Looking for a warhorse? In Munster Anthony Foley and Alan Quinlan eminently qualify with honours degrees. Age, campaigns, rank and the list of broken bones all certify pack warriors for the elevated positions in the Munster hierarchy.

Quinlan at 33-years-old may be in greater need this weekend of a match, tumbling from a disappointingly arid World Cup, where he was overlooked for game time, and into a November thumb injury that has kept him away from the red jersey.

A less strong mind could become mired in frustration or resentment but Quinlan's capacity to bounce back with enthusiasm has marked him out as an evergreen shoot, savouring the moments he's had but eagerly looking for more. Before the injury he was the in-form backrow in Munster.

"It certainly was frustrating not to play (World Cup) matches," he says. "I was chomping at the bit to play and it was a welcome relief to come home and get a run of games. I had no axe to grind with anyone after the World Cup, I stayed positive and did the best I could for the squad . . . When I came back to Munster I was just enjoying playing again and I brought out the fitness and strength I worked on over the summer."

Far from being the first time he has come back from injury, Quinlan saw out a career-threatening shoulder injury at the 2003 World Cup. The well-trodden path of returning is now routine but the likelihood is it will be either him or Foley on Declan Kidney's starting team. From the Munster perspective, that's a win-win situation as they face up to a Clermont Auvergne team that has been unbeaten at home this season.

"Axel (Foley) and I have played together for many years and I know, probably better than anyone, his credentials and what he can bring to the party," says Quinlan. "It's immense what he can do, and I have massive respect for the guy . . . it's a measure of the guy that he was out of the team for a while but such is his influence, he slotted straight back in and it didn't surprise any of us.

"I just need to do the best I can and try to get back into the team. It hurts any of us when we're out, especially the guys who have been around longer. I want to play as much as I can for Munster because I enjoy every minute of it, and Axel is the same.

"I've never taken anything for granted, never expected to get back in . . . if I can be involved in any way on Sunday, I'll be delighted."

The team will be announced today. Quinlan's strong form post-World Cup and his ability to get about the pitch to cause havoc, or, Foley's wonderful control from the back of the scrum? A tough call for Kidney. With that he should be pleased.