Planet Rugby

A round-up of today's other rugby stories in brief ...

Greenwood plumps for Munster-Cardiff final

FORMER ENGLAND international Will Greenwood has backed Munster and Cardiff Blues to emerge victorious from this weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-finals. The television pundit and tournament ambassador believes that one team stand alone in the final four. “You would have to find some exceptional circumstances in a Heineken Cup knockout game to say a team will beat Munster. No one likes to be boring in their selections but I backed against Munster a few years ago and since then have watched their imperious march in Europe.

“Until someone manages to eye-ball them and say ‘you know what, we’re not going to get beaten today’ then that momentum and that belief that they’ve nurtured by winning together, home and away, will always put them in the box seat.”

And as far tomorrow’s game against Leinster at Croke Park? “It will be an incredible atmosphere, but you feel the team ethos and team ethic that Munster have and their track record in the tournament has to make them favourites.”

Munster Magners champions as Ospreys fail to claim bonus

MUNSTER WERE confirmed as Magners League champions last night after the Ospreys failed to get a bonus point against Gwent Dragons in their 27-18 win at the Liberty Stadium. Even though the Ospreys included all six of their Lions they made heavy weather of the victory against the Dragons.

James Hook scored two tries among his 19 points and Shane Williams also crossed, while former Osprey Shaun Connor kicked all the Dragons’ points from six penalties. A formal trophy presentation will take place at Thomond Park following Munster’s last home game of the season against Ospreys on Friday May 15th.

Kissane joined by panel of experts for analysis of big Croke Park game

TV3 WILL tonight preview tomorrow’s Heineken Cup semi-final clash between Munster and Leinster at Croke Park. Sinéad Kissane and a panel of experts will provide analysis, opinion, debate and argument as to who will come out on top.

Former Ireland international Neil Francis looks at the key issues for both teams, while ex-Munster captain Mick Galwey will try and ascertain where the game will be won and lost. Paul Howard, the man behind the character Ross O’Carroll Kelly, gives a humorous insight to the differences between the fans of both provinces. The preview will be broadcast at 8.0pm.

Murphy aiming to reach his fourth Heineken Cup final

- Munster’s John Hayes, Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer and David Wallace are aiming to reach their fifth Heineken Cup final while another Irishman, Leicester Tigers full back Geordan Murphy, is hoping to reach his fourth.

- Munster will join Toulouse on 101 Heineken Cup games played – and then overtake them if they

reach the final.

- Croke Park will be the fourth Dublin venue at which Leinster have played in the Heineken Cup. Their first home game in the tournament was at Lansdowne Road against Pontypridd in front of a crowd of 4,000 in December, 1995. They won 23-22. They then met Pau at Donnybrook in the pool stages of the 1996/97 competition, again in front of a 4,000 crowd. They won that one 25-23. Their first Heineken Cup tie at the RDS was in October, 2005, a 25-23 lost to Bath.

- 113 players have represented Munster in 100 games.

- 128 players have represented Leinster in 87 games

- 140 players have represented Cardiff Blues in 82 games

- 120 players have represented Leicester Tigers in 89 games

Keane hopeful

IPSWICH TOWN’S new manager Roy Keane is hoping to take in Munster’s battle with Leinster tomorrow in the Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park having first discharged his commitment to the day job. Speaking as an ambassador for the Irish Guidedogs for the Blind at the Shades ’09 launch in Dublin, the Corkman suggested that he would have to fancy Munster (to win) and would then hope to go to the final in Edinburgh.