Munster, who secured their second Magners League title when the Ospreys failed to claim maximum points against the Newport Gwent Dragons last week, will be hoping to extend their winning run in the league to eight games this weekend.
While Munster exited the Heineken Cup after suffering a crushing semi-final defeat to Leinster, the Cardiff Blues missed out on a place in this month’s final in Edinburgh as a result of a kicking competition.
The Blues’ pulsating semi-final clash with Leicester ended 26-26 after extra time and so for the first time in the competition’s history a match was decided by goal-kicks.
Cardiff Blues are also in action this Wednesday night when they faced Welsh rivals the Newport Gwent Dragons in a back match.
Munster are likely to rest several front-line players from the side which crashed out of the Heineken Cup at Croke Park.
While Tony McGahan’s side had yet to be finalised at the time of going to press, it is likely to include the likes of Federico Pucciariello, Denis Fogarty, Tony Buckley, Mick O’Driscoll, Niall Ronan, James Coughlan and Nick Williams in the pack, a half-back partnership of Paul Warwick and Peter Stringer or Mike Prendergast and a back-line which includes Barry Murphy, Lifeimi Mafi, Denis Hurley as well as regular wingers Doug Howlett and Ian Dowling.
The Arms Park clash will be televised live on Setanta Sports.
Munster will be presented with the Magners League trophy on Friday week, May 15 following their final fixture in the competition against the Ospreys at Thomond Park (7.45pm).
Munster coach Tony McGahan said that while their success in regaining the Magners League was a boost from a squad perspective, it provided little solace in the wake of the Leinster defeat: “From a squad perspective winning the Magners League is something from the season.
“The Heineken Cup, for Munster, is everything. We have put a lot of effort into it. We have a very strong tradition and history with the competition. We certainly wanted to get to the Heineken Cup final in Edinburgh, but, alas, we are not there.”
Alan Quinlan
Munster flanker Alan Quinlan is sweating over his place on the Lions tour to South Africa after being cited in the wake of the shattering Heineken Cup semi-final defeat against Leinster at Croke Park - Quinlan is due to appear before an independent disciplinary committee in the coming days as a result of a citing lodged by the Citing Commissioner John Byett for ‘alleged contact with the eye/eye area of Leinster player Leo Cullen, in contravention of Law 10.4 (k).’ The independent disciplinary committee is set to be appointed as ‘soon as practicable.’
Both parties to the hearing, European Rugby Cup Ltd and the player, have the right to appeal the decisions of this committee. Appeals must be lodged within 72 hours of receiving the full written decision from the chairman of the independent disciplinary committee.
Jean De Villiers
Meanwhile the prospect of South African star Jean de Villiers lining out for Munster next season received a boost with the exciting centre confirming his intention to play overseas.
De Villiers, who has been capped 46 times for the Springboks and was SA Rugby’s 2008 player of the year as well as the players’ player of the year, is seen as an ideal replacement for Rua Tipoki who returns back to New Zealand at the end of this season. A number of French clubs are also understood to be interested in signing Stormers captain de Villiers and one is reported to be willing to pay the talented centre a whopping €500,000 a year to sign up.
“My contract expires at the end of the year,” 28-year-old de Villiers told Die Burger, a daily Afrikaans language newspaper.
“I have always had an open mind about playing overseas at some stage. I will do that at some point in the future.”
De Villiers revealed that he would make a decision on his future after the Lions tour of South Africa is completed on July 4.
De Villiers is currently in a race against time to be fit for the series with the Lions.
He picked up a groin injury in his side’s recent Super 14 defeat to the Wellington Hurricanes.
A scan revealed that de Villiers will be out of action for up to six weeks, with the first test against the Lions scheduled for Durban on June 20.
Colm Kinsella
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