Christian Cullen and Mike Mullins have been added to the Munster squad for the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup in keeping with the regulations that allow each of the qaurter finalists to nominate additions to their existing squad for the latter stages of the competition.

Neither were nominated when Munster submitted their Heineken Cup squad back in September, Mullins recovering from an Achilles tendon injury picked up in the pre-season friendly against while Cullen was recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in the Celtic League game against Cardiff Blues at The Arms Park the previous March.

Both players have been back field training for the past number of weeks gradually increasing the amount of contact with Munster manangement voicing their satisfaction with the progress being made.

After seven years, Mullins is scheduled to leave the Munster set up at the end of the season. He returns to his native New Zealand where he takes up the role of coach to NPC side North Otago.