Munster unchanged for Euro showdown

Alan Gaffney has named an unchanged starting XV for tomorrow's crunch European Cup meeting with Gloucester in Limerick.

Alan Gaffney has named an unchanged starting XV for tomorrow's crunch European Cup meeting with Gloucester in Limerick.

Gaffney, who delayed naming his side as he assessed the fitness of key players, is able to rely on the services of Ronan O'Gara, Jeremy Staunton and Mick O'Driscoll who have recovered from knocks picked up during the defeat in Perpignan last weekend.

Munster need to outscore the Zurich Premiership pacesetters by five tries at Thomond Park to qualify for the quarter-final stage. Anything less will see Munster finishing third in Pool Two and absent from the last eight.

Munster are bidding for their 13th successive European victory in Limerick - an imperious record that could see them through tomorrow at the expense of England's current top club.

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However, victory in itself almost certainly will not be enough and the emphasis must be on tries given that Gloucester and French challengers Perpignan boast superior counts in that department.

"We have beaten every team who have come to Thomond Park in the Heineken Cup. It's a record we are fiercely proud of and will be looking to uphold against Gloucester," said Munster number eight Anthony Foley, who will become the first player to make 50 Heineken Cup appearances this weekend.

"The tournament has given players in Ireland the chance to compete on a bigger stage.

"It's been harder for us to establish our credentials than some of the bigger club names around Europe who were so steeped in history.

"The Heineken Cup has taken club rugby in Europe to another level. We always used to look in envy at the French and English clubs and wondered how we would get on against them.

"It's given us the chance to pitch ourselves against them to show exactly what we can do.

"If you had told us five years ago that winning the Heineken Cup was a realistic goal for Munster then I don't think many of us would have believed you.

"But we have lost out by just one score in two finals in three seasons and it's now the ambition of every rugby player in Munster to one day win the cup."

Munster: J Staunton; J Kelly, M Mullins, J Holland, M Lawlor; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, J Williams capt, A Quinlan, A Foley.