It should have been a day when the retention of Ian Keatley for another two seasons was celebrated by Munster supporters, along with the commitment shown by three up and coming players, writes Simon Lewis.

Following Munster's heartbreaking defeat CHARLIE MULQUEEN picks 10 Munster matches that stand out most during the history of the competition.

Donncha O’Callaghan admitted yesterday the most pressurised time of his rugby life came in the build-up to the 1997 Munster Schools Cup final.

Ex-Wallaby second row John Langford travelled north to become one of Irish rugby’s most significant overseas signings during a three-season spell with Munster from 1999 to 2002. He doesn’t get to watch the game he loves too often these days but he's making an exception this summer.

You could have substituted South African World Cup-winning captain John Smit’s comments after last week’s trip to Thomond Park with those expressed by his illustrious Springbok predecessor Francois Pienaar all of 13 seasons ago.

Leicester Tigers fly-half Jeremy Staunton is not sure where — or if — he will be playing next season.

IRISH fly-half Jeremy Staunton was Leicester’s inspiration as they compounded a miserable week for Sale with a stunning 54-21 Aviva Premiership victory at Welford Road yesterday.

Leicester Tigers 37 Leinster 14, Welford Road

Ireland international Geordan Murphy will captain Leicester Tigers from full-back against Leinster in a pre-season friendly at Welford Road in Friday night.

IT WAS a relaxed and smiling Brian O’Driscoll who turned up at the Aviva Stadium for press duties yesterday and no wonder. Most men must make do with just the one honeymoon period; the Leinster and Irish centre is currently in the midst of two.

Ospreys 17 Leicester 12

Clermont Auvergne 40 Leicester 30

Viadana 11 Leicester 46

LEICESTER boss Richard Cockerill watched the injury-ravaged Tigers earn a pulsating Heineken Cup draw with the Ospreys and hailed: “You can buy a team but you can’t buy spirit”.

Leicester 32 Ospreys 32

NORTHAMPTON staged the kind of second-half comeback at Wasps yesterday that their Heineken Cup opponents Munster could have done with in the RDS, but still came up short, losing 20-15.

AIB LEAGUE DIVISION 1A RESULT: GARRYOWEN 12 SHANNON 10

Jeremy Staunton is well aware that he faces an uphill challenge in trying to nail down a regular place in the Leicester Tigers starting line-up this season.

Jeremy Staunton will make his first appearance for Leicester Tigers in Saturday’s Vaquerin Challenge clash with Castres.

NO ONE should worry that any of Munster’s Grand Slam heroes might not be ‘up for’ tomorrow’s Heineken Cup quarter-final with Ospreys at Thomond Park.

Garryowen 20 Cork Constitution 19

THE Heineken Cup group stages aren’t meant to be like this. No-one is meant to approach the exit marked ‘quarter-finals’ until at least round five, particularly in a group with such high profile names.

Shaun Edwards admits he is “gravely concerned” after Guinness Premiership champions Wasps sunk to a six-year European low.

Leinster 41 Wasps 11

VETERAN second row Malcolm O’Kelly has won his battle for fitness and earns a recall to the Leinster team for today’s Heineken Cup clash with London Wasps at the RDS (5.30pm).

Director of rugby Ian McGeechan has named an unchanged starting line up for London Wasps clash with Leinster at the RDS on Saturday.

After a difficult season with Ireland, Peter Stringer is ‘chomping at the bit’ to get back on the pitch for Munster’s quarter-final with Gloucester tomorrow, he tells Edward Newman.

IF Eddie O’Sullivan’s complex and seemingly fraught relationship with Warren Gatland has become the most intriguing subplot ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations tie against Wales, consider the advantage any insider knowledge Eoin Reddan can bring to the Irish camp, given his close working relationship with Wasps blitz defence coach extraordinaire, Shaun Edwards.

Ireland international Jeremy Staunton has today ended his stint on loan at London Irish to return to Wasps for the remainder of the current season.

There was no dream return to London Irish for England’s Peter Richards as Harlequins, his former club, recorded their second win over the Exiles this season with a narrow EDF Energy Cup victory.

Argentina 16 Ireland 0

WITH Ireland’s finest safely tucked away in readiness for the World Cup, the auxiliary forces finally called a halt to an exhausting season at the Estadio De Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan believes he has learnt a lot about his side ahead of the World Cup despite rounding off their two-Test tour against Argentina with a 16-0 defeat in Buenos Aires on yesterday.

Argentina 16 Ireland 0

Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan is looking for a similar performance – but a different result – in Saturday’s second Test against Argentina.

EDDIE O’SULLIVAN has remained true to his Argentine pre-tour philosophy that he’d endeavour to give as many members of his 30-man squad game-time by making 11 changes and one positional to the side that started last weekend.

Flanker Shane Jennings and wing Rob Kearney will win their first caps for Ireland as Coach Eddie O'Sullivan has named the two debutants in his side for the second Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires this Saturday.

IRELAND A coach Michael Bradley has upped the ante ahead of tonight’s Churchill Cup clash with New Zealand Maori (8pm, Sky Sports 1) by revealing a number of his players are in the mix for World Cup selection.

EOIN REDDAN’S move from bit-part player at Munster to an extraordinary rise up the rankings as one of the top scrum halves in England since his move to Wasps in 2005 should see the Limerick man rewarded with his first start for Ireland when the team to play Argentina at Velez Sarsfield Stadium, Buenos Aires on Saturday is named today.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has been forced to bring Jeremy Staunton into his squad for Saturday’s second Test against Argentina.

Ulster trio Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe are all rated as doubtful for Ireland’s second Test against Argentina next weekend after picking up injuries in Saturday’s 22-20 defeat to the Pumas.

IT WAS A result that will, in the words of Irish captain Simon Best, “have no relevance” on what transpires in their World Cup Pool D match, but try telling that to the majority inside the richly atmospheric but non-hostile (except if you’re a visiting place kicker) stadium, who wildly celebrated Felipe Contepomi’s 81st minute drop goal.

Paddy Wallace injured his right knee in yesterday's game against Argentina and is rated as 50/50 to be available for next weeks second test in Buenos Aires.

Ireland flanker Keith Gleeson believes his side paid the penalty for their indiscipline during yesterday’s defeat by Argentina in Santa Fe.