MUNSTER confirmed a triple injury blow yesterday with Denis Fogarty, Felix Jones and Ian Dowling facing lay-offs after Saturday’s Magners League victory over the Ospreys.

IT WAS a throwback to the old days when Munster bullied the opposition up front. At Musgrave Park last night, this was a pretty awesome performance from the twice Heineken Cup-winning club, who found strength in areas their critics would not have believed impossible a couple of months ago.

AS DRESS rehearsals go, this was up there with the best. Ireland’s display against the inexperienced but gritty Fijians left coach Declan Kidney smiling despite the selection headaches he faces ahead of Saturday’s date with world champions South Africa.

ON his 100th Test appearance it was fitting that Brian O’Driscoll should produce a late, late try under the posts for Ireland to secure a share the honours against Australia at Croke Park yesterday.

MUNSTER are hopeful Paul Warwick will be available to take his place at out-half when they begin their defence of the Magners League against Glasgow at Firhill on Friday night, (8pm Setanta Sport).

RORY BEST will lead Ireland’s tour to America as one of five Grand Slam winners included in the 25-man squad.

MUNSTER’S challenge for the Magners League title remains very much on course after Saturday night’s 25-10 defeat of Connacht at Thomond Park but if they happen to be caught at the post, they may well rue the failure to take a bonus point from this game.

ONE hundred Heineken Cup games later, yesterday’s quarter-final victory over the Ospreys at Thomond Park was an historic occasion for European champions Munster.

MUNSTER supporters needn’t worry. As the province trained at the University of Limerick yesterday afternoon for Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against the Ospreys, Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell and Doug Howlett were missing, but the trio were subsequently included in the 26-man squad.

WHEN a player of Brian O’Driscoll’s renown and stature admits that “this was one of the more physical Test matches I’ve played in a long, long time,” the point is well made.

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.

ANTHONY FOLEY makes his 201st competitive and final appearance for Munster on home soil in tomorrow’s Magners League clash against Glasgow, (Musgrave Park, 5pm).

IRISH internationals David Wallace and Denis Leamy are named in the Munster squad for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash away to Connacht, (Sportsgrounds, 7.30pm).

January 18, 2003. Pool Two: Munster 33 Gloucester 6

JOHN KELLY has finally returned to challenge for a place in Munster’s Heineken Cup squad after recovering from a knee injury.

FORMER English coach Andy Robinson believes Munster will shock Wasps in the Heineken Cup next Saturday — with Ronan O’Gara as the central figure.

IT won’t have pleased Munster that they finished third of the four Irish teams in the Magners League, but there were some positives to take from Saturday’s comprehensive win over bogey side Glasgow Warriors.

DENIS HURLEY makes his home Magners League debut for Munster against Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park this evening (5.30pm).

EDINBURGH are boosted by the return of veteran Scott Murray and Munster by Paul O’Connell for the Magners League game at Murrayfield tonight.

MUNSTER coach Declan Kidney has named a squad of 28 in advance of Sunday’s historic Heineken Cup clash with Bourgoin in Geneva.

“YOU don’t beat Munster twice in the same season,” has long been a mantra of the European champions and it’s one that will be put to a severe test at Thomond Park this afternoon (3pm, Setanta Sports) when Leinster make their first visit in nine years to the famous Limerick venue for an eagerly-awaited Magners League tie.

HOURS after creating a new Heineken Cup record of 12 successive victories, Munster were publicly acclaimed as the top sporting team of 2006.

Munster 41 Bourgoin 23

MUNSTER hope to head to Welford Road for their first defence of the Heineken Cup with a clean bill of health.

BARRY MURPHY, a revelation for Munster last year, is ready to return to Heineken Cup action.

CHRISTIAN CULLEN and Anthony Horgan are definitely ruled out of the early games in Munster’s Heineken Cup campaign, but medical bulletins indicate both should be back in a month.

THE big boys are back for Leinster and Munster — most of them at least.

CHRISTIAN CULLEN may yet manage to see out his extended contract with Munster.

New Zealand 34 Ireland 23

ALAN QUINLAN’S amazing recovery from injury should be complete tonight, when his name is added to the Irish squad for the tour to New Zealand and Australia.

CHRISTIAN CULLEN, ruled out for the Heineken Cup final, may have his contract renewed for another season.

PAUL O’CONNELL looks set to be fit for Munster’s Heineken Cup Final against Biarritz on May 20.

ALAN QUINLAN could return to bolster Munster’s Celtic League bid, a month ahead of his expected return from injury.

Ireland 19 Scotland 9

Ireland 26 Italy 16

WITH the exception of reserve Jeremy Manning, ruled out by a broken arm, and long-term injury victims Frankie Sheahan, Alan Quinlan and Mike Mullins, Munster expect to be at full-strength for tomorrow’s Heineken Cup clash against Sale Sharks at Thomond Park.

ANTHONY FOLEY is a veteran of 71 Heineken European Cup matches with Munster, he has scored a record 21 tries and enjoyed some of his happiest moments, as well as some of the most difficult, away to top French sides.

SHANNON pair Stephen Keogh and Ian Dowling are poised to come into Munster’s starting line-up for tomorrow night’s Celtic League clash with Edinburgh Gunners at Murrayfield (7.30, Setanta Sports).

MUNSTER’S preparations for tomorrow’s (1pm) Celtic League clash with Leinster at the RDS in Dublin have been disrupted by the death of coach Declan Kidney’s mother, Eileen, but they have still announced a 25-strong squad from which the starting side and seven replacements will be finalised today.

PAUL O’CONNELL makes his long awaited return when he leads Munster against Connacht in the Celtic League at Thomond Park this evening, kick-off 7.35pm.

AFTER a six-week absence, Munster’s Shaun Payne may be set to return for Saturday’s Heineken Cup tie against the Newport Gwent Dragons at Thomond Park.

JEREMY Manning, Munster’s highly promising New Zealander, is handed an opportunity of establishing himself as a regular in the side with his selection at full-back for tonight’s (7.10pm) eagerly awaited Celtic League clash with Ulster at Musgrave Park.

SALE Sharks still have the edge in Pool One, but they will watch the video of this rollicking good Munster display with a measure of trepidation.

MUNSTER coach Declan Kidney has challenged his squad’s fringe players to grab their Heineken Cup opportunities with both hands.