Devlin to face old friends

MUNSTER will face an old friend when they meet Cornish Pirates in the inaugural British & Irish Cup final in Camborne on Sunday (6pm).

Paul Devlin, who played a Heineken Cup match for the Irish province during the 2003/04 campaign, is a member of the Pirates squad and scored a try in their victory early in the B & I Cup campaign against Exeter.

Now 29, Devlin also played Union with Sale Sharks and Albi in the French Championship while also making a name for himself in league at Widnes Vikings. He was also a member of the Irish U21 World Cup team in South Africa in 2002.

Although the Pirates will have home advantage, Munster’s unbeaten record and high level of performance suggests they will not be overawed by the proposition. Indeed, one of the biggest problems facing coach Anthony Foley will be who to include and who to leave out.

Nor will he be able to show his hand until head Munster coach Tony McGahan reveals this afternoon the fringe players he may need for Saturday night’s Magners League final against Leinster at the RDS.

Cornish Pirates finished sixth in the RFU Championship table this season but could not progress through their playoff pool to reach the semi-final stage. Munster remain the only unbeaten side in the competition having won all six of their games in the competition so far. The run has been based on a formidable defensive effort which has seen the Munstermen yield just three tries in 480 minutes playing time but they have also proved a potent attacking force while Declan Cusack’s accurate place kicking has also played a major part in their progress to the decider.

The game will be broadcast live by Sky Sports.