Kidney faced with selection headache

Munster look like having John Kelly and Barry Murphy back from injury for their Heineken Cup Pool Four game against Cardiff at Thomond Park on Saturday (kick-off: 5.35pm).

They took a full part in the hour-long training session in Limerick yesterday and look set to give coach Declan Kidney a selection headache when the team is finalised tomorrow.

Captain Paul O’Connell didn’t train as a precaution to a tight thigh muscle, but he is expected to be okay, though the chances of Anthony Horgan being available are not so encouraging.

Kelly picked up a hamstring injury in the recent Magners League win over Connacht and missed the 22-12 success in Cardiff on Sunday, while Murphy suffered a shoulder injury early in the same game and also sat out the European action.

Horgan was actually named in the team, but cried off at the 11th hour with an Achilles tendon injury and didn’t train yesterday.

“I’m hopeful Anthony will be able to train tomorrow. That type of injury can settle down just as easily as it can flare up,” said Kidney.

The composition of the three-quarter line will make interesting reading after the outstanding displays of Tomás O’Leary and Ian Dowling on the wings and the less-than-convincing performance of Lifeimi Mafi at outside centre.

“Tomás did a great job for us, especially under the high ball. It was very reassuring to be able to field the high ball and then meet their challenges head on.”

Munster are raging hot favourites to maintain their remarkable 100% record at Thomond Park, though Kidney is expecting another ferocious challenge.

“There is only about a 20-25% success rate in winning these back-to-back matches.”

Munster cut down on their field work yesterday, the players opting to spend more time than usual on studying the video of Sunday’s game.

“What you have to do is see what Cardiff might do to have a go off us. We had to look up where we were short defensively.

“I think the day affected what both we and Cardiff wanted to do.

“We don’t know what the weather will be, but we’ve got to prepare for a good day and then be able to adapt if the weather turns.”

Players experienced great difficulty in holding their feet on the treacherous Arms Park surface, especially the outside backs.

And while great care has been given to keeping Thomond Park in tip, top shape, Kidney isn’t too optimistic.

“Thomond Park has had a lot of matches recently, so I’d imagine the surface will be the same as the Arms Park. I’m not so sure it will be a whole lot better than Cardiff.”

And O’Connell didn’t hesitate in determining the ideal conditions for the championship.

“We want a nice dry day, no wind and be able to use the ball, just like Lansdowne Road and the Millennium Stadium last season.”

In another era Munster would have dismissed such talk, but professionalism has brought a new approach as Kidney explained.

“I think a lot of teams want dry days, because otherwise it nullifies what you’re trying to do in training.

“And yet we don’t care as long as we win. It’s out of our control.”

Cardiff’s one dimensional approach last Sunday, Nick Robinson’s over-use of the Garryowen coming in for some criticism, worked to some effect, according to Kidney.

“I think if you looked at the game after 65 minutes their approach was correct because it was a one-point game and they were putting us under a lot of pressure.

“Alan Quinlan and Tomas took very good balls which helped turn the game.

“Another ball hopped between a couple of players and Denis Leamy managed to catch it and clean it up.

“If it hadn’t gone to Denis’s hands, their winger was coming through and he would have been in under the posts for seven points.

“Cardiff were giving us a torrid time up front and were putting their forwards on the front foot.

“But you’d imagine with the quality of backs they have and if the day is any better they will bring them into the play more on Saturday.”

The forecast is for dry conditions on Saturday.

Munster squad: J Hayes, D Hurley, F Pucciariello, F Roche, T Buckley, A Kyriacou, F Sheahan, P O'Connell (captain), D O’Callaghan, C Wyatt, J O’Sullivan, T McGann, D Wallace, D Leamy, A Quinlan; P Stringer, T O’Leary, B O’Meara, R O’Gara, J Manning, J Kelly, I Dowling, A Horgan, T Halstead, L Mafi, B Murphy, C Cullen, S Payne.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper.