British and Irish Lions

Only 2009 Lions skipper Paul O'Connell is missing from the matchday squad, with all seven other Lions tourists named in the Munster starting XV.

Ronan O'Gara and Tomas O'Leary form a potential Lions halfback partnership, while one of Ian McGeechan's most-talked about selections, Keith Earls, wears Munster's No13 shirt.

In the forwards, Jerry Flannery starts at hooker, Donncha O'Callaghan is at lock and both Alan Quinlan and David Wallace feature in the back row.

The Scarlets themselves include both their 2009 Lions tourists, albeit on the bench.

Both fly-half Stephen Jones, already a Lion in 2005, and hooker Matthew Rees have been named among the replacements for the Welsh region.

Munster's eight players named in McGeechan's Lions party last Tuesday was a record for an Irish province.

Only Leicester Tigers have equaled the feat with eight of their squad named in the much larger 2005 party.

The reigning Heineken Cup winners have just three Magners League games remaining this season and are clear favourites to be crowned Celtic League champions.

Munster currently have a nine-point lead over the Ospreys and Leinster, having played the same number of games as their Irish rivals and one more than Sean Holley's men.

Having become only the ninth Welshman to pick up a Heineken Cup winners medal, Gethin Jenkins is now getting ready for his next challenge - holding on to his British & Irish Lions Test spot.

Lions skipper Sam Warburton says the lessons he and his Welsh colleagues learnt in Australia last summer will stand them in good stead for their return visit with Britain and Ireland's elite next month.

Tom Youngs has enjoyed a remarkable rise to the top of the British & Irish game but he won't be resting on his laurels ahead of his first Lions adventure.