Micko stakes his claim

DECLAN KIDNEY has frequently admitted the part of his job he least likes is picking the team for the bigger matches.

Having watched and admired the consistently brilliant displays of Mick O’Driscoll in the second-row of the pack, he knows he faces a really tricky selection in the next month or two.

Paul O’Connell is due to return at the end of the year just as Munster is preparing for the two final Heineken Cup pool matches in Clermont-Auvergne and at home to London Wasps. To the vast majority, omitting a fit-again O’Connell would be unthinkable, but this is an area where Munster are rich in quality. It could even happen the other regular second-row, Donncha O’Callaghan, will also come under pressure to retain the jersey.