A dozen years have passed since a teenage Donnacha Ryan first pulled on a green jersey but it was the reception on his return to St Munchin’s College that has left a bigger impression.

AT home in New Zealand they were contemporaries, made their All-Black debuts together in 2000, played together against France and Italy that year.

FOR a team reportedly reeling from the trauma of a third successive loss to arch-rivals Leinster, it was the day to stand up and fight.

Munster 33 Northampton 19

Stephen Myler has received a vote of confidence from coach Jim Mallinder to play ahead of Shane Geraghty at out-half for Northampton Saints against Munster in the Heineken Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Munster 12 Northampton 9

NO OTHER rugby tournament worldwide can match the drama and excitement of round six of the Heineken Cup. After five intense rounds of competition – encompassing 60 games – only two teams, Biarritz and Toulouse, have officially qualified for the quarter-finals.

MUNSTER’S bid to get their Magners League defence back on the track against Edinburgh at Murrayfield on Friday night next is not helped by the fact that they will definitely be without Doug Howlett, Marcus Horan and Tony Buckley, all of whom left the field prematurely during last Saturday’s Heineken Cup victory over Treviso.

Northampton Saints have selected three Irishmen in centre James Downey, flanker Neil Best and number eight Roger Wilson in their side to play Munster in the Heineken Cup at Franklins Gardens on Saturday.