MUNSTER will pick from close to a full deck for Friday night’s Magners League clash with Leinster at Thomond Park.

DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN is the only member of the Irish team that started Saturday’s Six Nations defeat to Scotland included in Munster’s squad for Friday’s Magners League game with Glasgow at Thomond Park (8pm).

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.

IT’S a pity those who bemoan the demise of the club game weren’t in Dubarry Park on Saturday afternoon.

MUNSTER have opted to give John Hayes another week off and he will sit out Sunday’s Magners League game against the Scarlets at Musgrave Park. Meanwhile, they are keeping their fingers crossed that Marcus Horan will take a full part in Shannon’s AIB League game against St Mary’s College on Saturday.

RONAN O’GARA is the only one of Munster’s senior internationals included in the squad of 27 announced yesterday ahead of Saturday’s Magners League game against Connacht at Thomond Park (7.30pm).

INTERNATIONAL referee George Clancy was scratched from the Christmas card list of many a Shannon player and supporter after his handling of the final stages of Saturday’s gripping AIB League clash at Coonagh.

MOST of the drama was crammed into the final few minutes of this AIB League 1A derby at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

MUNSTER winger Ian Dowling is set to play his first match of the season when the A team takes on Ulster in Belfast tomorrow.

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).

IF Clontarf win a first AIB League title this season, they cannot be accused of taking the easy route.

CORK CONSTITUTION and Old Crescent demonstrated at Clifford Park yesterday that the ODM Munster Senior Cup is still very much alive.

THESE two great rivals have a habit of producing the unexpected.

CORK CONSTITUTION coach Brian Walsh won’t find it difficult to motivate his troops before today’s ODM Munster Senior Cup semi-final with old rivals Garryowen at Musgrave Park (2.30pm).

A COUPLE of converted tries in the dying minutes enabled Cork Constitution to come from 19-11 behind with time running out to overtake UL Bohs in an exciting AIB League clash at Annacotty yesterday.

ALAN QUINLAN is back in the Munster squad for Saturday’s Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).

JUST a couple of weeks ago, Munster’s second string side went to Shaw’s Bridge in Belfast and crushed a weakened Ulster opposition.

UCD coach Killian Keane conceded AIB League defeat to Constitution long before the finish of this tie at Temple Hill on Saturday, and then boldly predicted that the Cork side would win the title.

SHANNON’S renowned spirit has rarely been seen to greater effect than at Clifford Park yesterday when they overcame a strong Cork Constitution side and the handicap of playing the last 20 minutes with 14 men to advance to the ODM Munster Senior Cup final.

CORK CONSTITUTION’S director of rugby, Paul Derham, makes no apologies for his club’s insistence in successfully seeking a postponement of the ODM Munster Cup semi-final against Shannon.

BY their own admission, Cork Constitution got out of jail and sneaked through to the AIB League final against old rivals Garryowen at Musgrave Park next Saturday.

Cork Constitution 28 Lansdowne 20

HARDLY the scoreline you would expect from two of the AIL’s Division One high-flyers, but there were extenuating circumstances in this top-four clash on Saturday afternoon last on the back pitch at Thomond Park.

THE focus of attention in this A interprovincial at Musgrave Park yesterday was surely only on a few as Munster coach Declan Kidney draws the line on his Heineken Cup squad.

NEW Munster captain Paul O’Connell knows he has a tough act to follow.

IT wasn’t pretty but Munster coach Declan Kidney was delighted after his side sneaked to the narrowest of Magners League wins over Border Reivers at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

WITH new Australian signing Tim McGann making his debut, Declan Kidney is looking for a stronger effort from his Munster charges when they take on Border Reivers in the Magners Celtic League at Thomond Park tonight (7.30).

MUNSTER may be Heineken Cup champions but they won’t get anything soft in the Celtic League opener against Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park tomorrow night.

FRANKIE SHEAHAN is delighted to be back in the front row at Musgrave Park tonight (7pm) as Munster take on Leicester Tigers in a pre-season friendly.

FRANKIE SHEAHAN is set to resurrect his representative rugby career in a friendly game against Leicester Tigers at Musgrave Park on Friday night (7pm).

CLONTARF qualified for the All Ireland League Top Four final at Castle Avenue on Saturday with a well-deserved victory over Cork Constitution.

Cork Constitution 37 St. Mary’s College 12

St Colman's, Fermoy 2-15 Nenagh CBS 1-5

St. Colman’s Fermoy 0-13 Nenagh CBS 2-7

Shannon 17 Cork Constitution 20

THE IRFU have appointed three new members to the management of the national team.

Abbey CBS 2-7 Holy Rosary, Mountbellew 0-7

Euskarians (Basque) Development 26 Munster Development 42

Cistercian College, Roscrea 0-15 Nenagh CBS 1-11

PBC and Rockwell College combined to serve up an enthralling display of rugby in the Munster Senior Cup semi-final at Thomond Park yesterday.

Midleton CBS 5-13 Abbey CBS 0-11

Munster 19 Ulster 13

Douglas CS 1-17 Abbey CBS 2-12