Johann van Graan is under no illusions about the size of the task facing Munster in Treviso on Friday night, but he will nevertheless dig deep into his squad as the Reds bid to keep pace in the race for a Guinness PRO14 home semi final.

CJ Stander is back in the Munster team for tomorrow's Pro 14 match against Zebre at Thomond Park.

Munster took pole position of Conference A in the Guinness PRO14 on Saturday night as they scored a bonus-point victory against interprovincial rivals Connacht and banished their poor away form.

Returning out-half Tyler Bleyendaal will captain Munster in Sunday’s PRO14 encounter against Cheetahs, head coach Johann van Graan confirmed yesterday.

Munster 64 Ulster 7

Munster overwhelmed an under-strength Ulster as they ran in nine tries in a record-breaking 64-7 Guinness PRO14 derby victory at Thomond Park.

Scrum-half issues further up the chain have impacted on Munster A head coach Peter Malone’s selection for the visit of Dragons A to Cork this afternoon for this Celtic Cup third round game (5:30pm).

Taking and giving a five or 10-metre pass is a fundamental part of the game yet the skills required to deliver under pressure are often overlooked, writes Donal Lenihan.

The team news ahead of Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final.

Simon Zebo is facing a battle to keep his place in Munster’s starting line-up for this Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final against his future club Racing 92, the Irish Examiner understands.

It will be Sunday evening before we know for sure which two of the four sides left standing in this season’s Champions Cup got their preparations spot on for the semi-finals, but at this juncture it would be a surprise, notwithstanding they are playing in France, if Munster isn’t one of them.

It was not the first time Toulon captain Mathieu Bastareaud had appeared baffled by the events that had unfolded in front of his eyes at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Munster have received a boost ahead of their Champions Cup quarter-final against French heavyweights Toulon as injury doubts Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have been declared fit.

Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have only 50/50 chances of facing Toulon next Saturday as Munster's injury list continues to rise.

Munster 19 Scarlets 7: Tommy O’Donnell and Rory Scannell were the latest Munster players to check into the province’s treatment room as head coach Johann van Graan admitted both Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have only 50/50 chances of facing Toulon next Saturday.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan has serious concerns about Keith Earls’ fitness as the province prepare for crucial Guinness PRO14 and European Champions Cup games over the next month.

Six Nations Grand Slam hero Keith Earls has joined Munster’s ever-increasing injury list.

Sam Arnold doesn’t need anyone telling him that he is on the brink of a first Irish cap but the Munster centre knows better than most how suddenly best-laid plans and ambitions can be toyed with by rugby’s fickle gods.

Jordan Larmour’s spectacular solo, counter-attacking try against Munster on St Stephen’s Day may have catapulted the rising Leinster star into the nation’s consciousness but it came as no surprise to the opposition coach that night, Felix Jones.

No wonder Dan Leavy stood over the prone bodies of Munster forwards doing his best impression of The Hulk as Nigel Owens raised his arm for the Leinster penalty.

A stunning 60-metre try from Academy star Jordan Larmour sealed a bonus-point win for Leinster to hand Johann van Graan his first defeat as Munster head coach at Thomond Park last night.

Keith Earls has understood for a while that becoming a family man has helped to relegate rugby down the pecking order of priorities. 

Johann van Graan toasted captain Peter O’Mahony last night as the flanker marked his new three-year contract with a man of the match performance that helped sink Leicester at Welford Road.

Munster’s visit to Welford Road was always going to prove the most challenging of the reverse fixtures against a clearly hurting trio of Aviva Premiership clubs after their Champions Cup whitewash by the Irish provinces last weekend, writes Donal Lenihan.

Leinster are the team to beat, the No. 1 in Europe’s power rankings. And Munster are No. 2, writes Ronan O’Gara.

The big guns are back for Munster’s Champions Cup showdown with Leicester Tigers at Thomond Park tonight (7.45pm) and what a noise there has been around them these past few days.

Alex Wootton needs no encouragement to grab his chance to impress Munster’s new head coach Johann van Graan and if he continues his current try-scoring run, he will soon find himself in pole position for a Champions Cup wing berth.

Zebre 19 Munster 29: Alex Wootton was one of the players that Rassie Erasmus name-checked in his final week with Munster when he was asked what he would miss when he returned to South Africa.

Meanwhile, Leinster have made nine changes for their trip to Glasgow.

Munster have received a welcome boost ahead of Sunday’s Champions Cup opener at Castres with Rassie Erasmus giving positive fitness updates on Jean Kleyn and Simon Zebo.

To think we used to worry about the lack of depth at out-half in Ireland.

Billy Holland may be the senior partner in the Munster second row these days but he is perfectly happy to let fellow lock Jean Kleyn steal the limelight as they perform their separate roles, South African style.

You may think that Darren Sweetnam could be feeling some pressure as he looks around the Munster training ground and sees the likes of Keith Earls and Simon Zebo limbering up for their first starts of the campaign.

Duncan Williams is an experienced, highly-regarded rugby player. But he hasn’t always seen it that way.

Munster 51 - Cheetahs 18: Munster coach Rassie Erasmus has warned against reading too much into the province’s eight try-rout of his native Toyota Cheetahs in a hopelessly one-sided Guinness PRO14 game at Thomond Park on Saturday.

There will be more searching examinations this season of Munster’s Guinness PRO14 title credentials than those posed by Benetton Rugby last Friday in Cork but as opening-night performances go, there was much from which Rassie Erasmus could take pleasure.

Munster 34 Benetton Rugby 3: New league, new season, same old Italians.

Worcester Warriors 26

Munster boss Rassie Erasmus believes the province were right not to rush Conor Murray back from injury and both team and player will benefit now the Ireland and Lions scrum-half has returned to action.

Rarely in recent memory has an interprovincial derby been as one-sided.

It does not matter to Alex Wootton whether his tries are spectacular or, as he puts it, “cheeky”, the Munster wing enjoys each variety and has shown he can do both with equal aplomb.