Penney keeps star trio waiting

Munster head coach Rob Penney has resisted the urge to start returning Test backs Ronan O’Gara, Conor Murray and Keith Earls in tomorrow night’s RaboDirect Pro12 tussle with Ulster, having named the Ireland trio on the bench for the Ravenhill derby.

Scrum-half Murray, fly-half O’Gara and centre Earls were made available this weekend, for the first time this season, under the IRFU’s player welfare protocols but will be eased into action as Penney rewards the players who have earned him two wins from his first two league starts since succeeding Tony McGahan as head coach this summer.

Not that Murray, in line for his first experience of playing at Ravenhill, is too concerned, the 23-year-old expressing his delight at finally getting his season up and running.