Munster Name Squad For Glasgow Clash
Munster head coach Tony McGahan has named an extended squad for Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 match against Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park (kick-off 7.15pm).
All of Munster’s available frontline players are involved with the exception of back rower James Coughlan, who will have surgery on his injured hand tomorrow in Dublin.
Keith Earls is included in the selected panel although he remains a doubt having picked up a leg injury in last Sunday’s Heineken Cup loss to Ulster.
The Ireland centre/winger had a scan yesterday that showed some ankle ligament damage but it remains to be seen if he will be fit in time for the Glasgow Warriors game.
Asked about getting over the disappointing exit from Europe, Munster forwards coach Anthony Foley said: “Everyone is despondent, we’re obviously out of a tournament we would love to be still in.
“At the weekend, it was hard to take, because we worked so hard to get a home quarter-final only then not to avail of the advantages it should give you.
“Of those 19 points (scored by Ulster in the first half), 16 of them came from their own half.
“From our point of view, when you look back on the stats of the game – possession, territory and what we had – the things that hurt us most are how ineffective we were with our use of the ball, the amount of penalties we conceded.
“Some of them were in our control, some out of our control (through the judgement of the referee), but to concede those points from the opposition’s half was hard to take.”
Munster’s lengthy injury list currently includes Niall Ronan (knee), Troy Smith (knee), Darragh Hurley (back), Tom Gleeson (shoulder), Doug Howlett (Achilles), Denis Leamy (hip), David Foley (shoulder), David O’Callaghan (knee), James Coughlan (hand) and Ian Nagle (shoulder).
MUNSTER Squad (v Glasgow Warriors) – Backs (15): Denis Hurley, Felix Jones, Johne Murphy, Danny Barnes, Luke O’Dea, Simon Zebo, Lifeimi Mafi, Ivan Dineen, Keith Earls, Scott Deasy, Ian Keatley, Ronan O’Gara, Duncan Williams, Tomas O’Leary, Conor Murray.
Forwards (16): Wian du Preez, Marcus Horan, Stephen Archer, BJ Botha, Mike Sherry, Damien Varley, Denis Fogarty, John Ryan, Billy Holland, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Donnacha Ryan, Mick O’Driscoll, Peter O’Mahony, Tommy O’Donnell, David Wallace.