Return of familiar Munster faces a welcome boost

MAGNERS LEAGUE:  WHILE MUNSTER sit in a relatively comfortable second place in the Magners League ahead of this weekend's meeting with top-of-the-table Ospreys, coach Tony McGahan will no doubt travel to Liberty Stadium with an eye on the following week's fifth-round Heineken Cup match at home to Sale Sharks.

To that end, the presence back in an extended 28-man squad of captain Paul O'Connell, backrow Denis Leamy and scrumhalf Tomás O'Leary will come as a welcome boost to the side that sent seismic shocks around the competition when they capitulated 11-37 in the Magners league to a burgeoning Ulster side last week in Thomond Park.

O'Connell had been struggling with a knee injury, while Leamy injured his shoulder during Munster's match against the All Blacks in Thomond Park last November.

Doubtlessly, if they are fit enough to play, McGahan would want to give them all a run out before the European test.

Also included before the squad is trimmed to a match-day 22 are fellow internationals, flanker David Wallace and prop Marcus Horan, along with backs Ian Dowling and Keith Earls, all of whom sat out last weekend's sorry display.

It has been a difficult week in Munster's preparations with the deep freeze that gripped the country yesterday forcing them to abandon their original training venue at a frozen Garryowen FC and travel to the all-weather facility at Ardnacrusha.

On the positive side, the province are still very much in contention in the league despite having lost their last two matches and are just a point adrift of Friday's opponents.

Former fullback and current team manager Shaun Payne is confident the character of the squad will see them recover from their recent lull in form.

"I think there is a huge honesty in this group and a great work ethic and we need to work our way through this.

"I think maybe people didn't give Ulster the credit they deserved for what was an exceptional performance, while games against Connacht have always been close run affairs," said Payne yesterday.

"For the past two seasons, for example, those games have gone our way right at the end and narrowly, while I can remember a few 3-0 wins as well. So we have to recognise the quality of the opposition we've lost to. Having said that we know we didn't produce the type of performance that we expected of ourselves and that's something we must address.

"We need to cut down on the mistakes and just tighten up generally. The game on Friday is going to be a huge test. Ospreys are another quality side, League leaders, extremely difficult to beat at the best of times, particularly at home, so another massive test but one we are looking forward to and ideal preparation for the next fortnight."

Ronan O'Gara, who lasted less than a quarter of the game against Ulster before retiring with a hamstring problem, has been left out of the squad in the hope he will recover for the Sale game. That will probably give Paul Warwick, who replaced him last week, another chance to step up and secure his place as cover in the absence of the Ireland outhalf.

Also missing are Rua Tipoki, who injured his hamstring last week and James Coughlan, who hurt his shoulder. Both are considered long-term injuries and the two are likely to miss the final two games of Munster's Heineken Cup pool phase.

MUNSTER (squad v Ospreys): D Hurley, D Howlett, K Earls, I Dowling, A Horgan, K Lewis, L Mafi, B Murphy, T O'Leary, D Williams, P Stringer, M Prendergast, J Manning, P Warwick, M Horan, F Pucciariello, J Hayes, T Ryan, J Flannery, D Fogarty, P O'Connell, M O'Driscoll, D O'Callaghan, A Quinlan, D Ryan, N Ronan, D Wallace, D Leamy.