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| | Thursday, 23 May, 2002, 22:30 GMT 23:30 UK Horgan out for Munster Horgan sustained the injury in training on Thursday Munster winger Anthony Horgan is out of Saturday's Heineken Cup final against Leicester at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Horgan broke two bones in his right hand in a freak training accident on Thursday. The winger, who has also been troubled by a shoulder problems in recent weeks, accidentally clashed with a team-mate and x-rays later revealed the broken bones. Horgan, who will also now be ruled out of Ireland's upcoming tour of New Zealand, seems certain to be replaced by John O'Neill with John Kelly taking the other Munster wing berth. Munster coach Declan Kidney did receive better news about his other injury worries with Anthony Foley and Paul O'Connell both now certain to start the game. Foley had been troubled by a shoulder injury while O'Connell had an ankle injury.
Jim Williams' calf problem has also cleared up while Rob Henderson has overcome a heel injury. Meanwhile, Munster fly-half Ronan O'Gara will push his Lions friendships to one side on Saturday when Leicester back rows Martin Corry and Neil Back come hurtling towards him. Ireland star O'Gara got to know Back, Corry and Leicester skipper Martin Johnson last summer during the Lions tour to Australia. "Leicester have a very strong back row in Neil Back, Josh Kronfeld and Martin Corry," said O'Gara. "They're a professional, streetwise unit, their whole focus is on rugby 24 hours a day and they have gained from the results of that. "Neil's experience is second to none. He's a supreme athlete. "His physical strength and experience in tight situations mark him out as a natural born winner along with Johnno. "Those traits are inherent in them and they always seem to come out on the better side of tight matches and that's a good sign in a person's character.
"I've watched Leicester a lot of times and we're all fully aware of how good a side they really are. "They are the team to beat and we're not conning ourselves thinking anything else. "They're going for back-to-back European titles and that really sums up how good a side they are," added O'Gara. However O'Gara and his Munster team-mates are not just going to turn up to admire their rivals. Having lost the 2000 final against Northampton and been controversially knocked out at the semi-final stage last season, the Irish side fully intend to win at the Millennium Stadium. "I'm expecting a fierce battle but hopefully it will be a good game too". "Hopefully we'll go out there and give it a lash and if that's good enough then brilliant," added O'Gara. | |
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