Celtic League:Munster will travel to Ospreys this weekend without three of their front-line players. Denis Leamy, David Wallace and John Hayes have been left out of the travelling squad as the province reassess the season following last weekend's exit from the Heineken European Cup.

With Munster 14 points behind leaders Leinster in the Magners Celtic League, there seems little likelihood of them punching their way into contention at the top, although with Connacht tailed off near the bottom the third Irish place and qualification for next year's Heineken European Cup - if it is staged - should be theirs.

Coach Declan Kidney has named an extended 29-man squad for the trip to face Ospreys on Saturday and it includes Anthony Horgan, who has been out of the squad since the start of January, and James Coughlan, who was injured in mid February.

Wallace is rested because of a back problem, while Leamy was strapped up after receiving an elbow injury against Llanelli at the weekend.

While Hayes has no reported injury, Munster have been looking at next season, where a fit Hayes may be asked to play 19 matches in a row.

Kidney, however, also includes league convert Brian Carney, who lined out on the wing against Ulster two weeks ago, where Munster surprisingly pulled off a victory with a second string.

Meanwhile, Ulster yesterday confirmed that scrumhalf Isaac Boss has signed a three-year contract to keep him in Belfast until 2010. Boss, who is from New Zealand, signed for Ulster at the beginning of the 2005-06 season after playing his club rugby for both Waikato (NPC) and the Wellington Hurricanes (Super 14). He has won seven caps for Ireland.

Newcastle flanker Mike McCarthy is on his way back to Connacht at the end of the season. Leinster and Munster were also interested in the 25-year-old who played for England under-21s at the 2002 World Cup, but he decided yesterday to return to Connacht in his search for regular first-team action.

MUNSTER SQUAD (v Ospreys):T Buckley, F Pucciariello, M Horan, J Flannery, F Sheahan, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, C Wyatt, D Ryan, S O'Connor, J O'Sullivan, A Foley, J Coughlan, A Quinlan, T O'Leary, B O'Meara, P Stringer, R O'Gara, J Manning, E Hickey, I Dowling, L Mafi, B Murphy, T Halstead, K Earls, A Horgan, B Carney, M Lawlor, C Cullen.