Kelly Set To Win His 50th Heineken Cup Cap

John Kelly will become only the second Munster player to win 50 Heineken Cup caps when he lines out against Harlequins in Thomond Park on Saturday.

John Kelly will become only the second Munster player to win 50 Heineken Cup caps when he lines out against Harlequins in Thomond Park on Saturday.

Kelly, who celebrated his 30th birthday last April, was named at outside centre when Alan Gaffney named the side and the versatile Corkman fights off the challenge of Mike Mullins, the player, in the absence of shaun Payne, most associated with the number 13 jersey.

Kelly probably helped make up Alan Gaffney’s mind with a strong performance last time out against Cardiff Blues, albeit starting on the wing. However when Paul Devlin was introduced for the injured Payne, Kelly switched to 13 in what turned out to be a seamless changeover.

Prior to that he had impressed when coming on as a replacement for James Storey in Glasgow. Co-incidentially it was in a Heineken Cup game that Kelly made his Munster debut back in September 1997.

That was the game against Caridff in Musgrave Park when Munster were beaten 37-32 and he gained his 100th Munster cap against Leinster in Donnybrook almost exactly seven years after making his debut.

In the course of that Heineken Cup career he has amassed 55 points (11 tries) to figure as third highest Munster try scorer (alongside Anthony Horgan)and stands in sixth place in the list of those who have made the most appearances in the Heineken cup since it’s inception in 1995. ends