Kidney still targeting Magners title

MUNSTER coach Declan Kidney hasn’t given up on his side winning the Magners League.

Kidney recognises his second-from-bottom side will have to string together a series of impressive wins to achieve that goal, beginning with victory over the Ospreys at Thomond Park tonight (7.30pm).

“The next four matches are of critical importance if we are to have any chance,” he said.

Kidney has made three changes from the team that lost to Llanelli, bringing back

Anthony Horgan after injury for John Kelly, whilst naming Trevor Halstead at centre for Barry Murphy and James Coughlan in the back row instead of John O’Sullivan.

Commenting on the changes, Kidney explained: “Given the nature of the game, it would not be prudent to use the same players every week. Anthony has recovered from his knee injury and needs game time, while we wanted to give Trevor Halstead game time alongside Lifeimi Mafi.

“We were also conscious of the need to give James some more game time,” he said.

Ospreys also have their troubles. Head coach Lyn Jones observed: “With our squad’s huge involvement in the Wales match this weekend, our preparations for this match have been massively disrupted. The matchday squad has not played a fixture in three weeks, but hopefully they can carry the form shown in the Australia fixture into this game and we will not be too rusty.

“Facing Munster at Thomond Park is one of European rugby’s great challenges. They enjoy fantastic and extremely vocal support and it is an intimidating environment when the crowd starts to sing. Munster may be a little low in their Magners League confidence and like us they have been disrupted by their involvement with the national side, but we expect them to be a strong force on their home patch.

“We had a great win against Australia and we are looking forward to another stern test against consistently one of the best sides in Europe. It will be a big ask but I have great faith in the team we have selected.”

Ospreys will wait until today to finalise the centre partnership. Andrew Bishop has a knee injury and faces a fitness test.

MUNSTER: S. Payne, A. Horgan, L. Mafi, T. Halstead, I. Dowling, J. Manning, T. O’Leary, D. Hurley, A. Kyriacou, F. Pucciariello, M. O’Driscoll (captain), C. Wyatt, A.

Quinlan, J. Coughlan, T. McGann.

Replacements: F. Roche, T. Buckley, D. Ryan, J. O’Sullivan, B. O’Meara, E. Hickey, B. Murphy.

OSPREYS: S. Terblanche, J. Vaughton, T. Selley, A. N. Other, N. Walker, S. Connor, J. Marshall, P. James (captain), B. Williams, A. Millward, M. Powell, L. Bateman, A. Lloyd, F. Tiatia, S. Tandy.

Replacements: H. Bennett, C. Griffiths, B. Cockbain, L. Beech, R. Pugh, J. Spratt, L. Byrne.