Kidney forced into re-shuffle

MUNSTER’S plans for tonight’s top-of-the-table Celtic League clash with Edinburgh at Murrayfield were thrown into disarray within minutes of yesterday’s team announcement.

Skipper Anthony Foley didn’t make the trip because of son Tony’s illness while Marcus Horan also remained behind having picked up a facial infection similar to “scrum pox”.

Foley’s place at number eight goes to Mick O’Driscoll, normally a second-row forward but no stranger to the back-row. And the value to the squad of the Argentinian-born Italian Freddie Pucciarello is underlined by the fact that he is equally at home on either side of the front-row and so is a ready-made replacement for Horan.

Initially, the selection of the team was notable for the restoration of the Lions Test second-row partnership of Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan. O’Callaghan comes in for Mick O’Driscoll.

Denis Leamy, as expected, stands down, having played the full three autumn internationals followed by all of Munster’s five Celtic League games in December. He is replaced by Stephen Keogh. O’Connell continues his battle for full match fitness while John Hayes is back at tight head. The one alteration behind the scrum sees Ian Dowling come in on the left wing for Anthony Horgan, yet another who has been very busy of late.

“Some of the guys have played a lot of matches and needed a break, although I’m not big into rotation,” explained coach Declan Kidney. “The intensity of the Celtic League is so great at present that there is very little if anything between it and the Heineken Cup.

It may have been overlooked that the country that completed the Grand Slam in the Six Nations last year also provided the winners of the Celtic League.

“Then there’s the schedule that has to be met. We play this match in Edinburgh on a Saturday night. We arrive home about 3am on Sunday and try to catch a few hours sleep before getting ready for a European Cup match in the south of France at half past eight the following Friday. Soccer teams do it but the knocks and bruises aren’t the same and there’s a big difference between people of 11 stone and 17 or 18 stone fitting into an aeroplane seat.

“Edinburgh have had a good season so far, they didn’t have a game last week and so are fresh and ready.”

The fact that Kidney included almost all of his big guns confirms the seriousness with which this challenge is being met.

Edinburgh have given a badly-needed shot in the arm to the game in Scotland, cruising to second place in the table, one point behind Munster, who know that if they lose this one and Leinster win in Llanelli they could fall back to third.

So Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer line out at half-back while the full front-row (in the absence of Frankie Sheahan) was all set for battle until Horan’s withdrawal. Still, Pucciarello is a worthy replacement and with O’Connell and O’Callaghan renewing their Lions partnership, the front five will hardly be found wanting.

An indication of Edinburgh’s true worth may be gleaned from their Heineken Cup activities, during which they held London Wasps to a 32-32 draw in a cracking game, lost 13-15 to Llanelli Scarlets and by 13-20 and 13-35 to Toulouse. Nothing to write home about, perhaps, but considering the strength of the opposition, not to be derided either.

Edinburgh have prospered more as a team rather than particular individual brilliance under the stewardship of former All Black Todd Blackadder but their side is sprinkled with talented players.

Versatile captain Chris Paterson is a polished performer.

Forwards Scott Murray, Allister Hogg and Simon Taylor are among the finest forwards on these islands while New Zealand prop David Hewett, Francisco Leonelli from Argentina and Australian centre Peter Jorgensen have also been important in the revival of their fortunes.

Munster’s task tonight is all the greater given that Edinburgh are the only side in the league with a 100% home winning record this season, scoring 22 points themselves whilst allowing their opponents to tally just three losing bonus points. On the road, their most significant result was a 27-13 hammering of Leinster.

Munster disappointed in several facets of their game against Leinster, with defence chief among them. Their attacking deficiencies have been well chronicled but the team as a whole and especially midfield will have to improve considerably will have to improve considerably starting at a freezing Murrayfield tonight.