paul o'connell MunsterConor Murray will lead the Munster back line when they resume their Magners League campaign with the game against Cardiff Blues at the City Stadium tomorrow evening (7.05pm).

Tony McGahan said, “Conor has been a consistent member of the senior squad in training over the past twelve months because of International call ups and injuries to our half-back position.

“In this time he has gathered valuable training experiences from the more senior players in the squad which allowed him to play off the bench in last Six Nations window and start against the Dragons in our last Magners League game this year.

“He impressed the coaching staff and fellow players with a enthusiastic and mature display in his first professional start and deserves to be in the mix competing with Peter and Duncan for game time with Tomas’s unfortunate bout of injuries.”

All in all, McGahan makes ten changes to the starting XV from the one that played against the Dragons in Musgrave Park three weeks ago, one of those changes forced by Paul Warwick’s return to Australia on family matters.

Munster: F Jones, D Howlett, J Murphy, L Mafi, K Earls, R O’Gara, C Murray, W du Preez, D Varley, T Buckley, P O’Connell capt, M O’Driscoll, J Coughlan, N Ronan, D Leamy. Replacements: M Sherry, M Horan, S Archer, D Ryan, P O’Mahony, P Stringer, S Tuitupou, D Cusack.