In Pics: Munster v Zebre

Munster moved back to the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 with a five-try 36-8 win over Italian side Zebre at Musgrave Park on Saturday night.

View the pictures captured here.

It was a historic night for Donncha O’Callaghan as the second-row forward made a record-breaking 241st appearance for Munster with the Cork man saying afterwards:

“It’s special for my family and I think Munster’s in my DNA. I’ve taken on the values and the attributes that the team brings, I think I’ve brought it into my life a bit more and I’m hugely thankful to tog out with a group of lads that I love and a team that means everything to me.”

Donnacha Ryan made his first start since December and Billy Holland captained the side for the third time this season as two tries apiece from Simon Zebo and Young Munster’s Ger Slattery and a Tommy O’Donnell effort secured the win. The full match report is here.

CJ Stander was man-of-the match and the 23-year-old South African, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, is delighted with how things are going with Munster.

“It’s go time now, I’m enjoying it now. It took me a while to get this [man of the match] ball again.

"It’s nice, I’m settled in now [with] the boys, we’ve all pulled in now to the Munster character and it’s going good now, it’s great to be in the squad.”

Since the win, Dave Kilcoyne and Donnacha Ryan have been named in a 33-man Ireland squad ahead of the crunch clash against England on Saturday in Twickenham.

They join fellow Munster players Paul O'Connell, Peter O'Mahony, Tommy O'Donnell, Conor Murray and Felix Jones, who all retain their places.

On the injury front, Dave O'Callaghan will see a specialist today after injuring his right knee in the first half on Saturday night. Duncan Casey also had to be replaced with a dead leg.

The squad will have a down day today to recover from any bumps and bruises picked up at Musgrave Park with the players returning to their training centres tomorrow to begin preparations for the trip to Ospreys on Sunday.