Celtic League/ Munster v Llanelli: Munster are effectively without 20 of their contracted players for the visit of Llanelli tonight, and that famous winning streak at Thomond Park - now stretching to 20 matches - has rarely looked more vulnerable than against the Welsh standard-bearers.

Then again, it's a measure of their strength-in-depth that Alan Gaffney can still field a strong-looking outfit to defend their unbeaten Celtic League and European record at the Limerick venue.

Not since Alan McGowan kicked Leinster to a 19-15 win in the now-defunct interprovincial championship back in December 1995 have Munster lost at their Limerick citadel. They have had some narrow escapes along the way, with the home crowd playing a sometimes vital part in inspiring them over the winning line, and the likelihood is that they'll need some of that tonight.

Rarely can they have been without so many front-liners, including the 11 members of the World Cup squad currently enjoying warm weather training in Bilbao.

This has been compounded by half a dozen injuries, including the one to Jason Holland, an "enormously resilient" and dependable figure, according to Gaffney, who misses his first game since the seasonal opener against Llanelli last season and only his his fourth in 55 games over the last three years.

With Dominic Crotty also sidelined, moving Jeremy Staunton back to outhalf wasn't an option, and so what began as a joky text message from Killian Keane has ended up with the once-capped utility back coming out of retirement. Hence, despite a noticeably callow bench, they've been able to cobble together a fairly experienced spine, with Eddie Halvey in the second row, Jim Williams at number eight, and a potent southern hemisphere-reared midfield outside of Keane.

Any bursts from David Wallace are sure to be roared to the rafters, while Williams's head-to-head with Scott Quinnell will be an absorbing sub-plot in itself.

In the absence of Llanelli's eight Welsh World Cup squad members, the legendary Welsh number eight is joined by fellow 30-somethings Ian Boobyer and veteran flanker Emyr Lewis in a vintage back row, and it's worth remembering that two typically barnstorming tries by Quinnell last week clinched their win over the Gwent Dragons.

"I'm thoroughly enjoying it," says the retired international. "It's a fantastic environment to be in at Stradey Park. I'm just looking forward to helping Llanelli Scarlets to get some silverware. To think that we are going to Munster in a competitive match is fantastic. It doesn't get much tougher than that but hopefully we can sneak one over them."

Llanelli are the least disrupted by the new Welsh "provincial" system, and having lost a quarter-final here two seasons ago as well as last season's opener, they have every motivation, all the more so as the Celtic League pecking orders determine Welsh (and Scottish) European qualifying and ranking. The IRFU have not dangled that carrot in front of the provinces here.

Until Quinnell's late double whammy, Llanelli had been reliant on Gareth Bowen's boot - he kicked eight out of nine - but Gaffney was impressed enough with what he saw.

"They've got good players across the park. They've a good mauling, pick-and-go pack and some fleet-footed backs. But we've got a proud tradition at Thomond Park and a lot of the guys have never had this chance before."

This match came within two pieces of woodwork (Tim Stimpson's last-ditch semi-final penalty against the Scarlets) from being the Heineken Cup final the season before last.

Once again though, one of the Celtic League's more high-profile clashes has come too early in the campaign and with too many World Cup calls for it to scale those heights, with each side retaining only three of their starting line-ups from the meeting a year ago.

Nevertheless, after last week's initiation, when a plethora of penalties occurred in seemingly every game, most sides should benefit from the element of continuity that is at last beginning to take shape. Gaffney believes it will be "a good attractive match". And, most likely, a very close one.

MUNSTER: J Staunton; S Payne, M Mullins, J Jones-Hughes, M Lawlor; K Keane, E Reddan; S Kerr, J Flannery, M Cahill, T Hogan, E Halvey, D Leamy, J Williams (capt), D Wallace. Replacements: J Danaher, A Long, D Sheahan, S Keogh, F Murphy, M McPhail, C McMahon.

LLANELLI: B Davies; T Selley, M Watkins, L Davies (capt), R Rees; G Bowen, D Burn; D Maddocks, A Gravelle, J Davies, A Jones, C Wyatt, E lewis, S Quinnell, I Boobyer. Replacements: N Williams, R Williams, G Griffiths, V Cooper, D Burn, C Thomas, G Evans.

Referee: Gregg Davies (Scotland).

Forecast: Munster to win.