Munster rest key players

The die has been cast and the demarcation lines have effectively been drawn, rendering this Friday's concluding round of matches in the Guinness Inter-provincial Championship purely academic.

Nothing that happens in the last round, which sees Munster entertain Connacht and Ulster take on Leinster at home, can alter the final pecking order which will be a repeat of last year's final standings. The difference is that this season the gaps between the provinces are even more pronounced.

Munster have already won the title again, while Ulster are assured of second place and with it automatic qualification for next season's European Cup. Even victory at Ravenhill and the bonus point for scoring four tries would not be sufficient for Leinster to bridge the six-point gap between themselves and Ulster.

Thus, with only two places reserved for the Irish provinces in next season's competition, Leinster will require one of this year's three Euro entrants to reach the semi-finals for them to qualify for the European Cup next year.

Meantime, it is now certain that Connacht will finish last in the inter-pros once again, and are resigned to another European Shield campaign next season unless two Irish provinces reach this season's European Cup semi-finals. In the overall picture therefore, this anti-climactic finale to the inter-pros allows the provincial coaches a degree of latitude with regard to resting key players and experimenting in certain positions prior to the start of European competition the following weekend.

Having clinched the title, there is likely to be a celebratory atmosphere during Munster's match with Connacht at Thomond Park, their first match there in two seasons. Not surprisingly, they are using this Friday's game as a chance to shuffle their hand. Cian Mahony, Anthon Horgan, Jason Holland, Brian O'Meara, Marcus Horan, Frankie Sheehan and Donnacha O'Callaghan are called into the starting line-up, in the seven changes made from the starting XV from last weekend, while Mike Mullins is switched to full back.

The back row is still to be finalised due to doubts surrounding David Wallace (shoulder) and Alan Quinlan (dead leg). Against that, David Corkery is hoping to make a return after a second, conflicting medical report on his back spasm curtailed fears that the injury might be more long-term.

Similarly, Jeremy Staunton has recovered from a thigh injury and is included on the bench. "All things being equal we'd like to give him a run at some stage," said manager Brian O'Brien. "We're not taking this game lightly by any means. We are trying to use our 30-man squad to stay successful and to make each position as strong as the next. We'd also like to go through the inter-pros unbeaten."

Indeed, with so many of Munster's reserves straining at the leash, the reshuffle could yet mean bad news for Connacht. They are expected to announce their starting line-up today, and their most pressing concern is at scrum-half where Conor McGuinness's absence is compounded by a doubt over Stephen McIvor.

Ulster hope to announce their team this morning as well, and coach Harry Williams has already ruled out the injured pair of Tyrone Howe and Riaz Fredericks, as well as Dion O'Cuinneagain, whose is being rested because of his on going shoulder injury.

"We've a number of things to take into consideration. We've one eye on Bourgoin, (where Ulster begin their defence of the European Cup) so we're going to give some people a game, but we don't want to get cuffed and go in to Europe on a downer," Williams said.

"Ulster-Leinster games are always very special. It's important for our build-up to our defence of the European Cup."

Reflecting on the inter-pro campaign, Williams conceded: "I'm disappointed that we didn't perform better. Munster took us to bits in both games."

Leinster have Girvan Dempsey back in harness and he seems certain to be picked to play Ulster when the Leinster side is announced this morning.

However the news is not all positive for Leinster. Manager Ken Ging admitted that the chances of Trevor Brennan and Brian O'Driscoll being declared fit are "remote". Ging also confirmed that Leinster will use this opportunity to "experiment in one or two positions, and one or two areas, but we cannot run the risk of going to Ravenhill with an experimental team either".

This is likely to mean that coach Mike Ruddock will experiment at half-back, where Emmet Farrell, Mark McHugh and their recent acquisition of Boland centre cum out-half Daniel Whiston, could all get a run.

This has been another disappointing season for Leinster so far, as Ging admits, though he maintains: "we have an excellent Leinster panel of players on paper, which I still believe is the best in the country, but they just haven't played to their potential yet. But they will do, they will do."

Munster (v Connacht): M Mullins; J Kelly, K Keane (capt), C Mahoney, A Horgan; J Holland, B O'Meara; M Horan, F Sheehan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, J Langford, (back row from - A Foley, D Wallace, A Quinlan, E Halvey and D Corkery. Replacements from - P Clohessy, K Wood, M Galwey, M O'Driscoll, T Tierney, C McMahon, J O'Neill, R O'Gara, J Staunton.