Hot-in-pursuit Ulster will make it tough for Munster
But Munster, without most of their stars, face a huge test. Short of regular second-row players, they were forced to draft in Brian Madigan, on licence from UL-Bohemians.
Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan have not, for various reasons, been released by Irish coach, Eddie O’Sullivan and Mick O’Driscoll is the only experienced second-row available.
Trevor Hogan will be out for another three weeks, with an elbow fracture, and the up and coming Donncha Ryan, who featured in earlier Celtic League squads for the leaders, has an ankle strain.
Without eight of the Irish squad, Munster will be hard pressed to beat Ulster, who forged a surprise victory in an earlier fixture in Cork, while there is little doubt that this could be a defining result as far as the title destination is concerned.
Munster are lucky, however, they can call on the likes of Anthony Foley, Stephen Keogh and Federico Puccieriello in the pack.
The back division too, even without Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer, will challenge Ulster.
Tomás O’Leary is likely to join Burke at half-back, while there is some scrambling for selection outside. With Burke’s return, Mossy Lawlor could be consigned to the bench, but he might also fight it out for a place on the wing with Anthony Horgan and Ian Dowling.
Trevor Halstead, Gary Connolly and Barry Murphy will vie for two of the centre placings, while John Kelly is a shoo-in on one wing and Shaun Payne a certainty at full-back.
Ulster’s Kevin Maggs is likely to resume his centre partnership with Paul Steinmetz.
Maggs has just returned to action following minor elbow surgery and will be one of two likely changes to the side that snuffed out Edinburgh’s challenge, two weeks ago.
It will be Maggs, or another former Ireland centre Jonny Bell, who will replace Andrew Trimble, who is not released for the game, while Tommy Bowe looks set to take over from James Topping on the right wing, with speedster Andrew Maxwell on the left.
Maggs is looking forward to the big battle and hoping Ulster can do the double over their rivals.
“It is going to be another epic, just like the game in Cork and there is certainly a lot to play for. It being a top of the table clash spices it up that little bit,” said Maggs.
Ulster are now three points adrift of Munster at the top of the Celtic League and Maggs says there are two reasons why his wants victory so much.
“I think there is a bit of both going into the game. For some of the guys it’s the rivalry and for other guys it’s the purely because it’s a top of the table clash, which adds that little extra to it because it’s all to play for in the Celtic League,” he said.
: Backs: S Payne, I Dowling, A Horgan, J Kelly, B Murphy, G Connolly, T Halstead, P Burke, M Lawlor, M Prendergast, T O’Leary.
: F Puccieriello, D Fogarty, F Roche, E McGovern, D Varley, M O’Driscoll, B Madigan, D Ryan, S Keogh, A Foley (captain), J O’Connor, J O’Sullivan.
: B Cunningham, T Bowe, K Maggs, P Steinmetz, A Maxwell, D Humphreys, I Boss; B Young, R Best, S Best, J Harrison, M McCullough, N Best, S Ferris, R Wilson.
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