Fit again Earls set for Munster return

Munster look set to welcome Keith Earls back from injury for Friday’s RaboDirect Pro12 game at Newport Gwent Dragons with coach Rob Penney also considering a debut for new signing Gerhard van den Heever.

The league leaders go to Rodney Parade for their second visit to south Wales in a week having defeated Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park last Saturday. That game saw Penney begin to re-integrate a number of the players absent during the international window on Ireland duty with Stephen Archer, James Coughlan, Donncha O’Callaghan and Mike Sherry all featuring off the bench in the bonus-point victory.

There will be a further opportunity for those forwards to get valuable game time under the belt this weekend ahead of the back-to-back Heineken Cup pool games with Perpignan on December 8 and 14 but the expected availability of Ireland wing/centre Earls following five weeks on the sidelines with a knee condition is a further boost to Munster’s hopes of qualification from Pool 6.