Nine players who were part of the Ireland matchday panel for the Argentina game have been included in the Munster squad for Friday’s Magners League game
David Wallace, who was stretchered off late on against Argentina, trained with the Munster squad on Tuesday and is pressing for game-time with the province.
Also included by Munster coach Tony McGahan are Denis Leamy and Frankie Sheahan, who were both forced out of the Munster v New Zealand game last Tuesday due to injury.
Reflecting on what has been a busy autumn-winter period for Munster, and in particular ‘that’ clash with the All Blacks, team manager Shaun Payne told the Irish Examiner: “The All Blacks game is a great platform to build on, especially for the lads involved. They realise now that there’s another gear there if they need it.
“There is the realisation that they’re able to compete at that level. It just has to be a massive confidence to those fellows involved in that game and I think to the squad as a whole as well and I am very happy that the internationals were there to see the game.
“You’d have to think the performance will be a reminder to the more established players that there is serious competition for places in the team.
“We all know the Irish squad performances weren’t up to their normal high standards and while it was great they got the results they needed, the Munster team coming out of the New Zealand game would be in slightly higher spirits than the lads coming back from the Ireland side. The bar has been set now and we don’t want to drop below that.”
MUNSTER Squad (v Scarlets): Backs (10) – Paul Warwick, Ian Dowling, Doug Howlett, Anthony Horgan, Barry Murphy, Keith Earls, Lifeimi Mafi, Peter Stringer, Tomas O’Leary, Ronan O’Gara.
Forwards (14) – Marcus Horan, Denis Fogarty, Frankie Sheahan, Federico Pucciariello, Tony Buckley, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mick O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell (capt), Donnacha Ryan, Niall Ronan, James Coughlan, David Wallace, Denis Leamy, John O’Sullivan.
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