Munster coach Declan Kidney has delayed naming a team for Saturday's Heineken European Cup quarter-final with Stade Francais at Stade Jean Bouin until tomorrow at the earliest. Due to Ireland squad training, Munster reconvened for the first time on Tuesday and Kidney felt that he would give those carrying injuries more time to recover.
The exception is Jeremy Staunton, about whom a decision will be taken before the squad departs for Paris at lunch-time today. His ankle swelled after training yesterday and the prognosis isn't good.
There was better news with regard to Peter Stringer (foot) and Anthony Horgan (bruised shoulder) both of whom took a full part in training.
Their opponents, Stade Francais, also postponed naming their team, probably until today, having originally intended to confirm the starting XV at lunch-time yesterday. Christophe Dominici and Patrick Tabacco are definitely out through injury.
Meanwhile, Ismaelia Lassissi's appeal against his one-year ban for biting Peter Clohessy is to be heard by the ERC in Dublin this evening.
Llanelli coach Gareth Jenkins has announced an unchanged team from the side that beat Leicester two weeks ago for Saturday's European Cup quarter-final at Bath. Jenkins has entrusted those same players in the semi-final push, including Irish internationals Guy and Simon Easterby.
Meanwhile, South Africa-born forward Steven Hall will need a crash course in La Marseillais after a shock call-up to the France squad for the Six Nations opener against Italy next week. The Beziers star is the third foreign-born player in Bernard Laporte's squad, alongside Pieter De Villiers (South Africa) and Tony Marsh (New Zealand), and could make his debut for Les Bleus at the Stade de France on February 2nd.
"I am very surprised," Hall said, "because I am South African and because I did not take part in any of France's recent gatherings. I've only known that I was called up for two hours and I have not spoken to Bernard Laporte yet. But I am of course very, happy and my aim will be to win with the French team."
Stade Toulousain's Xavier Garbajosa and Fabien Pelous are back in the squad after recovering from injury. Laporte has also included Castres captain Rafael Ibanez.
In other Six Nations news, Scotland coach Ian McGeechan yesterday described England as one of the top two sides in the world ahead of their clash on Saturday week, but urged his side to rise to the challenge.
The countdown started to the eagerly-awaited Calcutta Cup showdown as McGeechan named his 22-man squad to take on the reigning champions at Murrayfield. His only surprise was to recall veteran Newcastle prop George Graham, especially after choosing not to include him in his final training squad last week.
MUNSTER (squad): J Staunton, D Crotty, M Mullins, J Kelly, A Horgan, R Henderson, J Holland, R O'Gara, D Hegarty, P Stringer, M Prendergast, M Horan, J Hayes, P Clohessy, F Sheahan, J Blaney, M Galwey, P O'Connell, M O'Driscoll, J Williams, D Wallace, A Quinlan, A Foley.
LLANELLI: G Evans; W Proctor, N Boobyer, L Davies, S Finau; S Jones, G Easterby; M Madden, R McBryde, J Davies, V Cooper, C Wyatt, D Hodges, S Easterby, S Quinnell (cap). Replacements: P Booth, M Thomas, L Gross, D Jones, D Peel, G Bowen, M Jones.
SCOTLAND (squad v England): Backs: A Henderson (Glasgow), D Hodge (Edinburgh), B Laney (Edinburgh), J Leslie (Northampton), J McLaren (Glasgow), G Metcalfe (Glasgow), A Nicol (Glasgow), C Paterson (Edinburgh), B Redpath (Sale), G Townsend (Castres).
Forwards: G Bulloch (Glasgow), G Graham (Newcastle), S Grimes (Newcastle), M Leslie (Edinburgh), S Murray (Saracens), J Petrie (Glasgow), B Pountney (Northampton, captain), R Russell (Saracens), T Smith (Northampton), M Stewart (Northampton), S Taylor (Edinburgh), J White (Glasgow).
