KILKENNY AND DUBLIN can both call on several senior players in their starting sides for tomorrow’s Bord Gáis Energy Leinster U21 hurling quarter-final.
Cats U21 boss Eddie Brennan has picked eight players who featured in the senior squad during the league this spring while Dublin manager Johnny McGuirk has selected seven players who were involved in last Sunday’s Leinster senior quarter-final in Tullamore.
Kilkenny centre-back Jason Cleere and full-forward Liam Blanchfield both started for Brian Cody’s senior side in their most recent competitive game when they lost to Wexford in April’s league quarter-final.
Alan Murphy was the substitute goalkeeper in that game while wing-forward Pat Lyng was also on the senior bench for that match in Nowlan Park.
Conor Delaney, Sean Morrissey, Darren Brennan and Richie Leahy have all been part of the Kilkenny senior squad for league games this spring.
Kilkenny’s team contains nine players who started in the 2014 All-Ireland minor final victory over Limerick, while corner-forward Billy Ryan came on as a substitute in that match.
The captain of that Kilkenny minor side Darragh Joyce is now playing Aussie Rules in Melbourne with St Kilda.
Dublin can call on six players who featured during last Sunday’s loss to Galway with full-back Shane Barrett, midfielder Donal Burke and wing-forward Eoghan Conroy all starting that game.
Centre-back Jake Malone, centre-forward Fergal Whitely and full-forward Rian McBride all came on as substitutes in that match, while goalkeeper Jonathan Treacy was on the bench.
Throw-in tomorrow night is 7.30pm with live coverage on TG4.
Offaly have unveiled their side that travel to Innovate Wexford Park to face Wexford. Ben Conneely, Padraic Guinan and Oisín Kelly all started in last Saturday’s senior clash with Westmeath.
That trio along with Eoghan Cahill, David O’Toole-Greene and Ronan Hughes all started against Dublin in last year’s Leinster U21 final.
Laois will be anchored by senior players for their quarter-final clash with Westmeath.
Leigh Bergin, Lee Cleere, Jack Kelly, Aidan Corby, Sean Downey, John Lennon, Mark Kavanagh and Aaron Dunphy all featured at some stage during last Sunday’s senior loss to Wexford.
Kilkenny
1. Darren Brennan (St Lachtain’s)
2. Michael Cody (Dunnamaggin)
3. Conor Delaney (Erins Own)
4. Ryan Bergin (John Lockes)
5. Conor Doheny (Dicksboro)
6. Jason Cleere (Bennettsbridge)
7. Tommy Walsh (Tullaroan)
8. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels)
9. Sean Morrissey (Bennettsbridge)
10. Pat Lyng (Rower-Inistioge)
11. Luke Scanlon (James Stephens)
12. Richie Leahy (Rower-Inistioge)
13. Alan Murphy (Glenmore)
14. Liam Blanchfield (Bennettsbridge)
15. Billy Ryan (Graigue-Ballycallan)
Subs
16. Liam Dunphy (Lisdowney)
17. James Burke (Thomastown)
18. Aidan Nolan (Dicksboro)
19. Darren Mullen (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
20. Kevin Crowley (Mooncoin)
21. John Walsh (Mullinavat)
22. Shane Walsh (Tullaroan)
23. James Bergin (Conahy Shamrocks)
24. John Donnelly (Thomastown)
25. Andy Gaffney (Dicksboro)
26. Conor Hennessy (Tullogher-Rosbercon)
Dublin
1. Jonathan Treacy (Na Fianna)
2. Daire Gray (Whitehall Colmcille)
3. Shane Barrett (Na Fianna)
4. Jack O’Neill (St Brigid’s)
5. Cian Hendricken (Naomh Mearnóg)
6. Jake Malone (Cuala)
7. Paul O’Dea (Na Fianna)
8. Brian Bolger (St Vincent’s)
9. Donal Burke (Na Fianna)
10. Eoghan Conroy (St Maur’s)
11. Fergal Whitely (Kilmacud Crokes)
12. Conor Burke (St Vincent’s)
13. Colin Currie (Na Fianna)
14. Rian McBride (St Vincent’s)
15. Pól Crummey (Lucan Sarsfields)
Offaly
1. Eoghan Cahill (Birr)
2. Dylan Watkins (Birr)
3. David O’Toole-Greene (Shamrocks)
4. Paddy Delaney (Kinnitty)
5. Ben Conneely (St Rynagh’s – captain)
6. Eoghan Parlon (Coolderry)
7. Conor Molloy (Coolderry)
8. Cillian Kiely (Kilcormac-Killoughey)
9. Padraic Guinan (Drumcullen)
10. Conor Freeman (Carrig-Riverstown)
11. Oisin Kelly (Belmont)
12. Ciaran Cleary (Shinrone)
13. Liam Langton (Clodiagh Gaels)
14. Eoghan Callaghan (Kinnitty)
15. Ronan Hughes (St Rynagh’s)
Subs
16. William Malone (Coolderry)
17. Eoin Carroll (Shinrone)
18. Dan Miller (Coolderry)
19. Brian Loughnane (Shinrone)
20. Peter Walsh (Clodiagh Gaels)
21. David Buckley (Clodiagh Gaels)
22. Kevin Nugent (Belmont)
23. John Murray (Drumcullen)
24. Darren Healy (Lusmagh)
Laois
1. Paul Simms (Ballinakill)
2. Donnacha Hartnett (Mountmellick)
3. Leigh Bergin (Shanahoe)
4. Lee Cleere (Clough-Ballacolla)
5. Eric Killeen (Rathdowney-Errill)
6. Liam O’Connell (Rathdowney-Errill)
7. Ryan Mullaney (Castletown)
8. Jack Kelly (Rathdowney-Errill)
9. Aidan Corby (Clough-Ballacolla)
10. Sean Downey (Ballinakill)
11. John Lennon (Rosenallis)
12. Brian Corby (Clough-Ballacolla)
13. Mark Kavanagh (Rathdowney-Errill)
14. Eanna Lyons (Ballyfin)
15. Aaron Dunphy (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton)
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Something not right with them this year. There’s almost too many players. No idea.
@Peter Brophy: I think the problem is that Leo is rotating his players too much. He needs a consistent core group of players so that when the internationals come back into the side, it won’t be such a jump. Having said that, it’s worrying that Leinster haven’t had a single good performance this season and they’re only a game away from their first Championship Cup fixture.
A lot of credit must go to how Edinburgh approached the match and made things difficult for Leinster. Reduced to some aimless kicking or loose running, it was up to Leinster to think their way out of it. No trophies won in September so move on to the next one and take the 4 points and them taking nothing.
This team will get much better. They just need to reintegrate all the big names. It was like their first day at school last night…. no need to panic
From a munster and Ireland fan sexton is shitte hot …munster Leinster this year
He brushed over the lineout issue.
A couple of missed calls? How can there possible be a missed call? The pack huddle, make a call and then the prop tells this call to the hooker. Unless either the prop or the hooker doesn’t speak or understand English someone please tell me how they could get the call wrong.
“3 or 4 international class players in every position”
@Paul O’Connor: And yet they look like AIL players. And you can ask why. And the answe is they all think they are the dogs bollo&, but it is high time they earned their wages. They are overpaid, overhyped, muck