Flannery buoyed by Munster’s young blood

IN Jerry Flannery’s eyes, Munster’s Magners League victory away to Connacht last Sunday was every bit as significant as the Heineken Cup win over Northampton the weekend before.

Tony McGahan’s men were widely lauded for their performance in the 33-19 quarter-final win over the Saints, not least because it had come on the back of a disappointing domestic defeat at home to provincial rivals Leinster.

By contrast, last weekend’s triumph in Galway did not exactly send shockwaves throughout Europe. However, Flannery was hugely encouraged by the way in which a Munster side shorn of 14 internationals and featuring three players making their Magners League debuts – Simon Zebo, Danny Barnes and Declan Cusack – performed at the Sportsground.