WE CAN STING WASPS

Bullish van Graan backs his players to spring a surprise

- MICHAEL SCULLY

MUNSTER boss Johann van Graan believes his patched-up Reds can win at Wasps as the pressure is all on their opponents.

The head coach admits the focus is off rugby for those senior players in quarantine after returning from South Africa - even for those who have remained Covid negative - as they run 2ks and 5ks in their rooms.

Instead, he will depend on the seven internationals preparing for the game at UL - led by skipper Peter O'Mahony (inset) - and on the group of young players brought into the European panel on Tuesday.

Van Graan guarantees that there will be debutants.

“I trained with a guy who was born in 2004 the other day, Keith Earls could have been his father we reckoned" joked O'Mahony. “There are guys just out of school but to see some of the talent that's come on is incredible.”

Van Graan himself might not even be at the game, with academy coach lan Costello trusted as the Reds' man on the ground on matchday.