Weather Disrupting Preparations

Benetton Treviso, Munster’s opponents next weekend, went down 8-3 to Petrarca Padova in the Italian Super 10 competition at the weekend, their sole score coming from a Tobias Botes penalty in the first half

Argentine utility back Martin Acuna scored Padova’s opening half try while Frenchman Ludovic Mercier added a second half penalty.

Munster coach Tony McGahan had hoped to get some badly needed game-time into players who haven’t seen action since the game against Perpignan on December 20th but the weather put paid to that and instead his squad had to do with training in their own centres.

This week the weather will again be a consideration in terms of training venues with the squad due to assemble in Cork tomorrow and train there on Wednesday. They fly out from Shannon on Friday morning.

For the postponed Scarlets game, McGahan had named most of those who started against Perpignan with the exception of John Hayes and of course Denis Leamy up front and it has to be assumed that Hayes will come back into the starting XV for the Italian game with Niall Ronan, James Coughlan, Billy Holland and Tommy O’Donnell  all vying for the pot made vacant by the injury to Leamy.

The Scarlets line-up showed one change from the one that started against the French with Jean de Villiers in for Lifeimi Mafi.

A fortnight ago it was expected that by the time they’d reached this week, Munster would have been counting on Marcus Horan’s return to action, but again, the weather put paid to his plans for playing with his club Shannon and that lack of game-time must mitigate against him winning a 163rd cap at the weekend.

Jerry Flannery continues to make progress in his recovery from his Achilles injury but is not in contention for this weekend and thought unlikely to feature for the final Pool game against Northampton Saints.