Wood certain he'll be fit to play

Any lingering doubts about Keith Wood's fitness for the European Cup final were laid to rest yesterday when the bald wonder said definitively that he would be facing up to Northampton on Saturday.

"There's absolutely no doubt about that whatsoever," said the Irish captain and Munster hooker, who is recuperating from a torn calf muscle picked up in the semi-final last Saturday week.

The Irish provincial champions are expected to name an unchanged side from a full-strength squad at a press conference in Limerick this afternoon, following a training session in Thomond Park.

Meanwhile, Northampton scrumhalf Matt Dawson will see a second specialist today regarding the shoulder he has twice dislocated in the past month.

Their captain and number eight, Pat Lam, is expected to play, though he won't be 100 per cent. Northampton's main decision should be whether to play Tim Rodber in the second row or strengthen their lineout by bringing Richard Metcalfe in at lock and playing Rodber in the back row. They are unlikely to finalise their starting line-up before Friday.