McMillan not playing down scale of task facing Munster

It’s a fair indication of the contrast in resources available to Leo Cullen and Clayton McMillan that 21 of the former’s Leinster players were included in the Irish squad named this week for the Autumn internationals, while just four of McMillan’s Munster charges made it in.

It all “starkly illustrated the scale of the task facing Munster against Leinster at Croke Park tomorrow,” writes Gerry Thornley of the URC meeting, Munster further handicapped by the absence of two of that quartet.

One of them is Craig Casey, a hamstring injury ruling him out, thereby denying the game a “mano-a-mano duel” with his fellow scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park. Although, as John O’Sullivan points out, “Gibson-Park versus Casey is nowhere near as divisive for supporters as the argument over who should wear the Irish number 10 jersey”.

Linley MacKenzie, meanwhile, previews Connacht’s game against the Bulls, one that is most likely going to be a bruising battle. Connacht are, though, boosted by the return of their three Lions, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham.

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Donald Trump is having his own bruising battles with Democratic-run cities, to the point where he’s threatening to remove their World Cup-hosting rights. All of which puts his good buddy Gianni Infantino, the fawning Fifa president, in an awkward spot. Johnny Watterson reports.

Back home, Shamrock Rovers can finally wrap up the league title tonight, at the third time of asking, when they take on St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park. Paul Buttner previews the game.

In Gaelic games, Seán Moran hears from former GAA president Nickey Brennan who wants to see a “leaner organisation”, his fear being that its growing payroll risks “challenging” its volunteerism.

And in racing, Brian O’Connor looks ahead to tomorrow’s British Champions Day at Ascot, “the final flourish to Europe’s flat season”. The Champion Stakes itself promises a “tripartite clash of rare quality”, with Delacroix, Ombudsman and Calandagan squaring up.

TV Watch: Shane Lowry leads the way at the DP World India Championship in New Delhi after his opening round of 64, Rory McIlroy five shots back. The second round got under way this morning (Sky Sports Golf, from 7.30am) - there’ll be highlights of the action at 3.30 this afternoon. And at 7.45 this evening, Connacht host the Bulls in the URC (TG4 and Premier Sports 1).