Kidney bloods new boys ahead of Cup

WITH one eye on the Heineken Cup, Munster coach Declan Kidney stays in experimental mode by including all of his three new outside signings for the Celtic League derby with Leinster at Musgrave Park tomorrow (3pm).

South Africa Trevor Halstead was first in a few weeks back. Next came Gary Connolly, the former Great Britain and then Ireland Rugby League player, who impressed with two tries on his debut against Connacht last week.

Tomorrow, Anthon Pitout, the highly-rated Free State Cheetahs and South African Sevens star, will start on the left wing.

Shaun Payne returns from injury to replace youngster Barry Murphy, Pitout comes in for the injured Ian Dowling and Tomás O’Leary has been named in the team instead of another injury victim, Peter Stringer.

Kidney made a further change from the team that beat Connacht 44-19, calling Alan Quinlan back into battle for Stephen Keogh. Quinlan was replaced by Keogh in advance of last week’s tie when he picked up an injury in training.

With David Wallace on the bench, Munster have an embarrassment of riches in one crucial area.

It is an interesting selection, albeit an experimental one. Payne is coming back after injury, Connolly has still to prove himself against more dogged opposition, while Pitout is on trial.

Leinster coach Michael Cheika, conscious that experience in this fixture is vital, has picked Eric Miller in the back row, and former Munster scrum-half Brian O’Meara will be back at base to test young O’Leary.

O’Meara will partner Christian Warner at half-back, stand-in captain Felipe Contepomi will play, but Cheika has to choose between five players for the four remaining back line positions. Gordon D’Arcy is included with Shane Horgan, Robert Kearney, Denis Hickie and Girvan Dempsey.

The one most likely to lose out is Kearney, but he has made a major impact in the last six weeks.

Kidney and the rest of the management team will spend hours analysing ideos in the coming fortnight before delivering a final analysis prior to Munster’s opening Heineken Cup clash with Sale Sharks on Friday week.

The Celtic League/Cup has fuelled passions over the last few seasons.

Munster have a more positive record with four wins, two defeats and a draw between both competitions since 2001, but the biggest win was by 11 points.