Horan is out

MUNSTER’S worst fears were confirmed yesterday when coach Declan Kidney had to go without injury victim Marcus Horan and name Federico Pucciariello in the front row.

Otherwise they moved closer to full strength, with the return of Ronan O’Gara and Denis Leamy.

O’Gara has recovered from a hamstring strain and knee laceration to replace Paul Burke, while Leamy is back in action in the back row for Mick O’Driscoll.

Kidney has named the unlucky O’Driscoll on the bench. He replaces John O’Sullivan, while Stephen Keogh steps up to take over from Trevor Hogan.

Jeremy Manning has recovered from injury and replaces Mossie Lawlor, while Tomas O’Leary is named instead of Mike Prendergast.

There is no place in the squad for Paul Burke, who played against the Edinburgh Gunners last week.

Leinster make just the one change from the team that defeated Llanelli last week, bringing back Shane Horgan for his landmark 100th cap instead of Rob Kearney, but coach Michael Cheika still hasn’t publicly declared his hand between picking Ronan McCormack or Emmett Byrne on the bench.