RUGBY/European Cup: Declan Kidney yesterday said he doesn't play the odds. Tongue-in-cheek perhaps from the coach, given Munster's previous Heineken European Cup heroics. Playing the odds and coming out on top has been the province's speciality. Gloucester and Sale come to mind.

Still, Kidney yesterday bemoaned the fact inclement weather deprived Munster of a timely, late run-out in Wales at the weekend, though he treated the disappointment with the same philosophical equanimity he presents on most issues.

"Well, there's nothing you can do about it. You have to play with what's in front of you," he said at the Thomond Park meeting. "It was disappointing but when the decision (not to play) was made on health and safety grounds you can't knock it.

"It's similar to Leinster really; it's a situation that was outside our control."

The postponement of the Llanelli game left the coach with questions hanging. Tomás O'Leary, who was slotted in as an outside centre, didn't get the chance to prove anything. Christian Cullen and Mike Mullins - two returning after long-term injury - would have gained from another run-out before team selection for the European Cup quarter-final against Perpignan in Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

There was a hint of good news though, and judging by the gaggle of journalists surrounded flanker Denis Leamy following a morning run-out, there is high expectation he will line out. Kidney too has Leamy's chances of assuming his place on the blind side as "probably better than 50-50".

"We'll probably finalise the team on Friday. Denis was jogging reasonably well at training today but we'll give him every chance to prove his fitness," said Kidney.

"There's a difference between jogging and being able to take a full part in it so we'll probably do a test at some stage. If the medics tell us to do that on Friday when we get to Dublin then we'll do that. We'd be on the positive side of 50-50."

Besides the doubts about Leamy, the coach must also decide on outside centre, which was Barry Murphy's place until he broke a leg. Kidney's thinking now is that the 13 shirt will go to the so-far-untested O'Leary, Mullins or Rob Henderson.

"We've a lot of good contenders for it (outside centre). Barry's injury was unfortunate but Mike Mullins has come back into training. Rob Henderson, who was injured for a while and hadn't managed to clear a hamstring injury, has also managed to come back into the frame, and Tomás has looked well there to. It's a case of us being a bit spoiled. We'll look today and we'll have another look on Thursday before deciding."

Kidney must also contend with bookmakers putting Munster at an incredibly skinny 5 to 1 on for victory - regardless of the side's extended spell without a competitive game and Perpignan's terrific form in France.

"I'm not sure that they've done their homework too well," said Kidney. "I think they (the odds) are unreasonable. People think that because we've drawn a home semi-final it's a given. I'd like to think that those of us directly involved know an awful lot better.

"Look at the games Perpignan have played over the last five or six weeks - against Biarritz, Toulouse, Clermont and Bourgoin down at Bourgoin, who lost their first league game at home for a long time last Saturday night.

"They will be coming here with a lot of confidence from that and being right up in the top four (in the French League).

"If you look particularly at their defensive record in the European Cup, where they have conceded 51 points in six matches, it's quite a tribute to them. To concede only eight and a half points a game in rugby the way it is now is quite an achievement."

It is a typical Munster run-in to a big game: a simmering team who are both cautious and respectful; players keeping their powder dry for the game and the coach dampening the hype. It has always been their way.

MUNSTER: (25-man squad) M Horan, J Hayes, F Pucciariello, J Flannery, D Fogarty, P O'Connell, D O'Callaghan, T Halstead, T Hogan, M O'Driscoll, D Leamy, J O'Sullivan, D Wallace, S Keogh, A Foley, P Stringer, T O'Leary, R O'Callaghan, J Manning, I Dowling, R Henderson, M Mullins, J Kelly, S Payne, C Cullen.