Kidney waiting on injured duo

MUNSTER coach Declan Kidney has delayed team selection for the Celtic League clash with champions Neath/Swansea Ospreys.

Kidney has named his pack, re-introducing David Wallace to the back row, but awaits medical reports on injured players, Peter Stringer and Anthony Horgan, before finalising the team for tomorrow’s game at Musgrave Park (6 pm).

However, both trained yesterday and are expected to play

The coach will go with Marcus Horan, Frankie Sheahan and Federico Pucciariello in the front row, Trevor Hogan and Mick O’Driscoll as second row partners, with Wallace joining up with Alan Quinlan and Anthony Foley in the back row.

Brent Cockbain is looking forward to the Munster confrontation. Cockbain played in both Wales tests during their summer tour of USA and Canada, before being called up to the Lions tour of New Zealand. He played against Manawatu and Auckland but he is now looking forward to getting back to the cut and thrust of European rugby.

He believes Munster will give him the ideal physical start. He remarked: “I’m raring to go and there’s no better way to get back into regional rugby than against Munster. They were one of the few teams to match us up front last season, so Saturday’s game will be a measure of where we are at the start of this campaign.

“We played each other quite a few times last year in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup, so we know each other’s game and what we’re all about.

“Munster won three out of the four but they were all very tough games, and I’m sure they will be wary of playing us as well. They play a very tight game. They’re usually quite conservative and use the kicking game to their advantage.

“We’re bedding in a few new guys while there are also others who are not available, but I guess that’s the same for everyone.

“Personally I’m just looking forward to getting stuck in. Games against big sides like Munster are the ones you really lift yourself for. They have a big set of forwards who try to dominate opposition and I enjoy pitting myself against that kind of challenge. We’ve got a few injuries, but the nucleus of our pack is full of quality.

Meanwhile, Munster still find themselves in limbo regarding defensive coach Graham Steadman, who has been offered the Irish job. Steadman was in Dublin yesterday to discuss the offer with the IRFU and is likely to accept the position and succeed Mike Ford.

Connacht have made one change to the side that beat Cardiff last weekend for Saturday’s Celtic League clash with Edinburgh at Murrayfield (4pm, live Setanta Sports).

Ray Hogan, originally selected for the Cardiff match before being ruled out with a knee injury, comes in at loose head prop in place of Dan McFarland.

McFarland now moves to the bench in place of Adrian Clarke with scrum half Tom Tierney coming into the squad in place of Conor O’Loughlin.

The Munster under 19’s and under 21’s take on Connacht in the Interprovincial championship at the Sportsgrounds, Galway, today. The under 19 game kicks off at 4.30pm, followed by the under 21 match at 6pm. The two Munster teams have already beaten Ulster in the opening series of games.

CONNACHT: D. Slemen, M. Mostyn, D. Yapp, K. Matthews, C. McPhillips, P. Warwick, C. Keane; R. Hogan, J. Fogarty, S. Knoop, C. Short, A. Farley (capt), J. Muldoon, M Lacey, C. Rigney.

Replacements: C. Venter, D. McFarland, R. Loughney, M. Swift, B. O’Connor, T. Tierney, D. Riordan.

MUNSTER (from): Pack, M. Horan, F. Sheahan, F. Pucciariello, M. O’Driscoll, T. Hogan, A. Quinlan, A. Foley, D. Wallace (Replacements from); J. Flannery, F. Roche, J. O’Sullivan, D. Leamy, S. Keogh. Backs from: S Payne, J Kelly, R Henderson, T Halstead, B Murphy, A Horgan, J Manning, P Burke, M Prendergast, F Murphy, P Stringer.