Celtic League/ Llanelli v Munster: Declan Kidney could only shake his head and look at the positive side after Munster's Celtic League match against Llanelli Scarlets was called off on Saturday night.

Scottish referee Rob Dickson ruled that the saturated Stradey Park couldn't handle a game of rugby and called things off 45 minutes before kick-off. Kidney called it the "right decision", but Scarlets boss Gareth Jenkins labelled it as "absurd".

"It was the right decision to call it off," said Kidney. "The postponement was unfortunate, but it was beyond our control. We won't have had a game for four weeks going into next weekend's Heineken Cup quarter-final.

"We just have to start looking at the positives as we build up to Perpignan. We've trained together after a long break. We travelled away to a game together and did everything but play and at least the players won't wake up with any bumps and bruises on Monday.

"The players had worked really well throughout the week after coming together again as a group after almost eight weeks.

"We did everything except play the game, so at least we've gone through the process together as a team, preparing for what would have been a big game."

Kidney had been hoping to give injury victims Mike Mullins and Christian Cullen some game-time ahead of the Perpignan clash at Lansdowne Road, but admits he has plenty of contenders for the starting XV next weekend.

"It's going to be a tough selection call this week, especially as everyone looks forward to the big Heineken Cup games," he said. "Denis Leamy wasn't available for us at Llanelli, but we're hoping he will be fit for selection this weekend.

Jenkins, however, called referee Dickson's decision "absurd" and "wrong", insisting that the game should have at least kicked off.

The region have only one more match on their fixture list before they take on London Wasps in the Powergen Cup final next month, and Jenkins also believes the postponement was a "disaster" for Munster's European Cup preparations.

"The match should have been started, it was an absurd decision," he said. "The rain had almost stopped by kick-off time and although it was muddy, the game could easily have got under way. Both sides wanted to play and it is a disaster for Munster with the Heineken Cup next week. The referee got it wrong and it certainly did not look dangerous to me.

"We need rugby, we have only one game now before the Powergen Cup final. Conditions were not bad enough to call the game off before the start and what I would have done is get the game going and see how it went."

Dickson insisted that both parties had agreed with his call. "The players and officials were in full agreement," he said. "I felt it was far too wet and potentially dangerous."

To add to Munster's woes, Perpignan will go into next weekend's Cup match on the back of a stunning 19-16 victory at top-four contenders Bourgoin on Saturday.