Munster have been given a boost ahead of Saturday's Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial final against Leinster, with centre Enya Breen expected to be fit for the trip to Belfast.
Breen picked up a knock in the 32-21 win against this weekend's opponents during the round-robin phase of the championship, and was player of the match in that game for Fiona Hayes’ side.
The Ireland international looks set to be available for Saturday’s final at the Kingspan Stadium (4.15pm), with Hayes having an otherwise fully fit squad for their rematch with the defending champions.
"I think we should be good to go with Enya, so looking forward to having her back in the squad this week," the Munster head coach said.
"On all other fronts I think everyone else is fit and healthy to go. It’s just a case of getting Enya back into that matchday squad hopefully."
Ireland international Dorothy Wall will be available for selection in what will be her final game for the province before completing her move to Premiership Women’s Rugby side Exeter Chiefs.
The Ireland second row (below) missed the opening win of the championship at home to Ulster as she linked up with her new side, but has started the wins over both Leinster and Connacht, with Hayes confirming the Chiefs have made her available to the province for a final game.
"Doro [Wall] is still here, we knew that she wouldn't be around for that first game and we would have her for the three remaining fixtures, so she’s been here all week training," Hayes added.
"It’s a huge season for these players, especially Doro.
"She’s been such a servant to the Munster jersey, against Leinster particularly two weeks ago I thought she was absolutely outstanding in terms of physicality and what she brought to the game.
"It’s her presence, her character about the place, and she lives and breathes Munster. To be able to win an Interpro and send her off in style is something we want to do again."
The province go in search of a record 16th Interpro title this weekend, and third in four years after wins, but they will be out for revenge after a comprehensive 33-14 defeat to Tania Rosser’s side in the final 12 months ago.
Munster were 11-point winners when the sides met in Donnybrook just under two weeks ago, and while Hayes is expecting an improved Leinster this weekend, she believes her own side are better equipped than they were a year ago.
The All-Ireland League winning coach of UL Bohs said. "That win [in Round 2] gave us a slight bit of confidence to the squad as well. We have that going forward.
"We know this Leinster team are absolutely brilliant, they have such athletes, such ball-players and they’ve added a couple of girls to the squad, we see Aoife Wafer coming in and Niamh O’Dowd who are class players.
"Last year going into that final game we didn’t have that win under our belt, and with young players, for them to have that belief and see that they are capable of going toe-to-toe with these players, that win down in Musgrave is definitely something which will give us confidence. Going into every game is completely different.
"Travelling up to Belfast, we know it’s going to be some battle."
Three bonus-point wins from three saw Munster pick up a maximum return from the round-robin stage, although they have looked vulnerable late in games.
In their opener against Ulster, the 15-time champions led 22-5 at half time before surviving an Ulster fightback to win 29-22, while they were 29-5 in front against Connacht in their most recent outing, before conceding three tries without reply to survive 29-24.
However, Hayes insists she isn't concerned by those late drop-offs, pointing to how they closed out their win against Leinster in the middle round.
"I’ve gone a bit grey, but certainly not concerned," she laughed.
"It’s four games, it’s quite a condensed period of time. How we finished the Leinster game in particular was exceptional. We pride ourselves on the 80-minute performance
"What I’ll say about last week having reviewed it a couple of times, where we might have been disappointed in was that game management.
"We weren’t getting the rub of the green off the referee, everything was going against us, and these young players have the ability to be able to turn that around.
"We emptied the bench nice and early as well so there were different combinations. Thye reviewed that, they looked at it, and I feel like they’ve grown because of it.
"They’ve seen at this level, when you get up, if you don’t perform for 80 minutes you can be in big trouble and they know that going into Leinster.
"What we need to look at is their ability as young players, when things are going against them, to be able to manage the game and turn things around to get on top again. That’s something I have complete belief my squad can do."
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