Munster v Glasgow:This time last year Munster were a week away from fulfilling their Heineken European Cup destiny in Cardiff; tonight the giddy build-up to their European coronation is replaced by a palpable sense of regret when, by their ridiculously high standards, Munster bring a disappointing season to a conclusion against in-form Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park (5.30pm).
It's not all doom and gloom down south. One eye is firmly fixed on the future, with Cork Con fullback Denis Hurley (22) getting the nod ahead of Mossy Lawler and Shaun Payne.
Arguably Hurley's inclusion should have arrived earlier. This season he cut a swathe through the AIB League. With Christian Cullen leaving and Payne's future undecided, Hurley should see more action next season.
Paul O'Connell, fresh from a man-of-the-match performance against Edinburgh last weekend, regrets Munster cannot win the Celtic League after a late run that sees them up to sixth in the table.
This evening they tackle a Warriors side gung-ho about making it five wins from five, including the scalps of Leinster and Ospreys.
"It's a pity that we don't have a say in where the trophy ends up," says O'Connell. "But we've won three in a row now and I think it's really important for us to continue in that vein."
MUNSTER:D Hurley; A Horgan, B Murphy, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; F Pucciariello, F Sheahan, T Buckley; M O'Driscoll, P O'Connell (capt); A Quinlan, D Leamy, A Foley. Replacements: D Fogarty, F Roche, D O'Callaghan, J O'Sullivan, B O'Meara, J Manning, M Lawler.
GLASGOW WARRIORS:F Leonelli; R Lamont, G Morrison, S Barrow, T Evans; D Parks, G Beveridge; J Va'a, S Lawson, M Low; A Newman, A Kellock (capt); S Swindall, D Macfadyen, J Beattie. Replacements: F Thomson, K Tkachuk, J Eddie, J Barclay, A Wilson, C Gregor, H O'Hare
Referee: Hugh Watkins(WRU).
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