Escaping injuries Munster's priority

Llanelli v Munster: A real end-of-season, re-arranged, midweek feeling to this one between two weary looking, patched-up sides who appear to be running on empty.

Munster's Celtic League challenge all but evaporated with their defeat to the Ospreys last Friday night and they would only be human if they have one eye on their latest date with destiny in Cardiff on Saturday week.

Accordingly, only six of the side (Anthony Horgan, Mossie Lawlor, Eugene McGovern, Mick O'Driscoll, Stephen Keogh and Denis Leamy) that started against the Ospreys are being wheeled out again three nights later and the temptation must be to wrap them all up in cotton wool. At any rate, escaping from tonight's game without any further injuries (invariably a tall order at this stage of the season in itself) would perhaps constitute Munster's biggest success.

As it is, they already have an extensive injury list. With the likes of Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery and John Kelly already sidelined, the ankle strain which Christian Cullen picked up against the Ospreys would appear to be more problematic than the one suffered by Paul O'Connell in the same match, given the ex-All Blacks' fullback has returned home for a scan whereas O'Connell is still with the squad at their Vale of Glamorgan base.

The likes of John Hayes, David Wallace, Anthony Foley, Ronan O'Gara and Shaun Payne have been rested for tonight's game, effectively leaving only two of the pack which started against Leinster in the Heineken European Cup semi-final in situ for this evening's kick-off.

Mike Mullins and Alan Quinlan continue their recuperation from long-term absences with places on the bench tonight, while Tomás O'Leary, nominally their second choice scrumhalf, has again been pressed into service in the apparently cursed number 13 jersey.

Peter Stringer returns at scrumhalf while the starting XV also includes debutant UCC fullback Denis Hurley and Garryowen hooker Pat Humphreys.

With a timely free weekend coming up (for which they are guaranteed four points) tonight's game at least marks Munster's last outing before their rendezvous with Biarritz in the European Cup final.

However, even in the unlikely event of them picking up maximum bonus point wins tonight and in their final game at home to the Cardiff Blues, they would require Leinster to lose both their remaining games to have any chance, and that's not including Ulster in the equation.

The league, and with it Ireland's number one ranking in next season's European Cup draw, looks beyond their reach.

By contrast, Llanelli lead the Dragons by one point in the chase for Wales' third automatic qualifying place for next season's European Cup - as with Cardiff last season, the fourth-placed Welsh side again looks favourite to progress to a one-off play-off against the third-placed Italian side - and reckon that one more win should suffice.

Sorely missing Simon Easterby and fairly wretched by all accounts in squeezing home with a late try at home to the Borders last Friday, this is their second game in an eight-day period in what is also a hectic schedule for the newly appointed Welsh coach Gareth Jenkins and his assistant Nigel Davies. They name their first Welsh squad tomorrow.

Leading scorer Mike Hercus was injured in the act of setting up a decisive late try for Mark Jones in the 30-26 win over the Borders and so young Craig Evans makes his league debut in a callow looking backline, wit Dwayne Peel moving to the bench.

That said, six of the pack which played against the Borders resume battle and the Scarlets' intent seems pretty clear, according to forwards coach Paul Moriarty.

"The sooner we claim that Heineken Cup qualification the better. We want to get it out of the way now because it's been making us edgy in games, and we've got to play a lot better against Munster."

He reckons Munster will be better than they were when beaten by a physically fired-up Ospreys, but in their current condition, and having conceded 69 points in their two previous visits to Stradey Park, it looks like a severe test of Munster's resolve.

LLANELLI: L Byrne; Garan Evans, R King, Gavin Evans, M Jones; C Evans, C Stuart-Smith; I Thomas, M Rees, C Dunlea, V Cooper (capt), H Louw, I Afeaki, D Jones, A Popham. Replacements: J Davies, A Gravelle, A Jones, P John, J Mills, D Peel, P Mackey.

MUNSTER: D Hurley; A Horgan, T O'Leary, M Lawlor, I Dowling; J Manning, P Stringer; E McGovern, P Humphreys, F Pucciariello; T Hogan, M O'Driscoll; D Leamy, S Keogh, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: D Varley, T Ryan, D O'Callaghan, A Quinlan, M Prendergast, P Burke, M Mullins.

Referee: TBC.

Previous meetings: (03-04) (CL) Munster 12 Llanelli 19 (Thomond Park); Llanelli 37 Munster 20 (Stradey Park). (04-05) Munster 19 Llanelli 13 (Thomond Park); Llanelli 32 Munster 17 (Stradey Park); (CC final) Munster 27 Llanelli 16 (Lansdowne Road); (05-06) Munster 14 Llanelli 13 (Thomond Park).

Leading points scorers: Llanelli - Mike Hercus 87; Munster - Ronan O'Gara 80, Paul Burke 52.

Leading try scorers: Llanelli - Lee Byrne, Mark Jones 6 each; Dafydd James, Regan King 5 each; Munster - Anthony Horgan, John Kelly, Federico Pucciariello 4 each.

Forecast: Llanelli to win.

Ulster centre Paul Steinmetz has been ruled out of action for the rest of the season having sustained an injury to his cheekbone during last Friday's match against the Cardiff Blues at Ravenhill.

Steinmetz saw a specialist yesterday who confirmed that his cheekbone is fractured and he will play no part in Ulster's remaining Celtic Legaue games.