THE Munster team to meet Westerns Samoa at Musgrave Park next Saturday includes only two players who lined out against Toulouse in the European Cup last Saturday. They are full back Pat Murray, who will captain the side, and centre Sean McCahill. Two more in the team came on as replacement against Toulouse, prop Paul McCarthy and second row Len Dinneen.

None of the Munster players in the Ireland team to meet Western Samoa this day week or the A side to meet the Junior Springboks on the same day are available. Ireland manager Pat Whelan has refused to release players from the training sessions for both squads.

In addition, Munster hooker Terry Kingston is ruled out for business reasons and prop Noel Healy is unavailable after damaging an elbow against Toulouse. There are two new caps, hooker Frank Sheehan and flanker Alan Quinlan.

Warren Gatland will finish his tenure in charge of Connacht after the province play Australia tomorrow week. He is to stay on in a coaching capacity with Galwegians, whom he coached and played for before he returned to New Zealand four years ago.

The Newcastle club has relented in the threat not to release the players chosen for Scotland's match against Australia in Murrayfield next Saturday. Nick Popplewell and Ross Nesdale, who are required for Ireland training sessions later this week, could also have been stopped from attending those sessions if Newcastle had persisted with the threat.