European Cup News: As expected Shaun Payne and Federico Pucciariello both return to an expanded 27-man squad for Munster's return meeting with the Newport Gwent Dragons at Thomond Park this Saturday.
Coach Declan Kidney rated Payne the likelier of the two to be fit, having resumed training this week, for although Puciariello has recovered from a stomach bug, he twinged a hamstring in training on Monday.
Viewed in that light, the expectation must be that Payne's return at full-back will represent the only change from the starting line-up used in Rodney Parade last Saturday. Unsurprisingly, for all the outside pressure to go one better in this meeting and obtain a bonus point, Kidney was not inclined to be that discourteous towards the Dragons, or put the cart before the horse.
"I think we've done remarkably well in a lot of sections really," maintained the Munster coach despite bemoaning the failure to earn even a bonus point in the opening defeat away to Sale.
"We believe that if we can win the next three games that would give us 21 points and history shows that teams on 21 points get to the quarter finals. Now there's nothing to say that maybe three teams can get 21 points and then try count and various things come into the equation but to date anyone on 21 points has qualified for the quarter-final and that's what we'll be hoping to do."
Again playing down the importance of bonus points in the remaining games against the dragons (home), Castres (away) and Sale (home), Kidney added: "Historically there's only a 50 per cent success rate of winning back-to-back. We then have Castres in the south of France, then we have the team who are probably the bookies' favourites to win the Heineken Cup at the moment in our third game. So when you think of it, getting three wins would be some achievement, let alone bonus points."
Kidney also confirmed that Paul O'Connell has resumed training after the operation on his broken finger and is "in great condition", but needs more sessions and to that end will miss the five-day Ireland training camp in Lanzarote next week for a 25-man home-based squad.
MUNSTER SQUAD (v Newport-Gwent Dragons): Forwards (13) - J Hayes, M Horan, F Roche, F Pucciariello, J Flannery, D Fogarty, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, T Hogan, D Leamy, D Wallace, A Foley, S Keogh. Backs (14) - M Lawlor, S Payne, A Horgan, B Murphy, G Connolly, R Henderson, T Halstead, A Pitout, J Kelly, A Horgan, J Manning, R O'Gara, T O'Leary, P Stringer
