RUGBY/News Round-Up: Injury-hit Munster kick off the domestic season when they play hosts to the English Premiership side Bristol Shoguns at Thomond Park this evening (7.0). Thanks in the main to the Irish squad's training camp in Limerick, Munster's newly-installed coach Alan Gaffney has been denied the services of up to 21 players, obliging him to field a makeshift team for the seasonal opener.
In addition to the 11 players on national duty and the three long-term absentees, David Wallace, Paul O'Connell and Anthony Horgan, another four have short-term injuries, namely Martin Cahill, John O'Neill, Tom Hayes and Killian Keane. Furthermore, new prop Simon Kerr has yet to arrive from Australia, while promising flanker Denis Leany is still suspended and another newly-acquired prop Warren O'Kelly is honeymooning.
"It's all a challenge," commented Gaffney.
Particularly disconcerting have been the long-term injuries to the three front-line players. Horgan may not return until February, and Wallace around January or February, making it unlikely Munster will register either player for the pool stages of the European Cup (the deadline for which is mid-September), much less for the Celtic League. Gaffney is more optimistic about O'Connell, who could return in early December.
For the moment, his front row has been hardest hit, where the absence of all five contracted props has meant deserved recognition for Carlow's Padraig Brennan, who is helping Munster out, and Rob Laffan. Jim Williams will captain the side for the first time, while it is expected that new scrumhalf Dominic Malone will play half a game, as might the prodigal Eddie Halvey.
Gaffney has yet to finalise his three-quarters, where he might start with Mossie Lawlor or Conor Mahony in place of Mike Mullins, a late addition to the Irish squad, or either start Lawlor, Tom Cregan or Kevin O'Riordan on the wing.
"We're treating both our warm-up games (Munster play Connacht on Friday week) as trials," says Gaffney. "It's a chance to get some of our structures in place and with some of our players likely to miss a few Celtic League games it's also a chance for some of the younger players to stake their claims."
Gaffney admitted he didn't "have a clue" of what to expect from Bristol, but with the visitors also having games to come against Connacht tomorrow as well as Leinster on Saturday in Longford, it's likely that they'll be spreading their resources in an experimental basis.
Though not expected to play Augustin Pichot, Felippe Contepomi, Alex Brown or Julian White on this tour, Bristol look in comparatively rude health. They too will have a new captain at number eight, with Scottish international Ross Beattie leading out a team which includes recent England cap Phil Christophers, new centre signing Martin Shaw and a second row of Garath Archer and Andrew Sheridan. Shaw will partner the 19-year-old Tom Luke, who signed from Bath during the summer, and another debutant is England under-21 scrumhalf Paul Hodgson.
Meanwhile, Connacht, bidding to build on the progress of the last two seasons, have made another notable signing with the acquisition of ex-Scottish captain Eric Peters.
The signing of the number eight, capped 29 times by Scotland, comes two weeks after Connacht announced that they had secured the services of former Australian international lock Warwick Waugh.
Connacht coach Steph Nel said that the signing of 33-year old Peters was another significant development for the side: "The average age of our squad is just over 22 and in order to bring on and develop young talent you need experience around them. Peters will provide that and a lot more to Connacht and his signing is a major boost."
Peters has had an illustrious career, winning his first cap against Canada in 1995 before going on play in the World Cup in South Africa. He was made vice-captain of Scotland in the 1998/99 season and the following year captained them against Italy. In between he played a key role as Scotland went on to dramatically win what was the last Five Nations championship. At club level he has played for Bath, Harlequins and, recently, Rotherham.
MUNSTER (possible): D Crotty; J Lacey, M Lawlor, J Holland, T Cregan; J Staunton, M Prendergast; P Brennan, J Blaney, R Laffan, M Galwey, D O'Callaghan, P Malone, J Williams (capt), C McMahon. Replacements (from): C Mahony, K O'Riordan, D Malone, F Roche, J Fogarty, B Buckley, R McKinnie, T Hogan, E Halvey, D Bowles.
BRISTOL: L Best, P Christophers, T Luke, M Shaw, B Daniel; S Drahm, P Hodgson; D Crompton, N McCarthy, E Bergamaschi, A Sheridan, G Archer, C Morgan, R Beattie (capt), M Lipman.
