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.

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.

THE return of Marcus Horan and Rory Best to international competition at the Recreation Ground, Bath, on Sunday (2pm) is a timely boost to Ireland’s hopes of another successful RBS Six Nations Championship.

MUNSTER’S pride of Lions and other elite players have been warned not to expect to walk back into the side for the eagerly-awaited Magners League clash against Leinster at the RDS on October 3, followed in successive weeks by Heineken Cup matches against Northampton and Treviso.

NOT unexpectedly, following their 24-points runaway win over Limerick in the penultimate stage, Tipperary have chosen the same starting side for Sunday’s glamour All-Ireland SHC final clash with Kilkenny at Croke Park.

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).

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.

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.

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).

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

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.

IF MUNSTER had shown the same levels of passion and tenacity in the Heineken Cup against Llanelli, things might have worked out differently, but Saturday’s Magners League victory over the Scarlets will have given the coaching staff, the players and the fans some consolation as they look to the future.

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

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

Munster 41 Bourgoin 23

RONAN O’GARA wasn’t gloating afterwards, he was just pleased to have knocked over a long range penalty to kick Munster to a well deserved Heineken Cup victory at Welford Road yesterday.

MUNSTER hope to head to Welford Road for their first defence of the Heineken Cup with a clean bill of health.

BARRY MURPHY, a revelation for Munster last year, is ready to return to Heineken Cup action.

CHRISTIAN CULLEN and Anthony Horgan are definitely ruled out of the early games in Munster’s Heineken Cup campaign, but medical bulletins indicate both should be back in a month.

THE big boys are back for Leinster and Munster — most of them at least.

CHRISTIAN CULLEN may yet manage to see out his extended contract with Munster.

IS it the end of the road in Munster for New Zealand legend Christian Cullen?

MUNSTER will be without Irish hooker Frankie Sheahan yet again when they take on Ulster in the Magners League at Musgrave Park tonight (7.30pm).

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.

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

Ireland 19 Scotland 9

A MUNSTER team hell bent on making amends for one of their worst performances in the last ten years can be expected to retain their position as Celtic League leaders after this afternoon’s (3.30, Setanta Sports) clash with Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park.

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).

MUNSTER’S preparations for tomorrow’s (1pm) Celtic League clash with Leinster at the RDS in Dublin have been disrupted by the death of coach Declan Kidney’s mother, Eileen, but they have still announced a 25-strong squad from which the starting side and seven replacements will be finalised today.

PAUL O’CONNELL makes his long awaited return when he leads Munster against Connacht in the Celtic League at Thomond Park this evening, kick-off 7.35pm.