A dozen have been recruited and a dozen have failed to take centre stage, but Munster will hope All Black Francis Saili can finally provide a remedy for their midfield woes.

There were different agendas at play for Leinster, Munster and Ulster approaching their final pool games in the inaugural Champions Cup over the weekend, writes Donal Lenihan.

Munster 65 Sale 10: European Champions Cup Pool 1: We are used to seeing Munster inflict a round-six rout in Europe but usually it is borne of necessity.

Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway both crossed twice as Munster dominated their Champions Cup dead rubber against a young Sale outfit at Thomond Park.

European Champions Cup Pool 1

Munster’s great tradition in European competition has always been something to cling to in tough times, writes Ronan O’Gara.

Munster coach Anthony Foley has made eight changes to the starting 15 ahead of the province’s match against Saracens in the Champions Cup this weekend.

There has been seven changes to the Munster side defeated by Connacht last week for Saturday’s trip to Zebre in the PRO12.

Stunned Munster supporters watching their side forfeit a 13 point lead and eventually lose 24-16 to the hosts departed the Galway Sportsground on Thursday night wondering how Connacht were able to draft in such influential players as All Black legend Mils Muliaina and another Kiwi, Bundee Aki, while their own side have to settle for virtual unknowns from the Southern Hemisphere.

Connacht welcome Munster to the Showgrounds on New Year’s Day for their PRO12 derby match and both sides have made a number of changes to their starting sides.

Munster’s midfield new boy Pat Howard praised the contribution of centre partner Denis Hurley as he celebrated victory over his province’s arch-rivals Leinster.

Glasgow Warriors and Munster are in the same frame of mind going into today’s top of the table Guinness Pro 12 encounter at Scotstoun, kick-off 2.40.

Anthony Foley has made eight changes to his starting 15 as Munster travel to Scotstoun Stadium to face the Glasgow Warriors in the PRO12.

Versatile back Johne Murphy is poised to start at outside centre for Munster in their must-win Champions Cup clash with Clermont Auvergne at Thomond Park tomorrow if head coach Anthony Foley decides Andrew Smith is not fit.

Munster head coach Anthony Foley yesterday added new centre signing Pat Howard to the province’s registered European Champions Cup squad as doubts continued over Andrew Smith’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s must-win pool showdown with Clermont Auvergne.

Munster are awaiting results of scans on Andrew Smith and Robin Copeland’s knees ahead of Saturday’s must-win European Champions Cup pool clash with Clermont Auvergne but head coach Anthony Foley today welcomes back to training a quintet of Ireland Test stars, as well as James Cronin.

The Thomond Park factor might not be enough to unsettle Clermont Auvergne on Saturday if Munster gift them 12 easy and early points the way they did against Ulster, Donncha O’Callaghan has warned.

GUINNESS PRO12:

Munster 21 Ulster 20

GUINNESS PRO12:

Rory Best will start for Ulster against Munster in tomorrow's match at Thomond Park while Munster coach Anthony Foley has named a strong squad bolstered by a number of returning internationals.

New Munster loanee Pat Howard will be a man on a mission when he makes his home debut against Ulster on Friday night, looking to impress his coaches on two continents.

GUINNESS PRO12:

Munster head coach Anthony Foley has made seven changes to his starting 15 for their trip to Wales on Friday night.

French newspaper reports Paul O’Connell will end his career with French 2nd division club Pau after the 2015 Rugby World Cup came as a bombshell yesterday to his team-mates and Ireland and Munster fans.

Western Province director of rugby Gert Smal has revealed South Africa captain and former Munster star Jean de Villiers set up the deal that will bring centre Pat Howard to Ireland on a three-month loan deal.

Munster’s personnel issues in midfield have prompted the signing of the young and inexperienced South African centre Pat Howard on a three-month contract from Western Province.

Munster have signed South African player Pat Howard on a three-month contract, to provide cover in the centre.

Tom Ryan has insisted Limerick’s new intermediate hurling selectors will meet this week to elect their own new team manager.

The Limerick intermediate team is still without a manager, but, in a compromise that was backed unanimously at a meeting of the county board in Claughaun GAA club last night, the dispute that had threatened to throw the county back into the chaos it had witnessed only three years ago was finally resolved.

A proposal to replace Tom Ryan as Limerick’s intermediate hurling manager — but for him to work instead as a selector — has been rejected by the sub-committee that proposed him for the top job.

Last night’s Limerick County Board meeting was sensationally abandoned after some clubs pushed for a vote on Tom Ryan to be installed as the county’s new intermediate team manager.

Former Limerick senior hurling boss Tom Ryan says he is “shocked and disappointed” after GAA chiefs decided not to ratify him as the county’s intermediate manager.

Tom Ryan and his former senior captain Ciaran Carey are returning to inter-county management with Limerick. Ryan has been proposed as the county’s new intermediate hurling team manager, with Carey set to take over the U21s for a second time.

Perhaps Moneyball and Billy Beane’s Oakland A’s are to blame, but pro sport’s fascination with statistics is underlined by the franchises taking notes at a special stat conference in Boston

Familiar faces fill the line-up for the semi-finals of the Limerick SHC, which will be contested by four of the last five teams to claim the title.

It’s five years and a handful of weeks since former Leicester Tigers coach Pat Howard sat on a battered old sofa in the club’s training grounds and described Thomond Park as “just a field” to a scrum of English and Irish journalists.

PARIS in the springtime, the high veldt in summer, Thomond Park on pretty much any Heineken Cup weekend you would care to choose: none are appealing venues or scenarios for a visiting rugby team.

RICHARD COCKERILL wasn’t the first Leicester coach to dismiss the significance of an iconic Irish stadium when he glossed over the return of five of his players to the Aviva this evening so soon after their Six Nations trauma with England.

FATE, eh? Leo Cullen signed for Leicester Tigers four years ago hoping to further his career, and now his old muckers are all that stand between him and the European club game’s highest honour.

How come so many Irish gems end up at Welford Road? EDWARD NEWMAN discussed the connections with Leicester’s chief scout Dusty Hare and ex-Lion Eric Miller

Ireland have blundered in appointing Declan Kidney and not an overseas candidate as boss, according to former Leinster backs coach David Knox.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL is confident new head coach Declan Kidney has all the right credentials to put a smile back on the face of Irish rugby.

Brian O'Driscoll is confident new head coach Declan Kidney has all the right credentials to put a smile back on the face of Irish rugby.