Munster play down grudge factor

RUGBY: Grudge matches are a recurring theme with Munster and it's actually the best compliment they can be paid. Such is their reputation teams now feel the need to engage them in wars of attrition.

A couple of seasons back it was Biarritz, then last year the visit of Duncan McRae with Gloucester revived memories of the torrent of punches he landed on a prone Ronan O'Gara during the 2001 Lions tour. On Saturday it was Paul Volley's turn to face the Thomond crowd after sinning in Castres.

In keeping with this theme, Munster versus the Neath-Swansea Ospreys (Mark II) on Saturday too carries a sub-plot. Although, it's at the wrong stadium, Musgrave Park, and in the wrong competition, the Celtic League, it still holds plenty of relevance to both team's seasons.

Of course, there is no love lost between the sides after their scrap at St Helen's in October. Munster won the match 20-18 but nastier events were only resolved in Dublin's ERC offices a couple of weeks later.

In the end, Richard Mustoe received a lengthy ban for stamping but Ospreys' counter-claim that prop Marcus Horan had directed racist comments at Elvis Sevalai'i was dismissed.

Munster coach Alan Gaffney, however, refuses to buy into the grudge business. "These are all isolated incidents," he says. "You saw Volley last weekend and there was no problem. Okay the crowd, but he could be seen congratulating Ronan (O'Gara) after a fine line kick in the second half. It's the same with the (Duncan) McRae incident last year."

"Against the Ospreys it was two isolated incidents. Okay, they went further than we would have liked. The boy involved in the stamping incident (Mustoe) is not there as he is suspended and the racial slur never happened. We don't want to make an issue of it; they can if they want."

One thing's for certain, the line-ups that do battle this Saturday will be different to the ones that go out for the crunch European Cup tie in early January. It may be first against second in the league but the international contingent have been going flat out for six weeks now.

"We have a great desire to win, without a shadow of a doubt, and we want to win the Celtic League this season," continued Gaffney, "but the format of the team may be different as players haven't had a rest for a long, long time so we intend to freshen things up.

"Having said that, we're going to go in with a very strong side."

Leinster are also expected to give several international players a rest for their match in Cardiff on Saturday evening. However, like Munster, a strong squad is expected to travel.

In Ulster, Mark McCall has to plan without winger Scott Young (hamstring) and flanker Neil Best (suspended) for the Friday night visit of Edinburgh. Jonny Bell, who broke his nose against Stade Francais, is a doubt.

Connacht's injury count continues to mount after their French tussle in Montpellier last weekend, leaving Dan McFarland and Conor O'Loughlin out of Friday's trip to Glasgow with shoulder injuries.

Incidentally, Michael Bradley's men will be travelling to France for the first leg of their European Challenge Cup quarter-final clash against Dean Richards' Grenoble early in January, with the return leg the following week.

The dates, times and venues of the two legs are to be finalised this week, but it has been confirmed Connacht will be away for the first leg, at Stade Lesdiguieres on the weekend of January 7th-9th.

Meanwhile, Alessio Galasso, the sole red card recipient from Saturday's Thomond Park encounter between Munster and Castres has been suspended for two weeks.