummins, Paul Curran, Eoin Kelly and Lar Corbett.