Magners League:Paul O'Connell has been afforded a rest by the Munster management ahead of their final Magners League away fixture against the Cardiff Blues on Sunday. O'Connell sat out training yesterday and a decision to omit him from the team to travel to Wales was taken this morning. Mick O'Driscoll will replace him as captain and secondrow partner to Donncha O'Callaghan.
"It's nothing serious, Paul has a busy summer ahead of him and we felt it just wasn't in his best interests to play this weekend,” team manager Shaun Payne said of the Lions captain. “However we would be confident he will be involved in the final game of the season against Ospreys."
The newly-crowned league champions, who relinquished their claim on the Heineken Cup last weekend after being beaten 25-6 by Leinster, retain 13 of the players that tasted defeat at Croke Park last Saturday in the matchday squad, but there are a number of changes to the starting XV.
Brian Carney starts on the right wing in place of Doug Howlett, with Denis Hurley at fullback instead of Paul Warwick. Keith Earls starts again but moves to inside centre to accommodate Barry Murphy.
Jeremy Manning partners Peter Stringer at halfback, while in the pack Federico Puciarello, Denis Fogarty, Nick Williams and Niall Ronan are included.
Prior to the team announcement, Cardiff coach David Young praised Munster’s league win, saying he expects nothing less than typically abrasive performance Tony McGahan’s side.
"I would like to offer my congratulations to Munster on winning the Magners League,” he said. "The manner in which they won it this season shows that they are a quality outfit and have strength throughout their squad."
"We have seen their quality in the Heineken Cup over recent seasons and it is no surprise to me that they performed so well in the league this year."
"Like ourselves, they have a handful of Lions and were knocked out of the Heineken Cup in the semi-final stage."
"I do not know what kind of team they will be fielding but I am sure that we will have to be at our best to get the win."
Cardiff Blues:L Halfpenny; R Mustoe, J Robinson, J Roberts, C Czekaj; N Robinson, D Allinson; J Yapp, G Williams, G Powell; B Davies, S Morgan; S Warburton, M Williams, A Powell. Replacements: S Hobbs, T Rhys Thomas, D Jones, B White, R Rees, C Sweeney, T James
Munster: D Hurley; B Carney, B Murphy, K Earls, I Dowling; J Manning, P Stringer; F Pucciariello, D Fogarty, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll capt; N Williams, N Ronan, D Leamy. Replacements: M Essex, T Buckley, J Coughlan, D Foley, C Murray, P Warwick, K Lewis.
