IT wouldn't be the Heineken Cup knock-out stages without some kind of Munster injury crisis. Paul O'Connell and Shaun Payne, two of the province's most consistent and inspirational performers, are definitely out of Friday night's trip to Stradey Park, while serious doubts remain about John Kelly, Mick O'Driscoll, Barry Murphy, Freddie Pucciariello and the Anthonys, Foley and Horgan. That lengthy list goes some way towards explaining Declan Kidney's decision to rest all of his Irish internationals for Friday's terrific win over Ulster, but that policy may have exacerbated another potential problem, namely rustiness.

The first choice Munster XV, the big boys, haven't played together since they surrendered their Thomond Park Heineken Cup record to Leicester on 20 January.

That's two months since Ronan O'Gara has played alongside Trevor Halstead or Frankie Sheahan has aimed a line-out at Donncha O'Callaghan. Sure, they must know each other's game intimately at this point but a run-out against Ulster would have oiled the machine that little bit more for Llanelli.

As it is, they'll have to play from memory, and a Heineken Cup quarter-final away from home isn't exactly the kind of place you want to try that. The only consolation is that Llanelli are in something of a similar state.

Although most of their internationals played some part in Friday's 35-11 win over the Dragons, the Welsh club play a brand of rugby that thrives on momentum, something they've been denied during the Six Nations.

At the end of January, the Scarlets were the form team in Europe, not only winning all six of their pool games, but doing so pretty stylishly.

In away victories against Toulouse, London Irish and Ulster they scored more than 30 points and had the quarter-finals taken place the weekend after the pool stages finished then you'd have worried for Munster.

As it is, you still worry, but not as much, particularly with Llanelli's Stephen Jones a doubt with a wrist injury. He may have been ineffectual for Wales but the out-half, along with Dwayne Peel inside him, is one of the key components of Llanelli's adventurous offloading game. A decision on Jones's fitness is due on Wednesday and his absence would be greeted with glee inside the Munster camp.

But even if Jones is declared fit, you get the feeling that Munster still have the power and know how upfront to win. You'd imagine that if Mick O'Driscoll doesn't make it, and Anthony Foley does, Alan Quinlan will be shunted into the second-row beside Donncha O'Callaghan, with Leamy switching to six and Wallace at seven. Even if Foley is ruled out, you can see Kidney putting John O'Sullivan in at six because neither the out of form Chris Wyatt or the inexperienced Donncha Ryan appear primed to make a serious mark on such an important game at this point in their careers.

Beyond the second-row issue, Kidney must also decide what way to arrange his backline. If we assume that none of the injured make it back for Friday's game then it's a matter of selecting the same outside backs as against Ulster. That means Brian Carney will start on the right wing and although he did look a little defensively confused in Belfast, we saw enough strong running from the Cork man to suggest he's going to make a success of his new career. If Kelly or Horgan and even Murphy recover in time, you'd imagine they'll start ahead of the convert but you get the feeling he'll let no-one down if he does make the starting line-up.

As for the outcome, whoever finds their groove fastest will win. If we bow to the logic that Munster's forward-orientated game . . . which they'll surely lean on heavily . . . needs a little less accuracy than Llanelli's offloading style of play, then we're backing Kidney's men for the semi-finals.

But only just.

HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINAL
LLANELLI vMUNSTER
Friday, Stradey Park, 7.30 Referee Chris White (Eng) Live, Sky Sports 3, 7.25