Hanrahan to keep up fight for 10 shirt

The debate rages from day to day, week to week, month to month... Ian Keatley or JJ Hanrahan at out-half for Munster? It puts those of us old enough to remember in mind of the Ollie Campbell-Tony Ward argument back in the 1980s.

Based on the evidence of the latter end of the season and what we have seen so far this campaign, Keatley appears to be the preferred option. And, yet, were it not for Hanrahan’s magnificent individual try at Perpignan after coming into last season’s Heineken Cup game as a replacement, there would have been no quarter-final rout of Toulouse and no semi-final thriller against Toulon.

Keatley looks set for further European action against Sale on Saturday week and Saracens on October 25 as Hanrahan doesn’t make his first start until tomorrow against Scarlets.