The final countdown for Gaffney

THE ATMOSPHERE was much lighter than it would have been if Saturday’s Celtic Cup final against Llanelli Scarlets was, for instance, a Heineken Cup game.

Some of the players even stripped to the waist to enjoy the warm sunshine but underneath it all, it was business as usual at Thomond Park. Let nobody run away with the idea that Saturday’s (5.30pm) decider is being treated with anything but the utmost seriousness by the Munster management and the players.

There remain a few injury doubts after the fierce contest with Leinster on Sunday, with John Kelly and Shaun Payne the chief worries for coach Alan Gaffney. He admits he would be thin on the ground should either or both miss the game, particularly as Christian Cullen, Jason Holland and Mossy Lawler are long-term absentees.