Tony McGahan is banking on youthful enthusiasm to help carry defending champions Munster through their RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final at Ospreys in Swansea tonight (7.35pm).

Despite being deemed fit enough to make the match day squad, Ronan O’Gara will start on the replacements bench when Munster travel to the Liberty Stadium to take on the Ospreys in Friday’s RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final (7.35pm).

Tony McGahan welcomed Ronan O’Gara back to Munster squad for the first time in a month ahead of tomorrow night’s RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final at Ospreys but revealed Damien Varley’s injury may be worse than first feared.

Ronan O'Gara returns to the Munster squad for the first time since the Heineken Cup quarter final game with Ulster for Friday's RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final clash with Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium (7.35pm).

On a night when injuries and handling errors threatened to overshadow a promising display, Munster appear to have found another youngster with the potential to make a long-term impact.

Fears that an injury to Keith Earls would be another long-term problem for Munster and Ireland were eased yesterday when he was given a place on the bench for his province at Thomond Park tonight.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made two personnel changes from the side that started against Scarlets, for his final Thomond Park game against Ulster on Saturday night (7.30pm).

Paul O’Connell is back to boost Munster’s prospects of defeating Llanelli Scarlets in Wales tonight and keep his side ahead of the posse in the race for a RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final place.

Munster Academy prop Dave Kilcoyne will make his first competitive start for the province when Tony McGahan’s men take on the Scarlets in tomorrow evening’s RaboDirect PRO12 meeting in Llanelli (6.30pm).

Injured duo Ronan O’Gara and David Wallace will again be absentees when Munster take on the Llanelli Scarlets in a crucial RaboDirect Pro12 game at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday.

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

It wasn’t perfect, but Munster’s overall display at Musgrave Park on Saturday was a whole lot better than the previous two weeks and good enough to reward them with four RaboDirect Pro12 points to keep them on course for a semi-final spot.

Munster may turn to All Black legend Tana Umaga to provide the missing link in a new coaching management team with former skipper Anthony Foley.

With seven of those involved in last Sunday's game against Ulster ruled out through injury, Munster are forced to reshuffle their side for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park tomorrow (7.15pm).

Tony McGahan didn’t mask his bitter disappointment at Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final exit yesterday and declared that wereMunster to retain their RaboDirect Pro12 title it wouldn’t compensate for what happened against Ulster.

Tony McGahan hands first Heineken Cup starts to hooker Mike Sherry and wing-forward Tommy O'Donnell as his side take on Ulster in Sunday's quarter final on Easter Sunday (1.45pm).

Munster are set to delve deep into their reservoir of young talent with the near certainty that hooker Mike Sherry will start Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final.

Tony McGahan was a relieved man yesterday as he watched his stars cruise through a tough training session four days before the Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Ulster at Thomond Park.

If Munster are to prevail against Ulster on Sunday at Thomond Park and reach the Heineken Cup semi-finals they will surely be requesting that Leinster provide them with an annual pre-European tune-up after this sobering RaboDirect Pro12 defeat to their fiercest rivals.

Unsurprisingly, four of six changes to the Munster starting XV to face Leinster in Saturday night's RaboDirect PRO12 encounter in Thomond Park (KO: 7.30pm) are caused by the return of internationals who had been missing from the squad on Six Nations duty.

Munster director of coaching Tony McGahan is hopeful Paul O’Connell, Conor Murray and Donnacha Ryan will be fit to face Ulster in 11 days, despite having to plan without all three Ireland internationals for Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Leinster.

Connacht captain Gavin Duffy says tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 home game against Munster has kept his side fully focused and motivated during the Six Nations-enforced lull in provincial action.

On a day that signalled the exit of Tomás O’Leary at the end of the season, Munster director of coaching Tony McGahan gave hope that captain Paul O’Connell would be fit to face Ulster in next month’s Heineken Cup quarter-final.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named a 28-man squad for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Connacht at the Sportsgrounds on Saturday (7.45pm).

It wasn’t exactly the script David Wallace was looking for on his return from a long term injury, but the veteran backrower was nevertheless upbeat despite Munster’s shock defeat in Viadana yesterday.

Munster will welcome David Wallace back to the fold at some stage of tomorrow’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Aironi at Stadio Zaffanella in Viadana.

David Wallace has been named on the Munster bench for their RaboDirect PRO12 encounter with Aironi in Italy on Sunday (3pm).

Leinster have finally ended the longer-than-expected process of bringing Brad Thorn to Dublin by signing the Kiwi World Cup winner on a three-month contract that shores up a gaping hole in their second-row.

David Wallace has been included in the 27-player Munster squad for their RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Aironi in the Stadio Zaffanella on Sunday (3pm).

Munster double centurion Mick O’Driscoll reckons Saturday’s victory over Newport Gwent Dragons was crucial to Red Army’s Pro12 hopes.

A Munster career going back to 1998 will be marked tonight when Mick O’Driscoll captains the RaboDirect Pro12 champions in a crucial fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons for what will be his 200th career for the province.

On the day that Mick O'Driscoll makes his 200th appearance for Munster, Save Tokula will make his first, in the side that takes on Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade tomorrow (6.30pm).

Mick O’Driscoll will keep his charges well in rein as Munster go in search of another crucial RaboDirect Pro12 victory over Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade tomorrow night.

New signing Save Tokula has been included in Munster’s 29- man squad for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Newport Gwent Dragons in Rodney Parade on Saturday (6.30pm).

Munster enjoyed the time of their lives for 40 minutes in last night’s Rabo Direct Pro12 clash with the Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park.

Off the field business has provided another unwelcome diversion from Munster’s crucial RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park tonight, with news of a second loan move by Peter Stringer fromSaracens to Newcastle Falcons.

Munster coach Tony McGahan makes five changes, from the side that started against Treviso, for tomorrow's RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park Stadium (7.05pm).

Much of the talk leading into this tie surrounded the immediate future of Tomás O’Leary, after French TV claimed the Ireland international had inked a deal with Perpignan.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has chosen what can only be construed as a team hell-bent on winning the first of four important RaboDirect Pro12 games away to Treviso today.

Fullback Felix Jones has been named in a Munster match day squad for the first time since sustaining a foot injury in an international against France last August.

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

Munster make just one change in personnel to their starting XV, from the one that started against Castres Olympique, for tomorrow's Heineken Cup clash with Northampton Saints (6pm).

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.

Perhaps unsurprisingly Tony McGahan keeps faith with the same 23 that delivered the bonus point win last weekend, for tomorrow's crucial Heineken Cup clash with Castres Olympique.

INJURY-PLAGUED Munster and Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery is reaching a decision point as to his rugby-playing future, his provincial head coach Tony McGahan revealed.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan will today dig deeper into his pool of young talent to find a Heineken Cup squad replacement for Denis Leamy, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hip injury.

IT’S much change for Munster and minimum alterations for Treviso in advance of tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash at Thomond Park.

With three of those who started against Ulster ruled out through injury Munster once again ring the changes for the RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Benetton Treviso in Thomond Park Stadium tomorrow evening (8.15pm).

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

Just three of those who started against Connacht last weekend remain in the Munster side for the trip to Belfast and the RaboDirect PRO12 encounter with Ulster in Ravenhill tomorrow evening (6.45pm).