O'Leary has been sidelined with a troublesome lower back injury since the August international against France at the Aviva Stadium and is looking forward to putting his recent injury woes behind him. "Yeh it has been frustrating right enough," he said earlier today.

"I'd hoped to get back playing last weekend but it (injury) flared up again. So, I'm looking forward to tonight's game and hopefully everything will go ok for us."

O'Leary's return couldn't come at a more opportune time for both club and province as Dolphin face up to their great city rivals while Munster resume RaboDirect PRO12 action in a fortnight (v Aironi, Musgrave park, Oct 28th) and are now less than a month off firing the opening salvos in the Heineken Cup. 

Tonight, he'll be facing his Munster team-mates, Ian Nagle, John Ryan and Simon Zebo, and victory for them would see Con stretch their lead over the Musgrave Park outfit.

Munster's non international brigade return from a week off and resume training on Monday in Limerick.

The Munster A side will be in action in Galway this day week (21st) against Connacht A (2pm).