Ollie Canning has been shifted from centre field to corner-back, the former Tipperary player Michael Ryan has been transplanted from centre-forward to centre-back and the current Limerick panellist Gareth Heagney has nailed down a place at wing-back.
With Joe Canning and Damien Hayes as their main strike forwards and Kevin Hayes as a powerful foil Portumna have a formidable attack. The key, though, will be their ability to break down the James Stephens’ half-back line, the spiritual hinge of their team.
You would think that Peter Barry and Phil Larkin were never more threatened by pace than they are now but James Stephens have often employed Brian McEvoy as a galloping auxillary behind the half-backs, buttressing the line. The open spaces of Thurles ought to suit Portumna but James Stephens are entitled to be favourites.
Newtownshandrum have been favourites for the whole thing for the past four months. Their tranquility in a crisis against Ballygunner was the most impressive exhibition yet of their deadly cool.
Ballygalget are regarded as the best Down champions for a decade. They failed to perform in the Ulster final last year and let O’Donovan Rossa slip them by two points; this year they conceded two early goals to Cushendhal and had the presence of mind to come back and win convincingly. There’s every reason to expect that Ballygalget won’t freeze as Rossa did in the semi-final last year. But it is impossible to see Newtown losing.