Munster Look To Finish Off Impressive League Run

Munster kickstarted their preparations for the Magners League grand final with a training session at a sunny but cold Thomond Park this morning.

Besides the obvious walking wounded such as Jerry Flannery who was in attendance, Tony Buckley sat out the session in Limerick.

The big prop will miss the Magners League decider, having undergone surgery in Santry, Dublin yesterday on the AC joint in his left shoulder. Buckley will be required to rest up for ten days before beginning a rehab programme.

Munster will confine themselves to their respective gyms on Wednesday before completing the preparations with a training spin in Cork on Thursday and the traditional Captain’s Run at the match venue on Friday afternoon.

Eager for the province to finish their campaign on a high, back rower James Coughlan said: “I think after our performance in the league itself, where we ended up well clear (at the top of the table), it’s important for us to go on and win the trophy.

“We owe that much to ourselves as a squad for the work that was put in when the internationals were away. But besides that it’s a final, there’s a trophy and a title on offer and that’s what every side is judged on.

“No one will look back and remember who finished top of the league. It’s whose name is on the trophy that really counts.”