Ger Loughnane's first major competitive selection sees a number of familiar faces recalled to the Galway senior hurling team to face Antrim in this weekend's opening series of the National Hurling League.
Fergal Moore and Mark Kerins, both of whom had opted out of Loughnane's predecessor Conor Hayes's set-up, are included at left corner back and centre forward respectively.
Kerins played a key role for the county when Galway reached the All-Ireland final in 2001 and was deemed unlucky by many - including the ultimate recipient Clare's James O'Connor - not to get an All Star in the position that year.
When Galway last reached the All-Ireland two years ago David Forde was at centre forward and also enjoyed a good season. For Sunday Loughnane moves the player to the unusual role of right wing back.
Otherwise it is an experienced selection with only Aidan Ryan, selected in goal while former captain Liam Donoghue is on honeymoon, and 2004 All-Ireland winning minor captain John Lee at centre back, not having featured in championship for the county.
Galway will be wary of the fixture, having been beaten in it on the corresponding weekend last year.
Meanwhile Wexford, under the new management of former Kerry manager and Cork selector John Meyler, have named a side for the south-east derby against neighbours Waterford.
Paul Roche is the only newcomer, at left corner back, in a team that features just two survivors of the 1996 All-Ireland win, Damien Fitzhenry and Rory McCarthy. Robbie Codd from county champions Rathnure and a brother of the now retired Paul is at full forward.
A number of counties have delayed selection ahead of the weekend. Clare manager Tony Considine is waiting to see how his various charges came through yesterday's Fitzgibbon Cup matches before naming his first league side, unlikely now to be announced before Sunday.
Considine is coping with the continued controversy over goalkeeper David Fitzgerald and the departure of trainer Dave Mahedy but he says all counties will have noticed Kilkenny's example of winning the National Hurling League and All-Ireland double three times in the past five years.
"Kilkenny showed last year the value of going out to win every game and although people argue they've an easy run in Leinster I don't agree with that," he said.
Kilkenny are expected to name their team for the trip to Dublin tonight. They will be without the Ballyhale Shamrocks players, preparing for next month's All-Ireland club final against Loughrea.
Waterford manager Justin McCarthy brings in Tallow's Aidan Kearney at left corner back for the trip to Wexford. Kearney is the only debutant in an experimental line-up that features regular forward Jack Kennedy at wing back and defender Kevin Moran at full forward.
The caveat is that under McCarthy Waterford's teams rarely take the throw-in without changes to every line of the announced team. Eoin Kelly is named at centrefield after his controversial departure from Mount Sion to Passage and new captain Michael Walsh is at centre forward.
GALWAY (SH Antrim): A Ryan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, F Moore; D Forde, J Lee, D Collins (capt.); E Lynch, D Tierney; R Murray, M Kerins, F Healy; D Hayes, E Cloonan, K Broderick.
WEXFORD (SH v Waterford): D Fitzhenry; M Travers, R Kehoe, P Roche; D Lyng, K Rossiter, C Kenny; T Mahon, R McCarthy; M Jacob, E Quigley, M Doyle; M Jordan, R Codd, R Jacob.
WATERFORD (SH v Wexford): C Hennessy; D Prendergast, T Feeney, A Kearney; J Kennedy, K McGrath, J Murray; E Kelly, S Molumphy; D Shanahan, M Walsh, S Prendergast; J Mullane, K Moran, E McGrath.
