O'Gara and Earls marked absent for Munster

MUNSTER WILL be without Ronan O’Gara and Keith Earls for the return of Ulster to Thomond Park this Saturday in the last RaboDirect Pro 12 regular season game.

Both Irish internationals have yet to recover from injuries sustained in the Heineken Cup defeat to Ulster on April 8th. O’Gara sustained a severe dead leg, possibly from Darren Cave’s heavy tackle at the finish, while Earls has a damaged knee.

Along with number eight James Coughlan, the pair will be absent from what is probably Tony McGahan’s last home game as head coach, but unlike Coughlan they will both return for the play-off semi-final.

Ulster’s Pro 12 campaign is over bar a miracle and with the European final coming on May 19th, Brian McLaughlin is expected to field an under-strength starting XV. Johann Muller, Stephen Ferris and Ruan Pienaar are certain to be rested as they all picked up minor knocks against Edinburgh.

This would prove a huge benefit to Munster as they need a victory to guarantee third position in the table and avoid Leinster in Dublin in the semi-final play-off next weekend. Should Glasgow defeat Connacht and Munster lose again to Ulster they will finish fourth and be forced up to the RDS on Saturday, May 12th.

Otherwise, it is off to the Liberty Stadium in Swansea to face the Ospreys on Friday, May 11th.

Ulster are unable to recall the suspended tighthead prop John Afoa, the All Black will be available after this weekend, following a four-week ban for a dangerous tackle on Felix Jones in the aforementioned fixture.

Chris Henry is also still unavailable with his ankle injury, putting the backrower in a race against time to be fit for their meeting with Leinster in Twickenham.

McLaughlin is fully aware that Ulster’s chances of progression are slim: “We have to be honest it’s a long shot now with one game remaining. But we did a great job in Limerick a few weeks ago in the quarter-final and we will approach the game with the same mindset. We have proved Ulster can do a job no matter where we play. We need to get a win and hope that other results are favourable so it’s not ideal.”

Connacht’s game in Glasgow also marks the end of an era for the western province.

“Glasgow are riding high in the league at the moment, their coach is leaving, they’re leaving Firhill and they are also gunning for a top-four position so we know the pressure’s on them,” said Connacht backrow John Muldoon. “And they’ll be coming out all guns blazing but at the same time we’re looking to cause an upset and finish a record eighth, that would be a very good return for us.

“We’re really looking to finish on a high and saying goodbye to some great servants of the club, that goes for everyone, from fellas like Henry (Fa’afili), who has been here for just a year, to the likes of Ray (Ofisa), who’s been here for over six years. We’d like to give them the send-off they deserve, and on top of that wish (outgoing chief executive) Gerry Kelly the best of luck in his retirement as well so we’re really looking to a big performance on Saturday.”