Payne: Cardiff provided ideal dry run

SHOULD Munster enjoy a fruitful pre-Christmas Heineken Cup run against the Ospreys, bouquets will likely be handed to the Thomond Park ground staff for their success in getting the pitch ready for last Saturday’s Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues.

Munster team manager Shaun Payne hailed the staff for a “massive effort” in successfully preparing the ground for what he termed as a “vital pre-Heineken Cup fixture.”

“Saturday’s game was vital for us and for Cardiff; they were in the same situation, maybe not as bad as us in the sense that we had 13 guys coming back from international duty and Paulie (O’Connell) as well, but it was logical to recognise we (both) needed a game before the Heineken Cup.