Munster on the up and up

Glasgow v Munster Hughenden, 7.30A week can be a long time in rugby. Coming off a laboured, tryless home win over the Borders, Munster didn't look in the best of nick. So against Ospreys they produced the biggest score, highest win and by some distance most impressive performance of the fledgling campaign.

Now they travel to Glasgow further boosted by the return of Ronan O'Gara and Donncha O'Callaghan to their bench, with Paul O'Connell and John Hayes held back for another week.

So there are no converted backrowers in the backline, with Denis Leamy moving back from centre to number eight. Anthony Foley starts on the bench.

Aside from welcoming back Rob Henderson in midfield, coach Declan Kidney gives two rising sons of Munster, scrumhalf Frank Murphy and winger Barry Murphy, starting roles.

Munster have accounted for Glasgow in all four previous League meetings. They did lose a Celtic Cup quarter-final here two seasons ago during the World Cup, and will remember their Houdiniesque escape here last season when, with 30 seconds in which to regain the lead, they won the restart and in his second game of the season, O'Gara nervelessly landed a decisive drop goal.

Glasgow are missing some big men - Andy Henderson (nose), Donnie Macfadyen (knee), Jon Petrie (shoulder), Ben Prescott (shoulder), Kevin Tkachuk (shoulder) - but despite two defeats thus far, albeit by less than a score to the Dragons and Leinster, Glasgow showed their competitiveness last week.

They make just one change, restoring Calvin Howarth in place of Colin Shaw at fullback.

GLASGOW: C Howarth; R Lamont, A Craig, S Barrow, M Roberts; D Parks (capt), S Pinder; E Murray, S Lawson, L Harrison, T Barker, C Hamilton, S Swindall, A Wilson, P Dearlove. Replacements: F Thomson, S Corsar, D Turner, G Hayter, G Beveridge, G Morrison, G Staniforth.

MUNSTER: S Payne; B Murphy, R Henderson, T Halstead, A Horgan; P Burke, F Murphy; M Horan, F Sheahan (capt), F Pucciariello, T Hogan, M O'Driscoll, A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: T Buckley, J Flannery, D O'Callaghan, A Foley, M Prendergast, R O'Gara, J Kelly.

Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)

Head-to-heads: (03-04) (CC q/f) Glasgow Warriors 18 Munster 14; (CL) Munster 26 Glasgow 10; Glasgow 12 Munster 37. (04-05) (CL) Glasgow Warriors 26 Munster 28; Munster 25 Glasgow Warriors 19.

Forecast: Munster to win.