Kilkenny v Cork: Two debutants as Rebels ring the changes

The Cork team for Sunday’s Allianz HL Division 1A clash with Kilkenny shows nine changes from the win over Tipperary three weeks ago.

After two weekends without matches, Ben O’Connor’s side return to league activity still top of the table but in the interim there have been injuries to Robert Downey, Mark Coleman, Declan Dalton, Diarmuid Healy and Séamus Harnedy while Shane Barrett is suspended.

Two of the new additions to the team – goalkeeper Paudie O’Sullivan of Fr O’Neill’s and Killeagh’s Barry Walsh – are making their league debuts while wing-forward Hugh O’Connor makes his first start.

Also coming into the side are Niall O’Leary, Ciarán Joyce – making his first appearance under Ben O’Connor – Cormac O’Brien, Tim O’Mahony, Tommy O’Connell and Brian Hayes.

Pádraig Power, who sustained a cruciate ligament injury in the second round of last year’s league, is back in the matchday squad for the first time since then.

CORK (HL v Kilkenny): Paudie O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neill’s); Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Dáire O’Leary (Watergrasshill), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra); Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum); Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Tommy O’Connell (Midleton); Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville, captain), William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket); Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s), Alan Connolly (Blackrock).

Subs: Brion Saunderson (Midleton), Eoin Roche (Bride Rovers), Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neill’s), Micheál Mullins (Glen Rovers), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), Shane Kingston (Douglas), Ben Cunningham (St Finbarr’s), Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), Alan Walsh (Kanturk), Pádraig Power (Blarney).