Dempsey is confident he’ll face Swansea

LEINSTER full-back Girvan Dempsey is confident he can overcome injury to play in his side’s Heineken Cup tie against Swansea at Donnybrook on Friday night.

The Ireland international is one of three doubts clouding Leinster coach Matt Williams' team selection, having suffered a groin injury during last Friday night's friendly against Connacht in Athlone. Wing Denis Hickie and front row Emmet Byrne are the others. Of Dempsey, a Leinster spokesman said: "We initially thought it was a hip injury, but it's actually a problem in the groin. He tweaked a groin muscle going up for a high ball just after the interval on Friday night in Athlone. Shortly afterwards he and Shane Horgan were two on two and Shane chipped the ball on and if Girvan had gone full belt he said it would have gone. So he stopped in his tracks and came off, which was a good call, I suppose. I spoke to him today as he was on the physio's table and he's very confident that he'll be okay."

Leinster's flying winger Hickie sat out last Friday's victory over the westerners as a precaution having picked up an ankle strain in Lanzarote during Ireland's pre-Christmas training camp while prop Emmet Byrne also missed the 25-3 win due to a bout of gastroenteritis. But the spokesman last night said: "Denis should be okay and Emmet was back training today so we're hopeful that we'll be at fairly full strength." Meanwhile, Munster coach Alan Gaffney fears a former student could wreck his plans for a Heineken Cup quarter final place as he prepares for the meeting with Perpignan.

Gaffney coached Perpignan's Manny Edmonds for two years at New South Wales and believes that he is an exceptional talent who must be closely monitored.

"Perpignan are obviously a very strong all-round team and Edmonds is something really special. He had two Tests for Australia, against Tonga and South Africa but perhaps was always a bit in the shadow of players like Steve Larkham. Nevertheless, has already scored three tries in this season's Heineken Cup." Munster travel to France for their Heineken Cup "Pool of Death" round 5 showdown with coach Gaffney admitting "this is a crunch game a big, big one.

"The game in Perpignan could decide whether or not we qualify for the quarter-finals," said Gaffney. "A defeat would not end our hopes, we could still make it through to the last eight, but we would need to score plenty of tries. Perpignan have started to score lots of tries and points and any side who can do what they did to Gloucester must have something pretty big going for them.

"I went to Perpignan earlier in the season with Jerry Holland, our team manager, and Stade Aime Giral is a very intimidating place, a tough place to go and win. Lock Paul O'Connell was operated on for a fractured thumb and will be out for six to eight weeks and wing Anthony Horgan has no chance of playing against Perpignan after coming off with another hamstring injury. All in all, it means we now have seven players not available through injury."

Olivier Saisset, the Perpignan coach, is in a happier position: "We have almost a full squad of players available our main problem is that we have had no competition since December 21 when we beat Narbonne 39-0 at home, so we will be at a disadvantage there.

"But we beat Gloucester at home in round 4 so we must continue on that winning run if we are to have a chance of qualification. Munster are likely to be a tougher proposition than Gloucester because they are a very defensive side and difficult to break down. They also have vast experience of this kind of must-win games. We must produce a quick game as we have on our last two outings. In a sense we are prisoners of good performances we have produced a couple of good showings and now we must consolidate and build on those.

Ireland captain Keith Wood has had an operation on his shoulder and is a minor doubt for the beginning of Ireland's 2003 Six Nations campaign.

A fortnight ago, Wood made his comeback as a substitute for Harlequins, following a back injury he received on duty for Ireland in late September. All had seemed well for Irish rugby fans but it has now become clear that the hooker has a new concern. "Keith has said the decision to get a scope was more a precaution and he expects to be back relatively soon," commented Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan.

"We open our Six Nations campaign against Scotland on February 16 and if Keith is back playing rugby at some time during January that will be good enough for us." Connacht coach Steph Nel has named a 24-man squad for Saturday's Parker Pen Challenge Cup first leg tie against Pontypridd at Ericsson Park in Athlone (kick-off 5.30pm). The squad will be reduced to 22 on Wednesday morning when the side will be named. In addition to long-term absentees through injury, captain Tim Allnutt and Warwick Waugh, Connacht will be without No 8 John O'Sullivan.

There are also injury concerns about a number of other players including Shane Moore, Damian Browne and Michael Swift, although it is hoped all will be fit for selection.

Meanwhile, Ulster will play two interprovincial fixtures against Connacht and Leinster at the end of the month.

They will meet Connacht on Friday, January 24, and a week later will entertain Leinster, again at Ravenhill.

CONNACHT (squad): J. Norton, G. Duffy, M. McHugh, T. Robinson, W. Munn, D. Yapp, S. Moore, M. McPhail, E. Elwood, E. Reddan, C. Keane, R. McCormack, D. McFarland, P. Bracken M. Uijs, J. Flannery, D. Browne, R. Frost, M. Swift, C. Rigney, E. Peters, J. O'Connor, J. Muldoon, A. Maher.