Rejuvenated Buckley ‘ready to go’ for Munster

TONY BUCKLEY re-launches his representative career in Munster’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh at Musgrave Park tonight (7.30pm). Buckley hasn’t played for the province since the defeat by Connacht at the Sportsground at the end of December, illness ruling him out of the games against Ulster, Ospreys, Sale and Montauban.

That lay-off severely damaged his prospects of breaking into Declan Kidney’s RBS Six Nations squad, having been involved with the national side in the autumn series of internationals. But, as coach Tony McGahan welcomes back Mick O’Driscoll, Denis Leamy, Alan Quinlan, Keith Earls and Peter Stringer in the continued absence of Rua Tipoki, Buckley is said to be “ready to go” by team manager Shaun Payne.

“Tony was disappointed to have missed out for so long, one illness after another, a virus that dragged on for a long time and dragged him down. But he has been training well and bursting to get out there for some quality game time,” said Payne.