MAGNERS LEAGUE/Cardiff Blues v Munster: NORMALLY MUNSTER in a do-or-die scenario, especially in the wake of defeat in San Sebastian, can be viewed as a sure thing. But have a perusal of their starting XV. No Paul O'Connell (groin) or Jerry Flannery (hamstring) or John Hayes (rested) so the lineout will have a different complexion for starters. So will the ball carrying yardage and viciousness around the fringes for that matter.
Damien Varley has proved himself well capable of slugging it out at this level and Tony Buckley occasionally causes havoc but the secondrow options are poorly stretched with Billy Holland really just a tall backrower. He is the fifth choice behind O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan (he of the charging runs in his partner’s absence), Mick O’Driscoll and Donnacha Ryan.
Denis Leamy’s season was parked a good while back and Alan Quinlan has defied his 35 years recently but he is held back on the bench. So is James Coughlan with Niall Ronan at openside, Nick Williams blind and David Wallace selected at number eight in a completely revamped backrow.
Munster coach Tony McGahan has taken several gambles in the backline. Fourth place can be secured with a losing bonus point. It should be enough as they have a greater points difference to Cardiff and Edinburgh who are both four points adrift in fifth and sixth.
Keith Earls is gone with a recurrence of his groin problem, Paul Warwick is replaced by Scott Deasy – another player showing serious potential – at fullback, Lifeimi Mafi switches to centre with Tom Gleeson on to the left wing much to the disappointment of Cork Constitution.
Stand-in captain Ronan O’Gara is back with his old scrumhalf partner Peter Stringer. Granted, Tomás O’Leary, like Warwick, has made the bench but it might be one alteration too many.
The risk/reward gamble is helped by Cardiff’s equally stretched resources as they field third-choice scrumhalf, the London Irish-bound Darren Allison, as Richie Rees and Gareth Cooper are out, while they are missing a few props – Scott Andrews comes in for Taufa’ao Filise at tighthead – and Welsh lock Bradley Davies is not deemed fit to start.
Dai Young is clearly saving his best team for the trip to Marseilles to face Toulon in the Amlin Challenge Cup final on May 23rd. “Munster will probably want to come away with something so they can get in the top four and give the Magners title a real challenge,” Young presumed.
Cardiff will feed off that. Factor in their six-game unbeaten run and a stellar backline, making it certain they will attempt to fillet the Munster defence early, get the crowd going and seek to dethrone the current champions.
Leigh Halfpenny took his try brilliantly in the Challenge Cup semi-final defeat of Wasps last week while Jamie Roberts will savour the renewal of last summer’s Lions versus Springboks head-to-head with Jean de Villiers.
McGahan’s hand has been forced in some respects but he must have surveyed the landscape at training this week after the Biarritz war and decided to put some faith in the squad. The bench may yet save them but the Blues are not done yet.
BLUES: B Blair; L Halfpenny, C Laulala, J Roberts, C Czekaj; C Sweeney, D Allinson; G Jenkins, R Thomas, S Andrews; D Jones, P Tito (capt); M Molitika, M Williams, X Rush. Replacements: G Williams, J Yapp, B Davies, S Warburton, L Williams, D Flanagan, D Hewitt.
MUNSTER: S Deasy; D Hurley, L Mafi, J de Villiers, T Gleeson; R O’Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, D Varley, T Buckley; D O’Callaghan, B Holland; N Williams, N Ronan, D Wallace. Replacements: M Sherry, D Ryan, A Quinlan, J Coughlan, T O’Leary, P Warwick, D Barnes.
Referee: Peter Allan (SRU).
Verdict: Cardiff.
Munster have confirmed Worcester and All Black centre Sam Tuitupou will join the province, “subject to the usual medical and fitness examinations”, this summer. They have already signed Irish winger Johne Murphy from Leicester.
Tommy O’Donnell, Dave Ryan and Duncan Williams have moved from development contracts to senior contracts while academy players Ian Nagle, Dave Foley, Stephen Archer, Scott Deasy, Peter O’Mahony and Danny Barnes are promoted to full development contracts. Training contracted player Declan Cusack has been promoted to a full development contract.
