Kidney brings big guns to shoot down Munster

DECLAN KIDNEY returns to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs when he brings his exciting Leinster side to Musgrave Park for Saturday’s crucial Celtic League tie against Munster (5.30).

Kidney enjoyed great success at the Cork headquarters in his playing days with PBC and Dolphin and later as coach of a number of teams, most memorably with Munster. Now, however, he goes there as Leinster mastermind in the knowledge that victory would really kick-start a challenge for the title the province captured in December 2001 when beating Munster 24-20 in the Lansdowne Road decider.

Kidney was always a wily coach and you suspect little has changed over the years. Yesterday he announced a squad of 26, 14 forwards and 12 backs, from which he will finalise his side. In spite of the fact that they face a Heineken Cup tie away to Bath seven days later, Leinster have decided to put out a full-strength side.