MAGNERS LEAGUE PREVIEW

IT HAS been a week of passing on the baton and letting go. Last night Ulster and Irish outhalf David Humphreys played his final professional game for Ulster and today Munster and Ireland number eight Anthony Foley takes his final professional steps in the Munster shirt.

Fittingly, Foley will captain the side against Glasgow Warriors despite the presence of occasional Irish captain Paul O’Connell in the second row. It was Foley who also led Munster to their greatest triumph two seasons ago when they won the Heineken Cup. But now 34 and facing his 201st competitive game for the province, time has caught up.

“If I started using superlatives about Anthony, he’ll think I’m making them up,” said Declan Kidney during the week. “There’s an honesty that goes through the entire group but generally that stems from the leaders.”

Foley has always been a natural leader and one of the rich vein of players that collectively contribute to the steel-tipped Munster ethic that has broken so many teams in the past. This will be his 76th Magners League match and he leads a side that shows eight changes from the last time out at Stradey Park, one of those positional. Alan Quinlan switches from blind side to open side flanker to accommodate the inclusion of Donnacha Ryan in the back row with Foley.

Hooker Jerry Flannery and scrumhalf, Tomas O’Leary, are not included, having picked up knocks against Llanelli. Both are expected to be available for selection for the Heineken Cup final.

Munster, however, boast a number of players who are sure to be selected for the final against Toulouse. Denis Hurley at fullback and in the centre Rua Tipoki and Lifeimi Mafi take up familiar positions. Ronan O’Gara is at outhalf with Peter Stringer hoping he can impress and regain his place at scrumhalf. There is an international front row with John Hayes included and a back row oozing top flight experience.

Foley has become so much part of the Munster landscape Kidney remarked that going out to play without his number eight against Llanelli last week was like going out feeling that a piece of gear was missing. That now is a feeling the side will have to get used to.

The only change in the Glasgow starting line-up has Andrew Henderson return to inside centre replacing fellow Scotland international, Graeme Morrison, who moves to the bench. At fullback, Bernardo Stortoni lines up again having started every competitive game for Glasgow this season.

MUNSTER: D Hurley; A Horgan, L Mafi, R Tipoki, I Dowling; R O’Gara, P Stringer; F Pucciariello, F Sheahan, J Hayes; M O’Driscoll, P O’Connell; D Ryan, A Quinlan, A Foley (capt) Replacements: T Buckley, M Horan, D O’Callaghan, D Leamy, D Wallace, P Warwick, K Earls.

GLASGOW: B Stortoni; L Fa’atau, M Evans, A Henderson, T Evans; D Parks (capt), C Gregor; J Va’a, D Hall, M Low, O Palepoi, D Turner, K Brown, J Barclay, J Beattie. Replacements: F Thompson, K Tkachuk, A Newman, J Eddie, S Pinder, S Barrow, G Morrison Referee: TBA Verdict: Munster win.