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GAA digest: Championship bows for Tipperary pair

Josh Keane will make his senior championship debut against Waterford this weekend
Josh Keane will make his senior championship debut against Waterford this weekend

Tipperary manager Liam Kearns will hand championship debuts to Bill Maher and Josh Keane after naming his team to face Waterford in the Munster SFC on Sunday (3.30pm).

The Premier County, who have lost the services of star forward Colin O’Riordan to Aussie Rules, are favourites to advance to a semi-final date with Kerry and Kearns has put his faith in two of last year's U21 Munster Championship winning side.

Maher will join Robbie Kiely and Shane Leahy in the half-back line while Golden-Kilfeacle’s Keane is named at wing-forward in what will be Kearns’ first championship match in charge.

Tipperary: Evan Comerford;  Colm O’Shaughnessy , Alan Campbell, Ciarán Mc Donald; Bill Maher, Robbie Kiely, Shane Leahy; Alan Moloney, George Hannigan; Josh Keane, Peter Acheson (captain), Brian Fox;  Conor Sweeney, Michael Quinlivan,  Philip Austin.

Mayo hand a championship debut to corner-forward Evan Regan for their opening Connacht tie against London on Sunday.

Manager Stephen Rochford, taking charge of his first championship game, will send out 10 of the side that featured their All-Ireland semi-final replay loss to Dublin last September for the Ruislip encounter (3pm).

Mayo (SFC v London): Robbie Hennelly; Brendan Harrison, Kevin Keane, Keith Higgins; Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle, Patrick Durcan; Tom Parsons, Jason Gibbons; Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea, Jason Doherty; Evan Regan, Cillian O’Connor (capt), Conor O’Shea.

London trio Caoimhin Carty, Danny Ryan and James Moran will take on their native county in Ruislip.

Ciaran Deely has given debuts to Ryan, Gavin McEvoy in goal, Ciaran and Colin Dunne in defence and Cormac Coyne, Eoin Murray and Patrick O’Hara in attack.

Experienced duo Cathal Og Greene and Lorcan Mulvey are named on the bench after they both suffered injuries in the build up to this weekend, however, Darragh Quinn misses out completely due to an ankle injury.

London (SFC v Mayo): Gavin McEvoy; Philip Butler, Caoimhin Carty, Ciaran Dunne; Colin Dunne, Danny Ryan, Dave McGreevy; James Moran, Liam Gavaghan; Adrian Moyles, Mark Gottsche, Cormac Coyne; Eoin Murray, Scott Conroy, Patrick O’Hara.

Subs: Conor Campbell, Conor O’Neill, Michael Walsh, Ciaran Healy, Cathal Og Greene, Eoin Mageean, Lorcan Mulvey, Sean Hickey, Ger Minihane, Alfie McNulty, Killian Butler.

Limerick have also named their team to face Clare at the Gaelic Grounds, with four debutants in John Brudair's side.

Half-backs Brian Fanning and Paul White are joined by forwards Garrett Noonan and Brian Donovan in getting a first taste of Championship action.

Limerick (SFC v Clare): Brian Scanlon; Johnny McCarthy, Paudie Browne, Stephen Cahill; Brian Fanning, Sean O Dea, Paul White; Cian Sheehan, Darragh Tracey; Garrett Noonan, Peter Nash, Seanie Buckley; Ian Ryan (Capt), Danny Neville, Brian Donovan.

Subs: Donal O Sullivan, Colm Moran, Seán Flanagan, Paul Hannon, Cillian Fahy, Pa Ranahan, Sean McSweeney, Killian Ryan, James Naughton, Hugh Bourke, Eoin Hogan.

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