Provinces get all clear on pitches

ALL FOUR Irish provinces have announced the recent thaw in the weather makes their pitches playable for the weekend. Munster are away to Treviso, Leinster host Brive at the RDS, Ulster welcome Edinburgh to Ravenhill, while Connacht coach Michael Bradley admitted yesterday their season rests on victory over Montpellier at the Sportsground – a surface that has not been playable in 2010.

“It is going to be one of those days on which our season will be judged – we are very conscious of that fact,” said Bradley who steps down after this season.

“This match against Montpellier is a massive one and there are only two points between us and, if they get a win against us, they may well go on and win the group.

“If we get a win on Friday night then we will go on and win the group.”

Only the top placed teams in the Challenge Cup will qualify for the knockout stages.

Gavin Henson is facing a long battle to rescue his rugby union career and is unlikely to play again this season after losing three stone in weight since taking a year out from the Ospreys. The club are due to meet Henson, who has not played for nine months and is on unpaid leave from the region, for the first time since August to discuss his future.

Ospreys players who met Henson last month said he was down to nearly 11st, compared to his playing weight of 14st 7lb, having spent little time in the gym since taking time away from rugby in frustration at a catalogue of injuries that blighted him from 2005.

The Ospreys managing director, Mike Cuddy, would like Henson to return in time for the knockout stage of the Heineken Cup, should the region qualify, but he would face weeks of conditioning work before being able to start playing again at club level.

“Gavin has been out for a long time and he would have to ease his way back in,” said the Ospreys coach, Sean Holley. “Rugby changes so quickly these days that it takes time for a player to get back to near where he was after a prolonged absence.”