From a Munster Schools Senior Cup winning back row to a Waikato Premier A front row, Jack Dineen admits his life in rugby has taken the road less travelled.

The ghosts of 2007 don’t exactly haunt the corridors of Ireland’s stately home at Carton House, but valuable lessons have been learned from that shuddering World Cup experience of eight years ago.

After more than a year on the sidelines with a foot injury, Donnacha Ryan is just pleased to be back on the field and in line to help Munster toward a Guinness Pro 12 title when they play Ospreys in Saturday’s semi-final at Thomond Park.

French newspaper reports Paul O’Connell will end his career with French 2nd division club Pau after the 2015 Rugby World Cup came as a bombshell yesterday to his team-mates and Ireland and Munster fans.

Next month’s tour to Argentina will be the first in the post Brian O’Driscoll era and as another one slips into retirement, captain Paul O’Connell admitted it comes as a reminder his own days are numbered.

Donnacha Ryan is ready for another call-to-arms if required by Ireland coach Joe Schmidt.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY:

Ulster 29 Munster 19

Munster coach Rob Penney has a number of selection headaches ahead of Friday night’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Connacht at Thomond Park (7.15pm).

With Mike Sherry ruled out, Munster will have to name one of two rookie hookers to fill the Heineken Cup squad for Sunday’s clash with Perpignan at Thomond Park.

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Munster centre believes he can get his team on the front foot against Clermont

Monday afternoon and Damian Varley was still feeling the pain — physical and emotional — from Saturday’s bruising RaboDirect Pro12 encounter with old rivals Leinster.

HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINAL

With a host of regular starters missing through Six Nations duty and others on the injury list Rob Penney has made twelve changes to his starting XV from the last RaboDirect PRO 12 game for tomorrow’s meeting with Edinburgh at Musgrave Park (7.45pm).

Richardt Strauss has been ruled out of the Six Nations with an ankle injury.

Ian Keatley has been charged with helping lift Munster into the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup after his expected elevation to the team that meets Racing Metro at Thomond Park tomorrow (12.45pm).

Munster have a gilt-edged opportunity to finish 2012 on a high when they welcome a weakened Ulster side to Thomond Park this evening (5.30pm) for an intriguing RaboDirect Pro12 clash.

Rob Penney has opted to leave Ronan O’Gara on the bench for Munster’s RaboDirect PRO12 meeting with league leaders Ulster in Thomond Park tomorrow (5.30) with Ian Keatley retaining the number 10 jersey.

Munster’s Mike Sherry has edged closer to earning another call up to Declan Kidney’s Irish squad next week.

Damian Varley and Rob Penney and all in the Munster camp breathed a sigh of relief yesterday when the hooker was cleared to continue playing following his sending-off in the RaboDirect Pro12 defeat to Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium last week.

Paul O’Connell will undergo a scan on his injured knee within the next 24 hours to assess his chances of touring New Zealand with Ireland next month.

So, it came as no surprise yesterday when Brian McLaughlin named the big Irish flanker in his Ulster side for the massive Heineken-Cup quarter final clash with Munster at Thomond Park tomorrow.

Sandy Park in Exeter may seem an odd place to begin the countdown to Ireland’s 2012 RBS 6 Nations campaign but it is there the final pieces of Declan Kidney’s initial championship squad will fall into place as the Wolfhounds take on England Saxons this evening (5pm).

JUST hours after signing a new two-year deal that should see him playing top class rugby to the age 34, Munster, Irish and Lions talisman Paul O’Connell has not ruled out a further extension to his contract.

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.

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.

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.

MUNSTER’S new signing, Will Chambers, and scrum-half Tomas O’Leary will both see game time for the Munster A team in the Sportsground, Galway, today against Connacht (kick-off 2pm).

Rory Best’s participation in Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final against Wales on Saturday is in serious doubt.

DUNCAN WILLIAMS has suffered more than his share of injuries over the last few seasons but is now ready to challenge all three international scrum-halves for his place on the Munster team.

HOURS after expressing disappointment at missing out on Rugby World Cup selection, Damian Varley was preparing to join up with the Irish squad following another injury blow to Jerry Flannery.

IT was more spit than polish at Musgrave Park as a workmanlike Munster kicked off their RaboDirect PRO12 campaign with four winning points on Saturday night.

AT last, Munster secured a victory at the third time of asking in this pre-season programme — a timely boost in advance of Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 league opener at Musgrave Park against Newport Gwent Dragons.

FIVE of Munster’s most experienced players have been released from the national squad to assist in a pre-season match against La Rochelle on Friday.

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.

DAMIAN VARLEY insists Munster will put a mini-crisis behind them by defeating Ospreys at Thomond Park tonight and advancing to the Magners League final.

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.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his side for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, kick-off 6.30pm.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named young backs Felix Jones and Conor Murray in his starting line-up for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with Leinster at Thomond Park, kick-off 7.30pm.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made 11 changes from the side that lost in Treviso last weekend for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-of 7.50pm.

IRELAND’S coaching eyes will on Gavin Duffy, the Galwegians and Connacht full back, when the O2 Ireland Wolfhounds play Scotland ‘A’ in Netherdale tomorrow night (7.30pm).

IRELAND and Connacht front-row sensation Sean Cronin is poised to join Leinster next season.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan has welcomed Paul O’Connell’s return to provincial action but stressed that the management “don’t want to push him too early.”

A YOUNG man with a development contract was hailed for setting the scene for Munster’s successful assault on the Wallabies. Ian Nagle’s first-half lineout display was right out of the Paul O’Connell school of second-row forward play and helped spearhead his side to an amazingly easy victory over the tourists.

James Coughlan will lead Munster in their challenge match against Australia tomorrow night (kick-off 8pm). Irish squad members Keith Earls, Johne Murphy and Damian Varley have been released by the IRFU to participate in the game.

ROB Kearney expects to be in the Irish selection mix for Saturday’s clash with New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium.

Ireland prop Tony Buckley has been ruled out of Saturday’s test with Samoa and remains a serious doubt for the remainder of the Guinness 2010 Autumn test series, it was confirmed today.