Magners League champions Munster will give two of their longest-serving stalwarts a final bow when they take on Ospreys in the last game of the season at Thomond Park tomorrow evening (7.45pm). Hooker Frankie Sheahan and wing Anthony Horgan have served the province since 1996 and 1997 respectively, amassing over 300 caps between them, and will be brought off the bench during tomorrow’s inconsequential match against the Welsh side.
The opportunity may not have come had Munster been under pressure going into the final weekend, but Ospreys’ failure to take maximum points from a derby with the Dragons two weeks ago ensured an altogether more relaxed occasion is on the cards.
Horgan will certainly be hoping to add to his 38 career tries on the night Munster are presented with the league trophy.
The night will also mark the final appearances in the jersey for prop Federico Pucciariello, scrumhalf Mike Prendergast and centre/wing Kieran Lewis, though the Italian is the only one included in the starting XV.
Unlike the Ospreys, Munster will not rest all their Lions players ahead of the South Africa Tour, meaning Keith Earls, Ronan O’Gara, captain Paul O’Connell and David Wallace start.
Ospreys, though, have some landmarks of their own and, despite having lost out on the title, will not be backing down, according to coach Sean Holley.
Centre Sonny Parker makes his 100th appearance for Ospreys, while wing David Evans debuts.
"We've rested our Lions for our final fixture, they've served us well this season and with the tour almost upon us, we want to make sure that they represent the Ospreys to the best of their ability this summer,” said Holley today.
"Obviously we'll be going to Munster with regrets that we aren't going there chasing silverware as we'd hoped. They say that it's your away form that wins you leagues, and our away form has been pretty good.
“We've won at Connacht, Glasgow, Ulster and we've had two good derby wins, but unfortunately, we've stumbled at home since the turn of the year, losing at home to Munster and Leinster, and then the late defeat to Edinburgh recently.
“It's these defeats that have proved costly, a win in one of those games and we could have been going to Thomond Park with a chance of doing something this weekend. That's certainly something we have to aim to improve on next season, we have to turn Liberty Stadium into a fortress again.”
Holley is well aware of the significance of the night to Munster and, in particular, their departing players, but expects a physical encounter and some of his fringe players to get stuck in tomorrow in a bid to impress him ahead of next season.
"The boys selected are certainly fired up for the game, they aren't approaching it as an end of season chuck about. There are plenty of players with a point to prove.
“We have players who haven't been selected for Wales who want to show what they are about, some of the team have bad memories of their last visit to Thomond Park, and we have some youngsters and new faces who want to make an impact so it's an exciting prospect.”
Munster: P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara, P Stringer; F Pucciariello, D Fogarty, T Buckley; M O'Driscoll, P O'Connell capt; D Leamy, N Ronan, D Wallace. Replacements: F Sheahan, Dave Ryan, D O'Callaghan, J O'Sullivan, M Prendergast, A Horgan; K Lewis;
Ospreys: G Owen; A Beck, S Parker, J Spratt, D Evans; J Hook, J Nutbrown; P James, R Hibbard, C Griffiths; I Gough, A Lloyd; R Jones (capt); M Holah, F Tiatia. Replacements: S Baldwin, D Jones, C Mitchell, R Kelly, S Tandy, R Wells, D Biggar.
