MAGNERS LEAGUE NEWS:HE MAY have played all but 12 minutes of Ireland's recent Six Nations campaign, but Paul O'Connell is unlikely to be given a rest tomorrow night when Munster resume Magners League action away to Cardiff.

Not that he’d want it. The Limerick man has played just four games for his province in the last 12 months, and according to Munster coach Tony McGahan, is in no great need of another time-out.

“He’s probably missed enough for the rest of his career with regards to getting time off,” jested the Australian after yesterday’s training session, during which Ronan O’Gara, Denis Leamy, Peter Stringer and the rest of Munster’s Ireland brigade were also put through their paces.

With regards to David Wallace, Keith Earls and Donncha O’Callaghan, who each started five games apiece for Ireland, their reintroduction to provincial ranks will be assessed individually.

O’Connell, however, seems certain to feature in the match-day 22 for the trip to the Welsh capital, with the overall objective of accumulating game time still a priority.

Asked whether all parties concerned stood to benefit from selecting O’Connell as often as possible for the rest of the season, McGahan responded: “I’m only interested in my interest and in the team’s interest, and that means playing him.”

O’Connell is unsurprisingly keen to string together a third weekend of action. “I’ve had enough of watching the games at home on TV,” said the former Lions captain. “I just want to be involved now in whatever games I can.”

McGahan gave no further indications of his starting XV, though Felix Jones seems certain to start at fullback, having made a successful return from injury in last week’s A match against the Ulster Ravens. Backrowers Peter O’Mahony and Niall Ronan also made their comebacks in that match and are included in a 29-man squad which will be whittled down to 22 at lunchtime today.

“We’re at our strongest point with regard to injuries since the beginning of the season,” said McGahan, despite the continued absence of Jerry Flannery (calf) and Ian Dowling (hip). “We’re in week 39 of the season, and in most of those weeks there has been some sort of compromise with regards to the programme,” he added. “From here on in, things are really under our control with regards to players, and we’ve been lucky enough to get a few injured players back in the last couple of weeks which gives us the full complement to pick from.”

McGahan also pointed out Tony Buckley and Paul Warwick will remain in contention for starting roles for the rest of the campaign, despite their respective decisions to change clubs thereafter.

Munster’s new signing, BJ Botha, was in Limerick yesterday where he had a mini-tour of his future surroundings. One person looking forward to the arrival of the former Springbok is fellow country man Wian Du Preez. “I have played one or two matches with him at Super 14 level,” explained Munster’s acting loosehead prop. “BJ is a quality player.”

Du Preez also explained he had spoken to Botha over the telephone prior to his decision to move south from Ulster.

“He asked a few general questions about the set-up, regarding Cork and Limerick, and general questions about the players and the management,” he said. “I think he had a choice between going home to South Africa and staying in Ireland, and he decided to stay. So fair play to him.”

MUNSTER SQUAD(v Cardiff): S Deasy, F Jones, D Howlett, K Earls, S Tuitupou, L Mafi, J Murphy, C Murray, P Stringer, D Cusack, R O'Gara, W Du Preez, T Buckley, M Horan, S Archer, J Hayes, D Varley, M Sherry, D Fogarty, P O'Connell, M O'Driscoll, D Ryan, D O'Callaghan, D Wallace, P O'Mahony, N Ronan, J Coughlan, D Leamy, T O'Donnell.