Munster hoping to spring trap on prowling Lions

“YOU don’t beat Munster twice in the same season,” has long been a mantra of the European champions and it’s one that will be put to a severe test at Thomond Park this afternoon (3pm, Setanta Sports) when Leinster make their first visit in nine years to the famous Limerick venue for an eagerly-awaited Magners League tie.

When the sides met in a fractious encounter at Lansdowne Road in October, Leinster came out on top and now make no secret of their burning desire to complete the double over their keenest rivals in front of a full house 13,000-strong crowd in Limerick.

While the Celtic League has yet to command the same public interest as the Heineken Cup, there are clear signs that it is making up ground with tickets extremely scarce for today and the likelihood of full houses at Lansdowne Road and the Galway Sportsground on New Year’s Eve.

Accordingly, the atmosphere this afternoon will be something special. It should be a Christmas cracker and lend added emphasis to the Magners League. Given that the top players in both squads spent most of last week with the national squad in Portugal and, of course, the time of year, it is hardly surprising that the rival coaches Declan Kidney and Michael Cheika were waiting until this morning to finalise their starting line-ups.

Of the two, Kidney seems to be more sure of his ground. He has yet to decide between Shaun Payne and Christian Cullen at full-back, Barry Murphy and Lafeimi Mafi in the centre and Darragh Hurley and Federico Pucciarello at loose-head prop.

Whichever way he goes, Munster supporters should be happy with the outcome while the disappointed trio are more or less assured of lining out against Connacht on Sunday next.

With Alan Quinlan ruled out by suspension — Munster confirmed over the holiday period that they have lodged an appeal against the six-week ban imposed on him by the European Rugby Cup commission — and Antony Foley and Mick O’Driscoll still sidelined by injury, the number six jersey goes to Garryowen’s John O’Sullivan. And the big news in the replacements is Jerry Flannery may fill the vacancy provided he shows no ill effects to yesterday’s training session.

Michael Cheika has opted to give Guy Easterby his first start in the Leinster side since the Borders game back on October 13 and Bernard Jackman continues at hooker in the continued absence of the injured Brian Blaney.

Former Munster players Trevor Hogan and Stephen Keogh will be in the thick of the action, even if the latter is bracketed with Cameron Jowitt and Jamie Heaslip at numbers six and eight.

The extraordinary talent available to Cheika in the three-quarter line is underlined by the fact that he is unlikely to find a place for players of the talent of Luke Fitzgerald and Robert Kearney.

The visitors are led by Brian O’Driscoll who plays for Leinster in Thomond Park for the first time in his illustrious career. Felipe Contepomi hasn’t given up his all-out battle to regain fitness for this game above all others but the likelihood is that former Ireland under-21 player Jonathan Sexton will fill the number 10 jersey, leaving Contepomi to settle for a return against Ulster on Sunday.

The uncertainties about the starting line-ups will be dissipated this morning and then both teams will turn their attentions to a game they desperately want to win. Beating Munster twice before Christmas would entitle Leinster to serious bragging rights; avoiding such a dreaded fate will be enough to inspire the home side to heights they haven’t quite reached in recent weeks. The outcome is something that few will want to miss!

MUNSTER: S. Payne or C. Cullen; J. Kelly; B. Murphy or L. Mafi, T. Halstead, I. Dowling; R. O’Gara, P. Stringer; D. Hurley or F. Pucciarello, F. Sheahan, J. Hayes, D. O’Callaghan, P. O’Connell, J. O’Sullivan, D. Leamy, D. Wallace.

Replacements, A.N. Other, Hurley or Pucciarello, J. Coughlan, T. O’Leary, J. Manning, Murphy or Mafi.

LEINSTER: G. Dempsey; S. Horgan or L. Fitzgerald, B. O’Driscoll capt, G. D’Arcy; D. Hickie or R. Kearney; J. Sexton or F. Contepomi, G. Easterby; R. McCormack, B. Jackman, S. Wright, T. Hogan, M. O’Kelly or O. Finegan, C. Jowitt or S. Keogh, K. Gleeson; S. Keogh or J. Heaslip.

Replacements, R. Corrigan or F. Pala’amp, H. Vermaas, O’Kelly or Finegan, Heaslip or Jowitt, C. Whitaker, Sexton or Contepomi or A. Dunne, L. Fitzgerald or K. Lewis.

Referee: Alan Lewis (IRFU).