Munster boost as Hayes to face French

THE good news is that John Hayes will be fit to line out for Munster against Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Cup at Thomond Park on Sunday.

But Paul O’Connell is two to three weeks away from full recovery after damaging a disc in his back while the versatile Tomás O’Leary has been laid low by pneumonia and will be out of action for three weeks or so.

Coach Declan Kidney has spent the last couple of days absorbing the lessons of Saturday’s single-point defeat by London Wasps at the Ricoh Arena while also taking due note of the outstanding football produced by Sunday’s opposition in their ruthless 48-21 demolition of Llanelli Scarlets.

Any side that can leave South Africa’s World Cup winning captain John Smit on the sidelines until the 59th minute has to be special.

Smit was surrounded by household names of the modern game like Aurelien Rougerie, scorer of three tries against the Scarlets; Juan Martin Scelzo, Pierre Mignoni and Julien Bonnaire to name but five of a squad of superstars.

The chances are that Clermont will suffer at least to some extent from a certain sense of unease that afflicts most French teams on the road. And then there’s the very good reason to believe that Munster have shaken off the lethargy of their disappointing performances against Leicester and Llanelli late last season and in the early stages of the current Magners League campaign.

Yesterday’s statement from the Munster camp provided the very welcome news that they are optimistic that John Hayes will be available. The prop hurt his neck on Saturday but there has been no worsening since his return home. The management will monitor the situation as the week goes on.”

Ian Dowling, who had to stand down from the bench after taking ill on Sunday morning, will also be available for selection. But Tomas O’Leary, a second half replacement in Coventry, has been laid low by a bout of pneumonia and could be out of the game for three weeks. His place on the bench is likely to go to Gerry Hurley of Garryowen.

Declan Kidney announces his squad for the game after training at the University of Limerick tomorrow afternoon but won’t reveal the 22 until lunchtime on Saturday. He will certainly keep unforced changes to a minimum although Anthony Horgan and Brian Carney could come under pressure from Dowling and Keith Earls. Furthermore, Denis Leamy has been uncharacteristically quiet of late and the coach could well recall Anthony Foley to the starting line-up before calling up Leamy as an impact substitute around the hour mark.