In at the deep end for O'Neill

Sunday's well right wing John O'Neill makes his competitive debut for Munster in their crucial European Cup quarter-final against Colomiers in France on Sunday.

O'Neill's only provincial representative experience this season was in a development match against Ulster. Coach Declan Kidney's plans have been hampered by injury, depriving him of three first-choice wings in John Kelly, Anthony Horgan and John Lacey. O'Neill is a big, strong player who has trained extensively with the Munster squad this season.

"We will be asking John just to go out and play his own game," admitted Kidney. "I think that's all you can ask a player to do in his first appearance. After that he can try and fit in with those around him."

The injury crux is not exclusive to one wing with Young Munster centre Mick Lynch being asked to play out of position on the left wing. He played there against Ulster in last season's inter-provincials and also played on the wing in the Munster senior cup final.

Better news for the beleaguered squad is that international David Corkery has been passed fit after tearing a shoulder muscle while playing for Ireland A against the South Africans at Ravenhill. He joins Anthony Foley and Eddie Halvey in the back-row. The latter is nursing a back injury but is expected to play.

Shannon club-mate Alan Quinlan must wait until later today to know his fate after Kidney considers medical advice. As a result an extensive list of substitutes has been named.

Kidney has watched several videos of opponents Colomiers. "They are a typical French side, they compete for every scrum and line-out. They are more expansive than Perpignan and have a very fast left wing. Many of their attacking ploys stem from a big, powerful back-row.

"They have French hooker Marc del Maso and underage international David Skrela who plays at full-back in the absence of Jean Luc Sadourny. They won the Shield competition last year without losing a match and have won four out of six games at home this season. They haven't lost at home in Europe.

"But despite all this if we can get ourselves into shape and be as good as we can be then victory will be in our own hands. We are good enough to win, of that I'm sure. There is a great deal to overcome but we have the ability to overcome those obstacles." Munster train again today before flying out to France on Friday.

Meanwhile in the AIB League Division One, St Mary's College have announced an unchanged side from that which beat Young Munster for Saturday's attractive clash with Lansdowne at Templeville Road. They had hoped to have internationals Trevor Brennan and Denis Hickie available but while Brennan, recovering from a series of injuries sustained while with Leinster, may make the replacements' bench, Hickie definitely will not. He is also rated extremely doubtful for the following Saturday's match against Ballymena. Meanwhile the IRFU have confirmed that six matches, three in Division One and the same number in Division Two, which were due to be played on Saturday, have been postponed due to the involvement of Munster and Ulster in the European Cup.

The games affected are Terenure College v Young Munster, Shannon v Garryowen, Cork Constitution v Ballymena, DLSP v Bective Rangers, Ballynahinch v Dungannon and Portadown v UCC.

Munster: B Roche; J O'Neill, K Keane, R Ellison, M Lynch; B Everitt, P Stringer; P Clohessy, M McDermott, J Hayes; M Galwey (capt), M O'Driscoll; D Corkery, A Foley, E Halvey. Replacements (from): D Clohessy, F Sheahan, S Leahy, A Quinlan, D Wallace, C McMahon, T Tierney, A Thompson, B Walsh, Cian Mahony.

St Mary's College: K Nowlan; J McWeeney, P McKenna, R McIlreavy, K McNamee; R Ormond, C McGuinness (capt); J Maher, P Smyth, E Byrne; S Jameson, D Bourke; M Reilly, V Costello, M Cuddihy.

Wanderers: G Halpin; D Finnegan, N Osborne, M Ridge, P Gleeson; E Olazabal, M Mahon (capt); R Cole, B Cantrell, A Roberts; J O'Callaghan, S Sludds; N Culliton, B Baggott, E Delreux.

Sunday's Well: R Daly; C Hayes, M Tassell, W Schubart, C Ronan; I Calder (capt), M Smith; P Fisk, F Whelan, M Whelehan; D Jones, J Nagle; D Coppinger, G Tuohy, J Cutriss.

Skerries: P Beggs; C Lawless, M Petera, G Duff, E Caraher; J Dempsey, C Keane; J Horan, B Mulcahy, J O'Reilly; T Giles, K Dowling; E Darcy, B Higgins, P Butler.