WITH new Australian signing Tim McGann making his debut, Declan Kidney is looking for a stronger effort from his Munster charges when they take on Border Reivers in the Magners Celtic League at Thomond Park tonight (7.30).

JOHN KELLY has no fears of leading inexperienced troops into battle against Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park tonight (7.10).

MUNSTER may be Heineken Cup champions but they won’t get anything soft in the Celtic League opener against Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park tomorrow night.

FRANKIE SHEAHAN is delighted to be back in the front row at Musgrave Park tonight (7pm) as Munster take on Leicester Tigers in a pre-season friendly.

FRANKIE SHEAHAN is set to resurrect his representative rugby career in a friendly game against Leicester Tigers at Musgrave Park on Friday night (7pm).

CLONTARF qualified for the All Ireland League Top Four final at Castle Avenue on Saturday with a well-deserved victory over Cork Constitution.

Grangemockler 2-12 Clonmel Commercials 0-6

Shannon 21 Clontarf 11

Connacht 13 Ospreys 22

SQUAD rotation is the name of the game where the Munster team to face Connacht in the Celtic League at the Galway Sportsground on Monday (kick-off 2pm) is concerned.

Connacht 19 Dragons 14

Recording a six second victory in the Circuit of Wicklow Forest Rally, Derryman Kevin Lynch and

MUNSTER’S travel jinx struck again yesterday when the team had to endure a five hour delay en-route to Wales for a Celtic League game with Celtic Warriors this evening.

A dramatic finish to the Sean Conlon Memorial Rally in Mitchelstown resulted in a fine victory for Brian Murphy and co driver Joe Downey (Subaru Impreza), who reeled in early leaders John McCarthy/Dan Maguire (Toyota Corolla WRC) on the penultimate stage.

There was a dramatic late finish to the Willie Loughman Forest Rally.

Leinster 16, Celtic Warriors 37

BRIAN O'MEARA has been excluded from the Leinster team for the Celtic League clash with the Celtic Warriors at Donnybrook this evening (7.30pm).

DECLAN Kidney is now considered "a primary target" to replace Dean Richards as director of rugby at Leicester.

ULSTER apart, these are vital weeks for the Irish provinces in the Celtic League.

THE selection of the Munster team is no longer a straight forward matter. With players in World Cup action and others injured, coach Alan Gaffney said this week his job was never so difficult, and one of his star young players, Denis Leamy, endorsed that view.

GORDON D’Arcy is back in the Leinster fold after injury to help the former Celtic League champions against the Borders this weekend.

Leinster 21 Connacht 6

A SEASIDE walk on Tuesday ended in disaster for Leinster’s James Norton, when he fell and cracked his hip in Dun Laoire.

Coventry 13 Leinster 41