Gaffney to Name Squad on Wednesday

Munster coach Alan Gaffney expects to finalise his side for the Celtic Cup game against Glasgow in Hughenden after training in Limerick tomorrow (Wed).

Munster coach Alan Gaffney expects to finalise his side for the Celtic Cup game against Glasgow in Hughenden after training in Limerick tomorrow (Wed).

Definitely ruled out of the side is Jason Holland, still recovering from an ankle injury while Denis Leamy (shoulder) and Conrad O’Sullivan (knee) both picked up knocks in the 33-26 defeat to Neath Swansea Ospreys on Saturday.

The Munster Under 21 side will also be in action on Friday evening when they play their final game in this year’s interprovincial championship. They take on Leinster in Thomond Park (6pm) with both sides capable;e of winning the championship although all the cards are stacked in Munster’s favour.

As things stand, the Brian Hyland coached side are five points clear of second placed Leinster and Munster also hold a 42+ points advantage. So Leinster face a task similar to what faced the Munster senior side in the Heineken Cup last year when Gloucester visited Thomond Park.

Munster team manager Niall O’Shea will be reminding his charges of that turnaround, “Anything can happen in this game, we saw that last year in that famous game. You can never take things for granted. We played Leinster earlier this year in Donnybrook and although we won they gave us by far our toughest game. Now since then they look to have improved and last weekend ran in eight tries against Ulster so they have the firepower to turn that points difference around if we allow them.”

Munster are the defending champions who won the title last year under coach Pat Cross with just one loss- to Connacht in the opening game. This time around Hyyland is in charge with former international Phillip Danagher as his assistant and O’Shea continuing on as manager. The trio make no secret of their desire to retain the title with a 100% record and the last game affords them that opportunity in a season that saw the championship being played on a home and away basis for the first time.

From a selection; point of view they’ll wait until after training on Wednesday evening before finalising their side. Number 8 Brendan O’Connor and centre Breffni O’Donnell picked up knocks in the win over Connacht and they’ll be given every opportunity to prove their fitness before the team is named.

Shane O’Connor (Cork Con) is expected to be back in consideration having missed the game against Connacht through injury while the Munster management will have been heartened by the performance in Galway of full-back Richard Lane who scored two tries in his first full game of the campaign