CORK boss Pat Ryan has made three changes for Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Dublin.
Niall O’Leary comes back into the defence after coming off the bench in the Munster SHC final win over Limerick last month as Damien Cahalane drops out.
Robert Downey replaces the injured Cormac O’Brien (quad) at centre-back and Declan Dalton comes into the firing line for Séamus Harnedy, who is out with a hamstring injury.
Ger Millerick returns to the bench after recovering from a broken finger.
CORK (SHC v Dublin): P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; C Joyce, R Downey, M Coleman; T O’Mahony, D Fitzgibbon; D Healy, S Barrett, D Dalton; P Horgan, A Connnolly, B Hayes.
The Rebels are hot favourites to land their first All-Ireland in 20 years this summer.
Ryan’s men won their first Munster title since 2018 when they dethroned Limerick on penalties.
The Treaty were stunned by Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-finals and the Sky Blues are huge underdogs again for Saturday’s semi-final clash with Cork.
Tipp boss Liam Cahill has already said the Rebels are “raging hot favourites” to go all the way as his own team face Kilkenny in Sunday’s other semi.
Meanwhile Derek Lyng insists Kilkenny’s 10-year famine has nothing to do with the current crop.
The Cats have been starved of success in the last decade, and have not won Liam MacCarthy since 2015.
TJ Reid, Richie Reid and stopper Eoin Murphy are the only survivors from their last title when Lyng was a selector under Brian Cody.
But their boss says there is no 10-year cloud over the dressing room ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary.
He said: “None whatsoever, none whatsoever. That’s not on this group. That’s sport. Anytime you get through and win something you have to earn it. That’s what we’ve been trying to do.
“What I’m looking for from the team is a really good attitude and application in terms of how they go about the games. I’ve been really pleased with how we’ve done that so far.
“We think we have a bit to go yet and we know we need to up it again this weekend. That’s all we’re looking for.”
BORDER FEELING
Sunday’s clash is one of hurling’s great rivalries, and Lyng grew up in Urlingford where that edge was felt the most.
The border with Tipperary was only a couple of kilometres away, so he was no stranger to what these games meant as a child.
He sat in the Hogan stand when Tipp prevailed in the 1991 All-Ireland before facing his neighbours in four championship games as a player, winning three and losing one.
Lyng prevailed in back to back semi-finals in 2003, as well as the 2009 All-Ireland final before Liam Sheedy’s men halted their drive for five a year later.
Sunday’s clash will be their first championship showdown since Tipp won the 2019 All-Ireland, and blew the Cats away 3-25 to 0-20.
