Penney must keep his stars under wraps

Having already lost inspirational captain Peter O’Mahony for the business end of the season, Rob Penney will be mindful of making sure his key personnel are fresh and raring to go when Munster set out to upset the odds once again by toppling Heineken Cup champions Toulon in Marseille on Sunday week.

With the depth of the squad available to Bernard Laporte, the Toulon coach could afford to close his eyes and pluck names from a list of his front, second and back row options confident in the knowledge that he will field a formidable forward unit.

At out-half, he has the luxury of knowing that if Jonny Wilkinson is still sidelined by his hamstring injury, he can opt for the multi-capped Wallaby Matt Giteau, outstanding when he took over from the England legend against Leinster. French international Freddie Michalak is also an option for Laporte. The same embarrassment of riches applies for Laporte when it comes to deciding his midfield and back three combinations.