MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan was able to breathe easily despite having to conduct a full-on training session at the University of Limerick with Paul O’Connell looking on from the sidelines.

DENIS LEAMY will have a troublesome hip injury assessed by a top London based specialist today.

Just three of those who started against Connacht last weekend remain in the Munster side for the trip to Belfast and the RaboDirect PRO12 encounter with Ulster in Ravenhill tomorrow evening (6.45pm).

IMPORTANT RaboDirect Pro12 league points were at stake at Thomond Park last night, but the occasion was really all about John Hayes and his last appearance in a Munster shirt after 217 honour-laden competitive appearances.

CONNACHT’S Eric Elwood signalled his intent ahead of Monday’s Rabo Direct 12 clash with Munster by making just one enforced change from the side that lost to Gloucester in last week’s Heineken Cup tie at Kingsholm.

A start for John Hayes in his last Munster game represents one of 11 changes to Tony McGahan’s starting XV from last weekend for the St. Stephen’s Day RaboDirect PRO12 meeting with Connacht in Thomond Park.

Munster have named an extended 30-strong squad ahead of the RaboDirect PRO 12 game against Connacht on Monday (7.45pm).

MUNSTER took the last qualification spot in the British and Irish Cup courtesy of Leinster yesterday.

BRITISH and Irish Cup rugby heads to the Kingdom today with Tralee RFC hosting Munster’s clash with Ayr (2pm).

IT says a lot about the strength of a squad that can eke out home and away Heineken Cup victories, then make 13 changes and come away with a bonus-point RaboDirect Pro12 win against one of Europe’s form teams.

ANTHONY FOLEY is confident Munster can iron out the “little errors” in defence that made for two extremely uncomfortable matches in the opening two rounds of the Heineken Cup this month.

Denis Leamy, Donnacha Ryan and Peter Stringer are the only notable absentees from the extended squad Munster named today for the visit of Edinburgh to Thomond Park Stadium on Saturday.

Munster A 6 Cornish Pirates 10

REVENGE will be on Munster A minds in Clonmel tonight (7pm) as they tackle Cornish Pirates, the team they lost to in the inaugural British and Irish Cup final clash a couple of years ago.

A FIRST-HALF penalty try, supplemented by 14 points from the right boot of Scott Deasy, steered the Munster ‘A’ team to a workmanlike 19-3 victory over their Connacht counterparts at the Sportsground last night.

MUNSTER’S new signing, Will Chambers, and scrum-half Tomas O’Leary will both see game time for the Munster A team in the Sportsground, Galway, today against Connacht (kick-off 2pm).

Tomas O’Leary and new signing Will Chambers have both been included in the match-day squad for Munster A’s clash against Connacht A in Galway on Friday (2pm).

The Leinster medical team have reported no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO 12 clash with Connacht at the RDS (5pm).

DESPITE being short a host of internationals, Munster continue their rotation policy for tonight’s RaboDirect Pro12 away clash at Edinburgh.

The Munster starting XV for Friday's clash with Edinburgh in Murrayfield, shows 10 changes from the one that ran out against Cardiff Blues last weekend.

Following Saturday’s 15-10 victory over the Scarlets in Llanelli, the Leinster management report no major fresh injury concerns aside from the usual bumps and bruises ahead of the visit of Aironi to the RDS on Saturday (6.30pm).

MUNSTER maintained their winning start to the season and while they conceded their first try of the season, another superb defensive display was the foundation for victory at Cardiff City Stadium last night.

DANNY BARNES returns for Munster in tonight’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Cardiff Blues at Cardiff City Stadium, but the Reds’ hopes of forward dominance took a hit yesterday with news of illness and injury to key front rowers Marcus Horan and BJ Botha.

Danny Barnes returns to the Munster side for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Cardiff Blues at the Cardiff City Stadium tomorrow night (7.05pm).

The Leinster management counted the cost of Saturday night’s defeat to the Glasgow Warriors with Kevin McLaughlin and Dominic Ryan sustaining ankle injuries.

WITH the future of Ronan O’Gara uncertain, Munster at least had the satisfaction of watching new signing Ian Keatley pick up a man of the match award as they climbed to the summit of the RaboDirect Pro12 at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

MUNSTER skipper Peter O’Mahony hopes to celebrate his 22nd birthday in style by leading Munster to a third successive RaboDirect Pro12 victory at Musgrave Park tonight (7.45pm).

With a host of first team players in New Zealand and an ever-growing injury list Joe Schmidt will be relieved he can call upon the experience and flare of Luke Fitzgerald for his sides meeting with Glasgow Warriors in the RDS on Saturday (6pm).

IT could well be a case of a youngster giving credit to another of his time, but Simon Zebo was effusive in his praise of the current Munster captaincy holder this week.

A TRY either side of half time paved the way for Munster to maintain their winning start to the Rabo-Direct Pro12 and in the process created a new league record by winning a dozen games on the spin.

MUNSTER may have found what they’ve been looking for, after signing Australian code-jumping sensation Will Chambers on a short-term contract.

MUNSTER A had to wait until the dying moments to secure a hard-earned victory over a youthful and inexperienced Connacht at Thomond Park yesterday.

TOMÁS O’Leary has been included in Munster’s squad for Friday’s Thomond Park Stadium clash with London Irish (7pm).

THE sight of new signing BJ Botha hobbling off with a calf muscle injury after 27 minutes and then limp from the ground with the aid of crutches was as much a disappointment and a worry to the Munster as this defeat at Musgrave Park last night

DROPPED by Ireland, Peter Stringer could be one of the key figures in Munster’s quest for victory over one of their greatest Heineken Cup rivals, London Wasps, in a pre-season friendly at Musgrave Park tomorrow night (7pm).

O’LOUGHLIN GAELS from Kilkenny claimed their first Féile na nGael Division One title when they defeated Limerick’s Na Piarsaigh (3-7 to 0-4) at Pearse Stadium in Galway yesterday.

A NECK injury to young centre Tom Gleeson capped a miserable night in the British & Irish Cup for Munster at Bristol.

MUNSTER A coach Anthony Foley hopes an early season home defeat to Llanelli doesn’t come back to haunt his side as they seek to wrap up a place in the semi-finals of the British and Irish Cup against Bristol at the Memorial Ground tonight (7.45pm).

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan wants his side to bounce back from what he termed “one of the more disappointing results” of his tenure, when they meet Edinburgh in a must-win Magners League clash at Thomond Park tonight (7.50pm).

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made 11 changes from the side that lost in Treviso last weekend for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh at Thomond Park Stadium, kick-of 7.50pm.

LEINSTER will battle to retain the services of prop forward Mike Ross next season with increased speculation the Cork native is set for a return to his Munster roots following the departure of Tony Buckley to Sale Sharks.

MUNSTER squandered the opportunity to solidify their position at the summit of the Magners League standings as they slumped to a one-point defeat at the hands of Treviso at the Stadio di Monigo yesterday.

MUNSTER’S comfortable position at the top of the Magners League will be under threat tomorrow when they meet Benetton Treviso in the Stadio Comunale di Monigo.

Munster coach Tony McGahan has named a youthful side ahead of Sunday’s Magners League match away to Treviso, kick-off 2pm.