Munster may press McMahon into action

COLM McMAHON could be pressed into action as a winger for Munster’s Celtic League quarter-final with Connacht at Musgrave Park on Friday.

Munster coach Alan Gaffney is running out of backline options because of injuries to Rob Henderson, John Kelly, Dominic Crotty, John O'Neill, Anthony Horgan and Jeremy Staunton.

The news is better as far as the pack is concerned, with Paul O'Connell and Donnacha O'Callaghan certain to be available for selection.

"It's swings and roundabouts. We have problems with injuries in the backs but, apart from David Wallace, none in the pack right now.

"The situation is that we have to get on with things. There is no point in worrying unduly about injuries. We have a strong squad and I am happy to use the players available to us."

Horgan and Staunton will be given an opportunity to prove their fitness over the next couple of days.

"We will have to work out our options. It could be that Colm ends up on the wing. He has played there before and we could, in certain circumstances, take a look at Mike Prendergast if everything went against us."

Gaffney watched a number of younger players in a friendly against Leinster at Portlaoise on Friday.

"It was a useful exercise where we were able to introduce some of the young guys. The rule was that there was no goal-kicking allowed and I think we beat Leinster with seven tries to five in a game that involved a 40 minute half and then two periods of 20 minutes each side.

"It was full of running, so much so that, at one stage I think the local referee had to stop to get sick."

Gaffney is under no illusions that Connacht will push Munster to the limit on Friday.

"We watched them play Leinster and beat them in an earlier match in Dublin. This wasn't a lightweight

Leinster side by any means and Connacht were as impressive as they were determined. I'm sure they would be delighted to take another scalp and we will have to be pretty sharp to get out of this one, despite the fact that we are playing at home."

Glasgow reached last season's Celtic League semi-finals, going down to eventual winners Leinster, and coach Kiwi Searancke is adamant his players won't be overawed by the occasion.

"A lot of them are now used to the pressure of such occasions as they play international rugby, so I have no worries on that front."

Searancke's preparations for the game have been hampered by Scotland's autumn internationals but he is happy that those Test calls underline the quality of his squad.

"It's great to have international players in the side. The more players we have in the national side, the better we can become. It will also give my players the chance to play in high-pressure games, which can only be beneficial for Glasgow Rugby.

"If they are used to playing in big games for Scotland then they should be more composed when it comes to matches like Saturday's game against Ulster, who are almost certain to be without Gary Longwell.

Meanwhile, two of Wales' leading coaches go head-to-head in the mouth-watering clash between Pontypridd and Neath at a packed Sardis Road.

Pontypridd's Lynn Howells hosts the Welsh All Blacks and their coach Lyn Jones in the sudden-death clash between arguably Wales' leading two teams on current form.

And Howells has fired the first shot of the buildup, saying Neath must go into the match as favourites.

"We had seven boys in the Welsh squad and Neath had one. That's good for Neath Lyn's had a settled squad in training to fix the things going wrong and polish the things going right."