Munster able to call on Dowling

European Cup:As Munster coach Declan Kidney had hoped, both Ian Dowling and John Hayes have declared themselves fit and have been named in a 26-strong Munster squad for the weekend's Heineken European Cup clash with Clermont Auvergne at Thomond Park.

Illness forced Dowling to withdraw from the Munster bench on the morning of the game against London Wasps last weekend in Coventry but the Kilkenny man has shaken off that setback and took a full part in training yesterday as did Hayes, who left the field with a blood injury on Saturday and was replaced by Tony Buckley.

In sorting out the blood injury to Hayes, it transpired that the Irish prop was also nursing a neck injury and he did not return to the field. That injury has since cleared up.

Again secondrow Paul O'Connell is not included due to a back problem.

Midleton's Gerry Hurley is named as probable cover for international scrumhalf Peter Stringer as Tomás O'Leary is out of action for three weeks after having contracted pneumonia.

Munster will complete their preparations for Sunday's game with a training run in Cork tomorrow, after which the side to play Clermont Auvergne will be announced.

Connacht, meanwhile, have made four changes to their 22-man squad from last weekend's European Challenge Cup defeat to Brive for their clash against Cetransa El Salvador in the same competition at the Sportsground on Friday (kick-off: 6.30pm).

Ronan Loughney and Daniel Riordan have both overcome injuries and are included in the squad for the first of this season's European matches to take place at the Galway venue. "We have been away a lot since the start of this season and this game will be the first of four successive home matches," said Michael Bradley yesterday. "It will be a key period for us and we want to kick that off with a resounding victory on Friday evening."

Connacht will then meet Ulster and Glasgow Warriors in their next two matches.

"This (Brive) was the second game running where we didn't take our chances. It's something we hope won't be repeated but it was disappointing because we should have put them away," added Bradley. "It would be worse if we weren't creating the chances but it is something we have to address and work from there. The spirit is high in the camp but we need to show it on the scoreboard."

Joe Merrigan and Andrew Browne are also included in Bradley's squad.

MUNSTER(squad v Clermont Auvergne): M Horan, F Pucciariello, J Hayes, T Buckley, J Flannery, F Sheahan, D O'Callaghan, D Ryan, M O'Driscoll, A Quinlan, D Wallace, J Paringatai, A Foley, D Leamy, P Stringer, T O'Leary, R O'Gara, P Warwick, A Horgan, I Dowling, B Carney, R Tipoki, L Mafi, K Lewis, S Payne, D Hurley.

CONNACHT(squad v Cetransa El Salvador): A Browne, T Donnelly, G Duffy, P Durcan, A Farley, A Flavin, R Loughney, K Matthews, M McCarthy, C McPhillips, J Merrigan, R Morris, J Muldoon, J O'Connor, R Ofisa, C O'Loughlin, D Riordan, M Swift, O Treviranus, B Wilkinson, A Wynne, D Yapp.