Young bloods ready as Munster bid to slay Dragons

MUNSTER coach Tony McGahan will give youth its fling in tonight’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).

McGahan has gone for a talented if inexperienced half-back combination of Declan Cusack and Conor Murray, whose progress through the ranks has been with the A team in two successive British and Irish Cup campaigns.

It’s a big call given Paul Warwick is selected in the centre and veteran scrum-half Peter Stringer will have to start sometime tonight off the bench.

On the other hand, McGahan seems determined to bring youngsters through, now that Munster have reached this stage of the season with nine points to spare at the top of the Magners League table.

With an unbeaten home record in the competition, McGahan clearly believes that run can continue but he is taking no chances by naming vastly experienced players on the bench. Against a combative team like Newport, some of them may be needed.

It is Murray’s first start while Cusack got the nod just once before, against Connacht this time last year, but McGahan will hope their productive partnership for Garryowen is replicated for Munster.

They are joined in the team by fellow young guns in 23-year-old Stephen Archer, Ian Nagle (22), Danny Barnes (21, on the bench) and Simon Zebo (20), although youth is complemented by experience from the likes of skipper Mick O’Driscoll, Marcus Horan, Denis Fogarty and Denis Leamy.

On top of that and more, regulars Damien Varley, Wian du Preez, Tony Buckley, Alan Quinlan and Stringer are included in a bench that provides options to coach McGahan should things not go to plan against one of just the three teams to beat Munster in this competition to date.

Meanwhile, the Dragons welcome back row Toby Faletau into the side after an ankle injury robbed him of a place in the Welsh Six Nations squad.

Munster have seen a succession of opposition sides throw down a challenge to them in the scrum, but James Coughlan reckons they have turned the corner and started to impose themselves in that area once again.

Coughlan will play open side flanker tonight and it doesn’t worry him that he might be playing out of position. “I don’t mind what number is on my back, once I’m playing,” he said.

The former Dolphin skipper is looking forward to a return home to Musgrave Park, heaping praise on the ground staff for having the pitch in “perfect condition” and the crowd for letting the players know they know when things are going wrong or right!

“For me, it’s very personal to play on that ground; you can hear your name being called, especially when they’re in the mood for giving a bollocking. They’re a little closer than in other grounds, but giving out or supporting you it doesn’t matter, ultimately you know they’re out to see you win.”

And Coughlan wants Munster to keep on winning to ensure his side finish the campaign with a home semi-final and the possibility of a home draw in the final as well.

But it is one step at a time: Coughlan totally respects tonight’s opponents. “They tend to travel well, they’re not easy to knock off; they’ve got a few people involved with the Welsh side and they’ll probably come over, have a look at our team and feel they are in with a shout. As per usual, the set-piece will be all important.”

MUNSTER: J Murphy, D Howlett, L Mafi, P Warwick, S Zebo, D Cusack, C Murray, M Horan, D Fogarty, S Archer, I Nagle, M O’Driscoll (capt); D Ryan, D Leamy, J Coughlan.

Replacements: D Varley, W du Preez, T Buckley, A Quinlan, T O’Donnell, P Stringer, S Tuitupou, D Barnes.

DRAGONS: W Harries; A Hughes, T Riley, P Leach, M Pewtner; J Tovey, W Evans; H Gustafson, S Jones (capt), B Castle; S Morgan, R Sidoli; A Coombs, T Faletau, J Bearman.

Replacements: L Burns, P Palmer, P Price, A Jones, L Evans, A Smith, J Evans, M Jones.

Picture: Conor Murray: Making his first senior start.