There are tributes and then there is the Donncha O’Callaghan variety, as hundreds of mourners learned yesterday at the funeral Mass for the late Munster Rugby media manager Pat Geraghty, 62, in Celbridge, Co Kildare.

Like so many of those who knew Anthony Foley, James Downey could not believe the news last October that his former boss had passed away so suddenly.

From where Munster was 18 months ago, things looked and felt a whole lot more positive from where I was sitting Tuesday night, writes Ronan O’Gara

CONNACHT

The significance of Paul O’Connell’s final game for Munster this evening is lost on no-one who has shared his remarkable career in red.

It is not often that Presentation Brothers College, Cork go five years without a title in the SEAT Munster Schools’ Senior Cup. 

Munster Schools Senior Cup: Castletroy 15 PBC 22

Munster target their 100th European Cup victory at Allianz Park, the home of Saracens, tomorrow — and do so as underdogs: writes Charlie Mulqueen.

A publican accused of threatening to return to Heineken’s headquarters in Cork with a shotgun in a commercial row over beer supply will spend the weekend in jail after he refused to give an undertaking to stay away from the premises.

Cork Constitution 10 Shannon 14

THE external bruises from his date with the Cardiff Blues were there for all to see, steri-strips acting as a poor camouflage for yet another cut and bloodied right eye.

HE’S not quite the old dog for the hard road just yet, but Anthony Horgan’s experience was certainly of use to Cork Constitution as they qualified for the AIB All-Ireland League decider with a second win over Dolphin in eight days on Saturday.

Diarmuid O’Flynn pays tribute to Declan O’Connell, the original Munster rugby fan

THE life of a professional rugby player can be a relentless, hard business with little time to rest on one’s laurels. Last season may only be receding in the rear view mirror but, after a short break, Ronan O’Gara is already relishing his return to the Munster camp next week. A new season with new challenges beckons and one of Ireland’s most talked about figures wouldn’t want it any other way.

FRANKIE SHEAHAN yesterday described his time with Munster and Ireland as a “great adventure” after deciding to call time on a successful 14-year professional career.

WHEN sights were set on the highest peak, the substitute Magners League title might be construed as scant consolation after relinquishing a European crown; except somebody forgot to tell the loyal fans of Munster, close to 20,000 of them at Thomond Park last night.

Munster 36 Ospreys 10

Munster will be presented with the Magners League trophy at Thomond Park this evening.

MUNSTER, who roll out the big guns at Thomond Park tonight, will be led by Paul O’Connell as the champions wrap-up their Magners League programme against the Ospreys (7.45pm).

Anthony Horgan and Frankie Sheahan will make their final appearance on the night Munster will be presented with the Magner's League trophy at the end of their final match of the season against The Ospreys at Thomond Park on Friday night.

ROB KEARNEY makes a timely comeback from illness for Saturday’s Magners League clash against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade (5.30pm), but will be under pressure to produce a top-class display to win his place in the Leinster Heineken Cup final team.

Paul O'Connell will lead Munster into the final game of the season in the Magners League clash with The Ospreys on Friday night in Thomond Park, after which they will receive the trophy that marks them out as champions.

WHEN we’re bad, we know how bad we can be.

MUNSTER tyro Ciaran O’Boyle is facing eight weeks on the sidelines with a torn hamstring.

THE HEAVENS rained down on Rodney Parade and this Magners League dogfight, but the Newport Gwent Dragons failed to rain on Munster’s quest for a unique League and Heineken Cup double.

Dragons 9 Munster 20

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made four changes - one positional - for tomorrow's Magners League clash with the Dragons in Rodney Parade.

Peter Stringer and Mick O'Driscoll have both been included in the squad for Munster's Magners league clash with Newport Dragons on Saturday.

RONAN O’GARA has been omitted from the Munster squad for tomorrow night’s top-of-the-table Magners League game against the Ospreys as a precautionary measure.

LAST night’s New Year’s Eve bash at the Anthony Horgan household was due to double as a leaving do.

ON the day Nick Williams is set to be introduced from the bench for his first representative fixture with Munster, Stephen Keogh has been chosen to lead Leinster against his former side in today’s A clash at Donnybrook (2.30pm).

Jerry Flannery has been included in the Munster squad for Saturday's Heineken Cup Pool 1 return match against Clermont Auvergne at Thomond Park (kick-off 3.30pm).

Munster will travel to Clermont-Auvergne in the Heineken Cup on Sunday without the considerable experience of Jerry Flannery, Denis Leamy and Rua Tipoki.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named a less than full-strength 23-man strong squad of players to take on New Zealand at Thomond Park next Tuesday.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan must feel like a man trying to play poker with the aces removed from the deck this morning, following yesterday’s selection of the Ireland team to play New Zealand on Saturday.

MOST people will have forgotten Jason Eaton — but Anthony Horgan isn’t one of them.

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan received a soberingmessage at Ravenhill on Saturday night — the thrust of it being that second-string teams don’t often survive the Belfast rugby experience.

Ulster 22 Munster 6

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan has made sweeping changes for tonight’s Magners League clash with Ulster at Ravenhill (7.30pm) — despite the obvious risk to this season’s perfect record.

Munster coach Tony McGahan this evening named a 27-strong squad for Saturday's Magners League clash with Ulster at Ravenhill.

VILIMONI DELASAU, Montauban winger, 1.90m (6’3”), 102kg (16st); the name may not mean much to you but rest-assured that the big speedster from the Pacific Islands has featured strongly in the thinking of Ian Dowling this week.

Magners League high flyers Munster open up the new era at Thomond Park by hosting Glasgow this evening.

SEAN LINEEN expects a headache long before the crowd raise their voices at tonight’s Magners League game at Thomond Park (KO: 7pm).

MOTIVATION won’t be lacking when Munster clash with Glasgow Warriors on Saturday night (7pm) in a Magners League clash that marks the re-opening of Thomond Park.