Munster’s season has been put back on course to win Pool 4 thanks to an emphatic 5 tries to 1 victory over Castres in an ill-tempered match at Thomond Park. Munster’s pack were the dominant factor scoring four of Munster’s tries thanks to an extremely effective rolling maul.
A magnificent late try from Brian O’Driscoll saw Leinster make it four wins from four in the Heineken Cup having seen off the challenge of a Bourgoin side who this weekend wanted to win.
Ulster coach Mark McCall has announced his side for the match with Stade Francais at Ravenhill tomorrow afternoon. He has recieved some good news with the announcement that David Humphreys will be able to take a full part in tomorrow’s game despite picking up an injury last weekend.
Alan Gaffney has made a number of changes to the Munster side for tomorrow’s match with Castres at Thomond Park. Denis Leamy and Alan Quinlan both start in the back-row with Jim Williams and David Wallace making way.
Leo Cullen who had been an injury worry for Leinster ahead of this Friday’s Heineken Cup clash with Bourgoin has been passed fit and will start in the unchanged XV that destroyed Bourgoin 92-17 last weekend at Landsdowne Road.
Denis Leamy has recovered from the injury that kept him sidelined for Munster’s match with Castres last weekend and has been announced as part of Munster’s squad for next Saturday.
David Humphreys is an injury doubt for Ulster’s Heineken Cup game against Stade Francais on Saturday. Humphreys sustained a foot injury in Ulster’s defeat by Stade in Paris on Saturday and is now in danger of missing the return game at Ravenhill.
Leinster notched an incredible 13 tries in the third biggest win in European history to stay unbeaten in Pool Two. David Holwell helped himself to 29 points, including two tries, while Argentine Felipe Contepomi scored three touchdowns and Shane Horgan two.
Ulster today travelled to France to take on Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup. It was always going to be a hard task to get anything from the fixture, especially given Ulster’s form this season. However Ulster did manage to keep a lid on the Frenchmen for long periods of the game and rising star Tommy Bowe even managed to get a try.
Munster earned a hard fought bonus point in the South of France tonight, losing by 19 points to 12 against Castres. A David Bory try late in the first half turned out to be the difference between the two sides, in what was generally a very tight game.