Cork v Tipperary: THIS IS certainly a departure from the recent scripts of this fixture. For the past decade - and including last year's sensational victory - Cork have been the ones with the settled team and the form.

Tomorrow they replace the entire full forward line that faced Waterford in last summer's final championship outing.

Tipperary bring in young Séamus Callinan, one of the gilded underage generation of recent years, but in general show a steady continuation policy from this year's successful National Hurling League.

Cork with their late start to the league and collective training had to experiment during the spring and don't have the same settled look as their visitors. But the back nine are as experienced as needs be, with the exception of Shane O'Neill, who slotted in there comfortably in last year's championship.

The biggest question mark hangs over the attack, which has been substantially revamped. Kevin Canty is regarded as very promising but his credentials this weekend were issued in high-profile challenges, albeit on Ken McGrath and John Lee.

Pa Cronin had an encouraging debut championship last year but has done most of his hurling on the wing.

Tomorrow he is listed to man the square with the 2006 All Star full back, Paul Curran.

Cathal Naughton is preternaturally quick but has struggled to find a role with the county team and for this weekend is expected to play in a more withdrawn role and use his pace on more open ground.

Corner forward Paudie O'Sullivan, Diarmuid's brother, is a very promising old-style shooter but in terms of work-rate there are reservations that if you gave him a brush he'd prefer to stand at an easel than on a ladder.

Nonetheless if the in-form and vastly experienced Tom Kenny and Jerry O'Connor get on top of the equally in-form Shane McGrath and James Woodlock O'Sullivan will do damage.

CORK: D Cusack; S O'Neill, D O'Sullivan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Ó hAilpín; J O'Connor, T Kenny; B O'Connor, K Canty, T McCarthy; P O'Sullivan, P Cronin, C Naughton.

TIPPERARY: B Cummins; E Buckley, P Curran, C O'Brien; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, S Maher; J Woodlock, S McGrath; S Butler, S Callinan, R O'Dwyer; E Kelly, L Corbett, W Ryan.

Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath).