Munster second row Mick O'Driscoll announced today that he will retire from rugby at the end of the current season.

Felix Jones, Tommy O’Donnell and Mike Sherry are in Munster’s squad for Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 away to Benetton Treviso.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan was able to breathe easily despite having to conduct a full-on training session at the University of Limerick with Paul O’Connell looking on from the sidelines.

DENIS LEAMY will have a troublesome hip injury assessed by a top London based specialist today.

FRUSTRATING, sloppy, tight and an uncomfortable finish — and those are the words of the winning captain.

Keith Earls returns to the Munster starting XV as one of three changes from the side that ran out last week in Parc Y Scarlets, for Sunday's re-match in Thomond Park Stadium (kick off: 12.45).

Munster retain the same pack of forwards that played against Castres in round two of the Heineken Cup for the clash with Pool leaders Scarlets in Parc Y Scarlets tomorrow (3.40pm).

MUNSTER concede they have to step up ahead of the Heineken Cup double header with the Scarlets after falling victim to the Ospreys for the second time this season.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan will hope his side can settle a score with the RaboDirect Pro12 leaders,Ospreys, at the LibertyStadium tonight.

MUNSTER will roll out their stars for Saturday’s hugely important clash with table-toppers the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium.

After snatching a dramatic victory over Northampton Saints, Tony McGahan has opted for the same starting XV for Saturday's Heineken Cup meeting with Castres Olympique in Stade Ernest-Wallon (3.40pm Irish time).

WHILE Tony McGahan had the luxury of naming an unchanged Munster squad for this Saturday’s Heineken Cup tie against Castres in Toulouse, the head coach downplayed hopes of a quicker than expected recovery for his long-term injured.

Munster named an unchanged squad for the trip to Toulouse and the Heineken Cup Round Two game with Castres Olympique on Saturday (4.40pm, French time).

Munster Rugby Academy graduates, Danny Barnes, Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony, will make their Heineken Cup starts against Northampton Saints in Thomond Park Stadium tomorrow evening (6pm).

The Munster squad assembled in Cork Institute of Technology today after Tony McGahan named an extended 29 strong squad for the opening Heineken Cup game against Northampton Saints in Thomond Park Stadium next Saturday (6pm).

Tony McGahan has made three changes in personnel from the XV that started against Aironi for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Leinster in the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night (8pm).

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan has made no promises to front-line players ahead of tomorrow night’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with arch-rivals Leinster.

Tony McGahan has announced an almost identical extended squad to face Leinster in Friday’s RaboDirect PRO 12 meeting in Dublin (8pm) as that which was named ahead of the Aironi clash.

RONAN O’GARA does not get that many opportunities these days to display his skills at Musgrave Park, but he treated the crowd of almost 7,000 last night to a superb display of kicking in appalling conditions.

TONY McGAHAN has defended his decision to bring several big names straight back into Munster’s starting team this weekend.

Munster will field their strongest side of the season for the visit of Aironi when the RaboDirect PRO12 resumes tomorrow night in Musgrave Park (8.30pm).

MUNSTER training might have had a stellar appearance to it yesterday but look a little closer and the creases on coach Tony McGahan’s furrowed brow were all too evident.

Tony McGahan has included all returning World Cup players in his 32-man squad ahead of Munster’s RaboDirect PRO12 meeting with Aironi in Musgrave Park on Friday night (8.30pm).

Ireland will give Rory Best every opportunity to prove his fitness after naming an unchanged team for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Wales.

DECLAN KIDNEY last night stuck with Munster half-backs Ronan O’Gara and Conor Murray as he named what he hopes will remain an unchanged side for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Wales.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has rested some senior players for Sunday’s Pool C clash against Russia.

IT’S on occasions such as these that people like Declan Kidney realise that their day’s work is never really done!

Brian O’Driscoll and Sean O’Brien will miss Ireland’s clash with England at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday through injury.

NO major alarms, no serious injuries, six tries scored and none conceded.

BORDEAUX may be famed for its wine and lush countryside, but not too many of the current Irish squad have as many happy memories as the rest of us.

BORDEAUX may be famed for its wine and lush countryside, but not too many of the current Irish squad have as many happy memories as the rest of us.

A TRY in the 77th minute by Scotland centre Joe Ansbro lit up the leaden Edinburgh sky to give his side a World Cup boost at Murrayfield on Saturday.

THOSE who like to champion young players will be pleased at the elevation of both Felix Jones and Conor Murray into the Irish squad to begin preparations later this month for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his side to face Leinster in tomorrow’s Magners League Grand Final at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-off 5.05pm.

ON A night short on inspiration,a young New Zealand-born,Tralee-raised centre showed Thomond Park that blond-flecked hair aren’t the only highlights Danny Barnes can bring to the Munster cause.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made nine changes, two of those positional, from the side that defeated Connacht last weekend for Saturday’s Magners League semi-final match against the Ospreys at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-off 6.30pm.

TONY MCGAHAN refused to talk about his future as Munster’s head coach next season.

Munster 22 Connacht 6

RONAN O’GARA has warned his Munster team-mates to expect another series of tough challenges tonight against Connacht as the province tries to rebound from the trauma of last weekend’s European defeat to Harlequins.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named Tomás O'Leary and Alan Quinlan in his side for tomorrow night’s Magners League match against Connacht at Thomond Park Stadium (kick-off: 7.05pm).

MUNSTER captain Paul O’Connell believes Leinster have the quality his province must aspire to if they are to emerge from the doldrums and reclaim their place among Europe’s best.

MUNSTER’S dreams of an Amlin Cup consolation prize were crushed ruthlessly by Harlequins on Saturday in the province’s most embarrassing defeat of a proud 16-year European odyssey.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made just one change in personnel, from the side that started the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final against Brive, for tomorrow afternoon’s semi-final match against Harlequins at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-off 1pm.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan handed the captain’s armband to seasoned international back-rower Denis Leamy, but named an experimental side to face Llanelli Scarlets in tonight’s Magners League clash in Wales.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his side for Saturday’s Magners League match against the Scarlets at the Parc Y Scarlets, kick-off 6.15pm.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named a 34-man squad for Munster's Magners League match against the Scarlets at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday, kick-off 6.15pm.

THE lead photograph on page one of Brive’s La Montagne on Saturday suggested it was “David défie Goliath”, and given the paths these two clubs have taken since the start of European rugby competition in 1995, the Amlin Challenge quarter-final was aptly billed.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his team for tomorrow's Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final clash against Brive at the Stade Municipal, kick-off 2pm.

TONY McGAHAN promised the Munster supporters that his players won’t shirk from the challenge of taking on Brive up front on Saturday in the Amlin Challenge Cup.

THE bragging rights are Munster’s, temporarily at least, this humdinger of a Magners League top-of-the-table clash enough to excite even the most sedate supporters.