Birthday boy Murphy poised for Reds return

IRELAND international Barry Murphy got the perfect birthday present with a call-up to the 25-man Munster squad for Friday’s night’s eagerly-awaited Magners League clash with Leinster at Musgrave Park.

Murphy, who turns 25 today, is in line to see his first action in a red shirt since last May.

The outside centre, who won his first Ireland cap against Argentina on May 26, has been rewarded for a series of fine recent performances for UL/Bohemians and Munster A .

Kiwis Rua Tepoki and Lifeimi Mafi appear to have established themselves as the first-choice duo but Kieran Lewis, formerly understudy to O’Driscoll and D’Arcy at Leinster, and Murphy have also been in outstanding form of late. So this will be a tough call for coach Declan Kidney, all the more so because the chosen pair will have to cope with the twin threat posed by Leinster stars Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy.

Because of injury, Murphy hasn’t played at this level since the final Magners League tie of last season but since his recent return has quickly clicked back into top form and scored two tries for Munster A in last week’s defeat of their Leinster counterparts.

Munster, of course, are still reeling at Monday’s news that Alan Quinlan is ruled out of action for up to eight weeks because of the thumb ligament damage he sustained in last Friday’s game against Gwent Dragons. This is a tragedy for the player himself given what’s at stake over the coming months while Munster, already without injured captain Paul O’Connell, could well have done without the loss of such an in-form forward.

The search is now on for the most suitable replacement. Dolphin’s James Coughlan and Niall Ronan, another former Leinster player now playing with Shannon, could be called up as a direct replacement. However, considering the significance of the Leinster game and the back to back Heineken Cup matches against Llanelli Scarlets set for the following two weeks, it could well be that Kidney will recall Anthony Foley at number eight and switch Denis Leamy, who is by no means a stranger to the position, to the blind side flank.

David Wallace will almost certainly return after injury in the number seven jersey.

MUNSTER (25): S. Payne, D. Hurley, B. Carney, I. Dowling, K. Lewis, L. Mafi, R. Tipoki, B. Murphy, G. Hurley, P. Stringer, P. Warwick, R. O’Gara; M. Horan, J.

Hayes, T. Buckley, J. Flannery, F. Sheahan, D. O’Callaghan, M. O’Driscoll, D.

Ryan, D Leamy, D Wallace, N Ronan, J Coughlan, A Foley.