Munster hampered by injuries

MAGNERS LEAGUE:MUNSTER COACH Tony McGahan is facing a potential injury conundrum with regard to the secondrow position ahead of Sunday's crucial Magners League clash with Cardiff at the Cardiff City stadium after Mick O'Driscoll hobbled away from San Sebastian on crutches.

The Cork Constitution lock damaged an ankle during the Heineken Cup semi-final defeat against Biarritz Olympique.

It is understood that Munster captain Paul O’Connell, who has not played since Ireland’s final game of the Six Nations because of groin problems, won’t be available for the game at the weekend. The Irish province was already short of resources in this area after Donnacha Ryan dislocated his shoulder in late February.

The Munster team only return to training this morning in Cork having been given a couple of days off in the aftermath of the Biarritz defeat and coach McGahan will have a better prognosis on O’Driscoll’s fitness following further consultation with the medical staff. Although ostensibly a backrow forward Billy Holland has already played in the secondrow for Munster and may have to do so again.

Wings Ian Dowling and Doug Howlett, both of whom withdrew late from the European game in San Sebastian, are expected to be fit for the Cardiff match, a contest that should decide who takes the final semi-final berth in the Magners League play offs.

Munster are four points ahead of Cardiff in the table and while there are several variations that could see either side make the penultimate stage of the tournament, the Welsh franchise has targeted a bonus-point victory. From a confidence perspective they will have received a tremendous fillip from their Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final win away to Wasps (18-15).

Blues lock Deiniol Jones enthused: “The aim is to qualify for the Magners play offs as well as win the Amlin Challenge Cup. It’s a great situation for us to be in and we are not going to hold back against Munster. The big thing is we keep going.”

Cardiff have won their last six matches in all competitions and are hoping to make it a magnificent seven on Sunday in front of their own supporters.

Coach Dai Young has said that he will not risk any injured players in the Munster match given the club’s dual tournament commitments before adding: “Playing Munster at home for a place in the top four is obviously mouth-watering for all of us.”

Leinster are hoping to secure a home semi-final and top the league aspect of the season – that would give them the right to play the final, should they qualify, in Dublin – against Edinburgh at the RDS on Sunday.

Coach Michael Cheika must decide on the injury fallout from Saturday’s Heineken Cup defeat to Toulouse that saw Shane Jennings and Stan Wright retire injured, while Kevin McLaughlin and Jamie Heaslip also received knocks in a bruising encounter.

Fergus McFadden is expected to be available following a recent knee injury while Jonathan Sexton may be afforded extra-time to recover from a fractured jaw.

Their opponents Edinburgh are in bullish mood for their trip to Dublin despite losing their last three games to Connacht, the Dragons and Ulster. Coach Rob Moffat explained: “It is up to us. We have to go there and get five points. We are certainly capable of scoring four tries. We know how tough a game it will be to play Leinster in Dublin but it’s a challenge that we are all looking forward to.”

Edinburgh are reliant on other results and outside of the requirement to manage a bonus-point victory over Leinster, they must also hope that Cardiff beat Munster but neither side manage a bonus point.