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.

PAUL O’CONNELL was yesterday renamed as Munster captain despite being ruled out of action for the first half of the season.

JEREMY Manning, a player whose season has been ravaged by injury, demonstrated his potential with two smashing tries in Munster’s British & Irish Cup semi-final victory at Thomond Park on Saturday.

HAVING defeated Ulster twice this season in the A Interprovincial Championship, Munster will be fancied to complete the hat-trick as they take on the Ravens in the semi-final of the inaugural British & Irish Cup at Thomond Park this afternoon.

MUNSTER legend Anthony Foley is confident his young side will add further lustre to the province when his Munster A side takes on the Ulster Ravens in the first of a highly attractive double-header at Thomond Park on Saturday next (3.30pm).

COACH Steve Ford made no excuses following Dolphin’s AIB League defeat to Cork Constitution at Temple Hill last week. A week on, a rematch at the same venue (2.30pm), and with a place in the league final at stake, neither is he about to start.

MUNSTER manager Shaun Payne last night admitted the province face a ‘difficult’ task in finding a replacement for Jean de Villiers due to the looming Rugby World Cup.

IT’S a pity those who bemoan the demise of the club game weren’t in Dubarry Park on Saturday afternoon.

INTERNATIONAL referee George Clancy was scratched from the Christmas card list of many a Shannon player and supporter after his handling of the final stages of Saturday’s gripping AIB League clash at Coonagh.

MUNSTER winger Ian Dowling is set to play his first match of the season when the A team takes on Ulster in Belfast tomorrow.

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).

MUNSTER back-row forward Nick Williams faces at least six weeks out following knee surgery, but the Magners League champions will still have something to smile about for then new season.

ALAN QUINLAN is back in the Munster squad for Saturday’s Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).

LESS than a month ago in a vital promotion clash, these two sides locked horns with Young Munster perhaps lucky to prevail 3-0 in the Mardyke.

THE inaugural IRB Junior World Championship, to be held in Wales in June, will be uppermost in the minds of respective Irish and Welsh U20 team coaches Eric Elwood and Patrick Horgan at Dubarry Park, Athlone, tonight (7.30pm).

IRISH U20 coach Eric Elwood isaiming for another Grand Slam success this season, but accepts that the fixture schedule is a tougher proposition this time around.