Munster have named a 31-strong squad for the trip to Belfast and the RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Ulster on Friday evening.

THE CONTRAST between the games at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday and Thomond Park in Limerick on Sunday was so great, they could have been playing different sports.

Keith Earls returns to the Munster starting XV as one of three changes from the side that ran out last week in Parc Y Scarlets, for Sunday's re-match in Thomond Park Stadium (kick off: 12.45).

Keith Earls has been included in the 29-strong Munster squad named today for the Heineken Cup Round 4 game against the Scarlets at Thomond Park Stadium on Sunday (KO 12.45).

Paul O'Connell warned against Scarlets backlash at Thomond Park next weekend after Munster snatched another vital away win in Europe yesterday evening.

Scarlets 14 Munster 17

Paul O'Connell warned against a Scarlets backlash at Thomond Park next weekend after Munster snatched another vital away win in Europe yesterday evening.

GIVEN their back three injury woes, Munster could have done with an adverse weather forecast here in Llanelli this afternoon.

Munster retain the same pack of forwards that played against Castres in round two of the Heineken Cup for the clash with Pool leaders Scarlets in Parc Y Scarlets tomorrow (3.40pm).

MUNSTER boss Tony McGahan is looking to the players within the squad to fill the breach created by Doug Howlett’s season-ending injury before widening the search for replacements to continue the Heineken Cup campaign into the New Year.

It is a question of almost same again for Munster as they name a similar squad as last week, with the notable exception of Doug Howlett, for Saturday's Heineken Cup clash with Scarlets in Llanelli (3.40pm).

MUNSTER concede they have to step up ahead of the Heineken Cup double header with the Scarlets after falling victim to the Ospreys for the second time this season.

Marcus Horan will win his 200th cap when he runs out with Munster at the Liberty Stadium against Ospreys on Saturday.

After opting to play an inexperienced team in Munster’s 34-17 victory over Edinburgh, McGahan has reinstated his senior players for the challenge of taking on The Ospreys in Wales.

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.

Munster 34 Edinburgh 17

AS one of only two players to have kept their place in the side after two Heineken Cup pool victories, Denis Hurley will feel more responsibility than most to get Munster’s defence of their league title back on track when they face Edinburgh tonight.

Munster coach Tony McGahan gives a host of his younger players the opportunity to make an impression in the RaboDirect PRO12 game with Edinburgh in Thomond Park tomorrow (KO 8.30pm).

GIVEN the drama, close shaves and theatrics of the last two weekends, perhaps it’s no harm that the Heineken Cup enters a brief period of hibernation for a few weeks.

MUNSTER rugby does strange things to people.

Munster outside half Ronan O’Gara believed a helpful wind in the south of France made hitting an incredible winning drop goal against Castres an easier task than the one he scored against Northampton last weekend following his side’s 27-24 Heineken Cup win.

Castres 24 Munster 27

IT says everything about how competitive the Heineken Cup has become that only one side — English champions Saracens — secured a winning bonus point from the opening round of 12 games with a home victory over Benetton Treviso.

MUNSTER are not a great team.

WHETHER it was a desperate act of survival or a statement of intent, it did not really matter as Ronan O’Gara sent over that overtime drop goal to claim another epic Heineken Cup victory for Munster.

Munster 23 Northampton 21

IT is usually deep into January before Heineken Cup coaches throw their cards on the table and prepare to stand or fall by their decisions but this evening’s opener at home to Northampton could prove to be a watershed moment for Munster and Tony McGahan.

Munster Rugby Academy graduates, Danny Barnes, Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony, will make their Heineken Cup starts against Northampton Saints in Thomond Park Stadium tomorrow evening (6pm).

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.

Both the Munster and Leinster camps are sweating the results of scans on Keith Earls’ and Brian O’Driscoll’s respective injuries ahead of the opening weekend of the Heineken Cup.

HE only arrived in the country last month on a short-term contract and after being cut by the Queensland Reds.

THE media and the marketing departments will try to hype this one up, but for every player who has ever been involved in it this game sells itself.

Tony McGahan has made three changes in personnel from the XV that started against Aironi for the RaboDirect PRO12 game against Leinster in the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night (8pm).

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan has made no promises to front-line players ahead of tomorrow night’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with arch-rivals Leinster.

AS the World Cup slowly but surely recedes into the backs of peoples’ minds, they now have the mouth-watering prospect of the renewal of the Leinster-Munster rivalry at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night.

RONAN O’GARA does not get that many opportunities these days to display his skills at Musgrave Park, but he treated the crowd of almost 7,000 last night to a superb display of kicking in appalling conditions.

Munster 18 Aironi 6

TONY McGAHAN has defended his decision to bring several big names straight back into Munster’s starting team this weekend.

Munster will field their strongest side of the season for the visit of Aironi when the RaboDirect PRO12 resumes tomorrow night in Musgrave Park (8.30pm).

MUNSTER’S new signing Will Chambers has received glowing references from two of his former Queensland Reds team-mates, Will Genia and Digby Ioane.

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 ongoing front-row injury problems have ensured John Hayes’ glittering career with the province will be further extended, after he was named in their Heineken Cup squad for the 2011/’12 season last night.

David Wallace has been left out of the Munster squad for the group stages of the Heineken Cup.

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).