Zebo and Conway get fitness deadline

Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway will be given until tomorrow’s final heavy training session to prove their fitness for next Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulon.

Munster’s backline options have been stretched to breaking point by a series of injuries, the most recent of which saw inside centre Rory Scannell fail a Head Injury Assessment during the second half of last Saturday’s 19-7 PRO14 win over Scarlets at Thomond Park.

Scannell yesterday continued his return-to-play protocols but the province will definitely be without flanker Tommy O’Donnell, who suffered a recurrence of an AC joint injury in his shoulder during the game but with Keith Earls, Jaco Taute, Chris Farrell, Tyler Bleyendaal, and Duncan Williams all ruled out of the Munster backline for the visit of the three-time European champions this weekend, head coach Johann van Graan will be desperately hoping his back-three stars Conway and Zebo can pass fit to face the French all-stars.