Team newsMunster coach Alan Gaffney has delayed naming the team to take on the Neath/Swansea Ospreys in their Heineken European Cup clash at the Gnoll on Sunday until later today at the earliest.
The 26-man squad trained yesterday and both Donncha O'Callaghan and Shaun Payne took a full part after missing the province's opening game in the competition. Both have been cleared to play. Gaffney must decide on the composition of a couple of units within the team.
Payne's form has been exemplary and he's likely to win a starting place in the three-quarter line. His versatility is such that he has excelled over the last season and a half no matter where Gaffney has elected to play him, from full back to centre to wing.
The likelihood is he will partner Rob Henderson in the centre with John Kelly switching to the right wing. Mossie Lawlor would step down.
Up front Trevor Hogan has made huge strides in the last 18 months but with O'Callaghan restored to whatever approximates to full fitness for a player whose last appearance for Munster came in April and who has not played a competitive match this season, the Cork Constitution man's qualities should prevail.
In essence it's the back five that'll cause long deliberation with the back row coming down to three from Jim Williams, Anthony Foley, Denis Leamy, Alan Quinlan and David Wallace. Quinlan and Wallace were confined to bench duty the last day.
Narbonne have made six changes to the side that will take a 14-point advantage to the Sportsground tomorrow in their European Challenge Cup first-round second-leg clash against Connacht. They have changed their entire front row with former French international Franck Tournaire not included in the travelling squad.
Captain Jean Marie Bisaro returns to the back row in place of Laurent Baluc Rittner. Behind the scrum Cedric Rosalen, who kicked 10 points last weekend, makes way for Nicola Nadu, while winger Julien Candelon returns to the side in place of Sylvain Barthes. Candelon was a key player in his side's 28-21 victory over Beziers a fortnight ago.
Connacht have come up with a novel way of providing a bit of local colour tomorrow by declaring that all supporters who arrive at the gates wearing a Connacht rugby jersey will get into the game free.
Stade Francais are determined to try to increase the pressure on European Cup rivals Gloucester tonight. Victory for the Parisian club over Cardiff Blues would leave Gloucester facing a must-win Kingsholm clash against Ulster on Saturday. Stade will tighten their grip on Pool Six if they can repeat that feat tonight.
Glasgow face a testing Pool Three encounter in Toulouse, where the home side rest skipper Fabien Pelous to replacement duty and their opponents field Andrew Craig instead of Graeme Morrison at outside centre.
NARBONNE: L Ferrers; F Lartigue, D Douy, J P Viard, J Candelon; N Nadau, J Seron; R Palomera, F Rofes, L Martine, M Sierra, P Short, D Hunter, J M Bisaro, B Bedes. Replacements: M Bigou, L Zanini, M Dehaese, S Barthes, L Baluc Rittener, M Siro, P O Julien.
TONIGHT: EUROPEAN CUP: Pool Two: Bourgoin v Treviso (6.30). Pool Three: Toulouse v Glasgow (7.30). Pool Six: Cardiff Blues v Stade Francais (7.30).
