I know it’s not the type of thing Munster or generally Irish Rugby fans will want to be reading amidst a European disaster, but I feel it’s now time we start getting real.

Former Munster star Paul Warwick has been forced to retire from the game due to a neck injury.

When Ian Keatley headed west from Dublin to join Connacht he was leaving some of his best rugby friends behind, Ireland’s juggernaut prop forward Cian Healy amongst them.

Former Munster favourite Paul Warwick tasted defeat to Northampton Saints on Saturday but the Australian reckons Leinster have the quality to overcome the English title chasers when they meet at Franklin’s Gardens this weekend.

Joe Schmidt’s side won their third European trophy in successive years and gave Connacht reason to celebrate also as the Westerners gained entry to next season’s Heineken Cup courtesy of their neighbours to the east.

In a season marked by injury woes it’s perhaps appropriate that Joe Schmidt should have to deal with more of the same in choosing his lineup for the Amlin final.

HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINAL

As Tony McGahan prepares to take charge of Munster for possibly the final time at home before departing to a new job in his native Australia, Simon Lewis looks back at the top five Thomond Park moments of his tenure.

ALL rational thinking suggests that only the Thomond Park factor can save Munster from a second Heineken Cup defeat at the venue when Northampton Saints come calling on Saturday.

THE pain of defeat to Harlequins in the Amlin Challenge Cup is still causing a sting in the Munster camp.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made nine changes, two of those positional, from the side that defeated Connacht last weekend for Saturday’s Magners League semi-final match against the Ospreys at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-off 6.30pm.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has today named a 27-man squad for Saturday’s Magners League semi-final clash against Ospreys at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-off 6.30pm.

THOSE Munster fans who watched their team scrape to an uninspiring 22-8 Magners League win over Connacht on Friday left Thomond Park with plenty to ponder.

Munster 22 Connacht 6

THE QUESTION most associated with Munster rugby conveniently choose to ignore re-surfaced once again at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Munster 12 Harlequins 20

THE inclusion of Paul O’Connell in the Munster squad for today’s Amlin Cup semi-final clash with Harlequins is incalculable.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made just one change in personnel, from the side that started the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final against Brive, for tomorrow afternoon’s semi-final match against Harlequins at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-off 1pm.

IT is hard to believe that four months ago I had to brace myself for a difficult landing with a foot of snow on the edge of the runway at Bristol airport en-route to the Liberty Stadium for Munster’s Heineken Cup game with the Ospreys.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his side for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, kick-off 6.30pm.

JEAN DE VILLIERS is interested in returning to Munster after this year’s World Cup.

DENIS LEAMY has admitted Munster are determined to do the Magners League and Amlin Challenge Cup double after he led his side to a hard-fought triumph over the Scarlets in west Wales.

Scarlets 6 Munster 13

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his side for Saturday’s Magners League match against the Scarlets at the Parc Y Scarlets, kick-off 6.15pm.

Munster travel to the Stade Municipal to take on Brive in the Amlin Challenge Cup looking to book a place in the last four of European rugby’s ‘second tier’ competition.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named his team for tomorrow's Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final clash against Brive at the Stade Municipal, kick-off 2pm.

TONY McGAHAN promised the Munster supporters that his players won’t shirk from the challenge of taking on Brive up front on Saturday in the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named a 25-man squad for Saturday’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final clash with Brive at the Stade Municipal, kick-off 2.00pm.

THOSE Munster fans who may have been wavering in their support for the team after a disappointing Heineken Cup campaign had their faith restored in spades on Saturday evening.

THE bragging rights are Munster’s, temporarily at least, this humdinger of a Magners League top-of-the-table clash enough to excite even the most sedate supporters.

Munster 24 Leinster 23

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named young backs Felix Jones and Conor Murray in his starting line-up for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with Leinster at Thomond Park, kick-off 7.30pm.

Veteran Munster flanker Alan Quinlan will announce his retirement in the coming weeks, it was confirmed today.

MUNSTER will be without international scrum-half Tomás O’Leary for the province’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final with Brive on April 9.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named young scrumhalf Conor Murray in the starting line-up for tomorrow evening’s game against Cardiff Blues at Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 7.05pm.

Munster rugby have announced today that four more players have agreed new contract terms.

MUNSTER strengthened their hand at the top of the Magners League with a bonus point win with an inexperienced side at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

Munster 38 Dragons 17

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan will give youth its fling in tonight’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named a youthful side for tomorrow evening’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park, kick-off 7.30pm.