MUNSTER chiefs are confident that Lions pair Paul O’Connell and Keith Earls will be fit for Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final with Northampton Saints.

MUNSTER will pick from close to a full deck for Friday night’s Magners League clash with Leinster at Thomond Park.

THE answer to the above question that has dominated Irish rugby for the past 10 weeks will be provided at 1.30 this afternoon when Declan Kidney announces his Ireland team to play Italy in the RBS Six Nations Championship at Croke Park on Saturday.

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.

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.

MUNSTER coach TonyMcGahan wasn’t in the mood to bask in the glory of this Magners League derby victory at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

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.

THEIR performance was not as convincing as the scoreline suggests but PBC’s victory over Crescent College in yesterday’s Avonmore Munster schools senior cup quarter-final was everything Cork fans could have hoped for as it set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with arch rivals, CBC.

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.

IN the context of what might havebeen, victory was most welcome at Croke Park on Saturday. However that won’t diminish coach Declan Kidney’s food for thought in the weeks leading up to the Six Nations Championship.

MUNSTER’S desire to win the Magners League will only be partially compromised by the decision to rest captain Paul O’Connell, John Hayes and Doug Howlett for the clash with Ulster at Ravenhill on Saturday.

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

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).

Glenstal Abbey 6 Crescent Comprehensive 5

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

MUNSTER took another giant step on the road to Heineken Cup glory at Thomond Park yesterday, but, after being on the ropes a few times, will remember this scrap for a long time.

IRELAND international Barry Murphy got the perfect birthday present with a call-up to the 25-man Munster squad for Friday’s night’s eagerly-awaited Magners League clash with Leinster at Musgrave Park.

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.

NEITHER David Wallace nor Denis Leamy will be considered for selection on the Munster team to play the Ospreys in Wales tomorrow night.

MUNSTER second-row forwards Chris Wyatt and Donnacha Ryan are auditioning tonight for a starting place in the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Llanelli.

FORMER Rugby League star Brian Carney looks set to make his Munster debut against Ulster at Ravenhill tomorrow night, but it will be on side shorn of virtually all its international stars.

ALAN QUINLAN’s return will be a major boost for Munster when they take on Border Reivers at Netherdale tonight.

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

MICK O’DRISCOLL has paid the price for a lack of game time with Munster by being omitted from Eddie O’Sullivan’s 32-man Ireland squad for the forthcoming internationals against South Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

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.

Munster 36 Edinburgh 15

TOMÁS O'LEARY has been ruled out of the Munster team for tonight's Celtic League clash with Edinburgh Gunners at Thomond Park.

CHRISTIAN CULLEN’S injury jinx has struck again and he is out of Munster’s squad for tonight’s Celtic League clash with Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade (7.10pm).

MICK O’DRISCOLL has put family tragedy behind him to answer Munster’s call in today’s Celtic League fixture against Llanelli at Stradey Park (5.30pm).

England 24 Ireland 28

OFFALY have made three changes from the side that lost to Tyrone last time out for tomorrow night’s Allianz NFL clash with Kerry at Austin Stack Park, Tralee.

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).