Spoilt for choice in the Lions' den

PITY the selectors. Anyone trying to put a rugby team together in the Maryborough House Hotel, Cork, yesterday had an embarrassment of riches to work with.

In the front row alone, you had your pick of Ginger McLoughlin, John Hayes or Paul Wallace; behind them Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell, Moss Keane and Donal Lenihan were options. In the back row, Noel Murphy or Jim McCarthy? In the centre, Rob Henderson or Michael Kiernan? Headaches aplenty.

The 22 surviving Munster Lions were in Cork for a special lunch benefiting the Lions Trust. Michael O'Brien of the organising committee gave the background to the event, which took a full three months to organise: "The Lions Trust looks after former players who have fallen on hard times for either health or financial reasons.