Celtic League: 101 Not Out For Sheahan

Hooker Frankie Sheahan is set to captain Munster in their league meeting with Glasgow today (kick-off 5.00pm, live Setanta), on the occasion of his 101st cap.

The 28-year-old – a second-half replacement in last weekend’s 40-13 RBS Six Nations win for Ireland over Scotland – has been in excellent league form of late, scoring two tries in his last three appearances.

Sheahan’s milestone should crown a back-to-basics approach from Alan Gaffney’s men, with centre-cum-wing John Kelly also returning to action for the first time since damaging his ankle whilst training with the national squad in early November.

Kelly, 30, files onto the right wing for the Thomond Park test, in a back line which includes full-back Christian Cullen – a late replacement for Shaun Payne due to a family illness – and a midfield tandem of Jason Holland and James Storey.

Kelly, in the interim, had been lining out for his club, Cork Constitution in the AIB League.

In all, coach Gaffney has made seven changes from the side which lost a ten-game winning run – 32-17 – against the Llanelli Scarlets last month.

David Wallace lines out for the seventh time in the league, at number eight, with fellow Ireland internationals Alan Quinlan and Denis Leamy in tow.

Three of Eddie O’Sullivan’s replacement in last Sunday’s win over the Scots – Marcus Horan, Sheahan and Donncha O’Callaghan are also included.

Ireland headliners Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer, John Hayes, Paul O’Connell and Anthony Foley are unavailable, with David Pusey and Mossy Lawlor currently injured.

Gaffney’s side have not lost at their Limerick home since March 2004, when Dragons skipper Andy Marinos scored the only try in inflicting a 16-6 defeat.

Meanwhile, visitors Glasgow are winless on their last eight road trips.

Celtic League: Week 16: Sunday, February 20
Munster v Glasgow, 5.00pm (live, Setanta Sports)

Head-to-head since 2003: Glasgow 1, Munster 3
League form: Glasgow LWLLD, Munster WWWWL
Top scorers: Glasgow: Calvin Howarth 112 / Kenny Logan 5; Munster: Paul Burke 92 / Christian Cullen 8 tries

MUNSTER:

(15) Christian Cullen
(14) John Kelly
(13) James Storey
(12) Jason Holland
(11) Anthony Horgan
(10) Paul Burke
(9) Eoin Reddan
(1) Marcus Horan
(2) Frankie Sheahan (Capt)
(3) Gordon McIlwham
(4) Trevor Hogan
(5) Donncha O’Callaghan
(6) Alan Quinlan
(7) Denis Leamy
(8) David Wallace

Replacements:

(16) Eugene McGovern
(17) Jerry Flannery
(18) Tom Bowman
(19) Jim Williams
(20) Mike Prendergast
(21) Rob Henderson
(22) Paul Devlin

GLASGOW: Colin Shaw; Rory Lamont, Graeme Morrison, Scott Barrow, Kenny Logan; Calvin Howarth, Graeme Beveridge; Kevin Tkachuk, Scott Lawson, Andrew Kelly, Joe Beardshaw, Dan Turner, Steve Swindall, Cammy Mather (Capt), Paul Dearlove.
Replacements: Fergus Thomson, Ben Prescott, Andrew Hall, John Barclay, Alasdhair McFarlane, Andrew Henderson, Gareth Maclure.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)