It will be third against second in the Magners League when Munster host the Ospreys in Saturday’s crunch tie at Thomond Park (kick-off 6.30pm). The province’s coach Tony McGahan is set to welcome back a number of frontline players for the must-win game.
16 players who were on duty for last Sunday’s win over Connacht at the Sportsground have been included in Munster’s extended squad to face the Ospreys this weekend.
Forward duo Nick Williams (groin) and Denis Fogarty miss out, while Declan Cusack, Jeremy Manning, Conor Murray and Sean Scanlon have been named in the province’s panel for the British & Irish Cup semi-final against Ulster Ravens.
Wingers Danny Barnes and Simon Zebo, who made their debuts against Connacht, have retained their places in the squad, while regulars like Ronan O’Gara, Jean de Villiers, Jerry Flannery, Donncha O’Callaghan and David Wallace are all in contention to start against the Welsh region.
But team captain Paul O’Connell and Keith Earls, who have both been nursing groin problems, and wingers Ian Dowling (knee) and Doug Howlett (hamstring) will miss Munster’s penultimate league game.
The Munster management remain hopeful that the quartet will be available for Sunday week’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Biarritz Olympique.
First things first, Tony McGahan’s men need to see off the Ospreys, one of their main rivals for a league play-off spot, this Saturday.
The sides are currently locked together on 43 points at the business end of the table and McGahan knows the Welshmen will have all guns blazing as they chase a prized Limerick win.
“It was always going to come down to this game. We had pencilled this fixture in as a key one for both ourselves and the Ospreys in terms of making the semi-finals,” admitted McGahan.
“They did particularly well to bounce back with their win in Ulster and pick up a losing bonus point against Leinster last Friday night.
“They are right there, playing with a lot of confidence at the moment and with a care-free approach. We really need to be at our best this weekend.”
Encouragingly for Munster, no Welsh team has won at Thomond Park since the Newport Gwent Dragons did so in March 2004.
MUNSTER Squad (v Ospreys) – Backs (11): Danny Barnes, Denis Hurley, Jean de Villiers, Lifeimi Mafi, Paul Warwick, Peter Stringer, Ronan O’Gara, Scott Deasy, Simon Zebo, Tom Gleeson, Tomas O’Leary.
Forwards (16): Alan Quinlan, Billy Holland, Damien Varley, Dave Foley, Dave Ryan, David Wallace, Donncha O’Callaghan, James Coughlan, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes, Julien Brugnaut, Marcus Horan, Mick O’Driscoll, Niall Ronan, Peter O’Mahony, Tony Buckley.
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