In what looks to have been the most difficult choice for coach Declan Kidney, Rob Henderson has been chosen ahead of Mike Mullins at outside centre for Munster's Guinness Inteprovincial Championship meeting with Leinster at Musgrave Park tomorrow.
In Munster's first game since the European Cup quarter-final win over Stade Francais at the end of January, it is a significant selection, as this looks suspiciously like a trial run for their first-choice semi-final line-up which will take on Castres eight days' subsequently.
Peter Clohessy still hasn't been ruled out of the Castres game, though he hasn't trained since suffering burns to his arm and face in a domestic accident and is highly unlikely to be passed fit. He is the only absentee from a full-strength selection. Marcus Horan takes his place while, encouragingly, Peter Stringer, who had been in doubt, has been picked.
Aside from the presence on the bench of Mullins, Alan Quinlan, Jeremy Staunton and Mick O'Driscoll, it is also a measure of Munster's strength in depth that the burgeoning Donnacha O'Callaghan and the versatile Killian Keane and John O'Neill are not in the 22-man squad.
Nevertheless, Kidney will be at pains to stress that the starting line-up and the replacements for the semi-final are by no means a fait accompli. Asked whether it was important for Munster to play well tomorrow evening, he said: "It will be very important to play well if they want to get picked against Castres."
Although the memory of the Celtic League final may well be a factor in the anticipated all-ticket full-house, the Munster players have echoed their Leinster counterparts in playing down any talk of this being a rematch or there being a whiff of vengeance in the air.
"No, not at all," maintained Stringer. "It's a very important match from the point of view of the game next week and it's ideal preparation for the Heineken Cup semi-final."
This clash again appears something of an interpro decider as Munster chase their fourth successive title, and on the face of it Leinster have a good deal less to play for. They'll also be missing Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan, Girvan Dempsey, Victor Costello, Trevor Brennan, Adam Magro and Gavin Hickie. Gordon D'Arcy reverts to full back in a rejigged back three alongside John McWeeney and Peter McKenna.
After an injury-plagued season the big Blackrock centre David Quinlan makes his interpro debut, as does the Lansdowne back row Aidan McCullen. Leinster coach Matt Williams emphasised that Leo Cullen was being rested on the bench, to which he welcomed the return of Liam Toland and Peter Smyth.
Smyth last played for Leinster 15 months ago. He has made a superb recovery from surgery on a brain tumour and a subsequent bout of meningitis.
MUNSTER (v Leinster, Musgrave Park, Friday 7.30): D Crotty; J Kelly, R Henderson, J Holland, A Horgan; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, M Galwey (capt), P O'Connell, J Williams, A Foley, D Wallace. Replacements: M Cahill, J Blaney, M O'Driscoll, A Quinlan, M Prendergast, M Mullins, J Staunton.
LEINSTER: G D'Arcy; J McWeeney, B O'Driscoll, D Quinlan, P McKenna; N Spooner, B O'Meara; R Corrigan (Captain), S Byrne, P Wallace, B Casey, M O'Kelly, A McCullen, E Miller, K Gleeson. Replacements: Peter Smyth, P Coyle, L Cullen, L Toland, B Willis, S Keogh, J Norton.
