JACKSON COLUMN: O'Callaghan's legacy continues to grow

Donncha O'Callaghan is the sole survivor of the province's first victorious Celtic League final, a thumping 20-point win over Neath in front of 30,000 at the Millennium Stadium all of twelve years ago.

The rest of the pack which ultimately overwhelmed the Welsh All Blacks have long since hung up their boots - Marcus Horan, Frankie Sheahan, John Hayes, Mick O'Driscoll, Alan Quinlan, Anthony Foley and their captain, the Australian back row forward Jim Williams.

O'Callaghan will turn 36 this month, a fact which will only increase his determination to end the campaign with Munster celebrating their first Guinness PRO12 title since 2011. Over a period when renowned team-mates like Paul O'Connell and Conor Murray have been otherwise engaged in the national interest, Munster have shot back to the top of the table on the strength of four straight wins.

The most evergreen of locks, O'Callaghan made a truncated appearance in Italy against Zebre in early January, then rolled back the years to go the full 80 minutes against Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets.

For good measure, he followed that with a 78-minute stint against the Warriors at Irish Independent Park in his native Cork. By the time he departed, Munster had zipped up a full bag of goodies, the maximum five points enabling them to dislodge the Glaswegians from their perch and go one point clear.

O'Callaghan, of course, has long been assured his place in the Munster pantheon. His longevity is without precedent in a province blessed by players with ability and loyalty in equal measure - Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer, Horan, Hayes, Quinlan and O'Driscoll.

Despite each and everyone having made 200 appearances or more, O'Callaghan towers over them all with 261 and counting. More than 150 of those have been made in the Guinness PRO12 which puts him amongst an elite band to have passed that landmark.

Connacht's John Muldoon leads the way with 185 and still going strong. The back-row forward from Ballinasloe has not missed a PRO12 match all season, a worthy testament to the durability of a player who made his debut eleven seasons ago.

He has overtaken his Connacht team-mate, Michael Swift with Scarlets' prop Phil Booth third on 177. Two Warriors - hooker Dougie Hall (170) and lock Alastair Kellock (168) - are on their heels.

The Warriors are back at Scotstoun on Friday night where they have swept all before them in domestic competition since the Dragons beat them on Clydeside almost 18 months ago. The best team not to have won the title have won all sixteen home matches since then which gives Zebre a rough idea of their task.

They know all about that, having conceded more than half a century of points to the Warriors in Italy only last month. Last Sunday's home win over the Dragons has given the bottom team renewed hope of overtaking Benetton Treviso for the right to represent Italy in next season's European Champions' Cup.

Barring anything sensational, the Warriors will reclaim their place at the top from Munster, if only for barely 24 hours. Of all the play-off contenders, they have been hit hardest by international demands.

No fewer than twelve of their players were on international duty for Scotland against Italy last week, including the entire back division except for Gloucester's Greig Laidlaw at scrum half.

Should Gregor Townsend's elastic squad go one better than last season and finish up winning the GUINNESS PRO12 Final in Belfast at the end of May, they will have overcome the unprecedented handicap of losing three internationals at the same time.

Finn Russell's suspension, Duncan Weir's recovery from surgery and Peter Horne's selection for Scotland in their absence has put a strain on resources to say the least. The Warriors would have been in an even worse pickle had they not managed to extend Connor Braid's loan from London Scottish for the remainder of the campaign.

Leinster were minus eleven of their best players at Swansea last week where Jimmy Gopperth's late penalty earned them a 9-9 draw. The Ospreys, without seven of their Wales contingent, cannot get back to full strength soon enough.

A blazing start brought them 16 tries from the first three fixtures - against Treviso, the Dragons and Edinburgh. The tries have dried up, as illustrated by the fact that the Ospreys have managed only 16 more from their last 13 matches.

Munster at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday offers them another chance to close the gap and climb back into the top four play-off zone. Hawk-Eye will again be present there.

All four Irish provinces are in Wales this weekend, a tasty prelude to Wales-Ireland at the Millennium Stadium next week.

Connacht, on track to qualify for the European Champions' Cup again next season, are first up at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park on Friday night against the Blues who will be reinforced by the return of several players from Wales duty, among them Alex Cuthbert. The Blues responded to the abrupt departure of head coach Mark Hammett with a home win over Edinburgh, their first in the GUINNESS PRO12 since New Year's Day.

On Saturday Leinster are in Llanelli where the Scarlets have not lost in the tournament in 14 matches since the Ospreys edged the most local of derbies 10-6 on Boxing Day 2013. During that time they have dropped points in high-scoring home draws against Ulster (32-32) and Munster (25-25) which partly explains why they are behind Connacht in the duel for Champions' Cup qualification.

Ulster, one point off the top after four straight wins, complete the weekend against the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Sunday. Should they make it five on the bounce and Munster stumble in Swansea, Ulster will be on target for a home semi-final with the mighty incentive of a home Final to follow in the Kingspan Stadium, Belfast.

Top four at the end of the last five regular seasons:

2013-4:
1st Leinster. 2nd Glasgow Warriors. 3rd Munster. 4th Ulster.
Final: Leinster 34, Warriors 12 at the RDS.

2012-3:
1st Ulster. 2nd Leinster. 3rd Glasgow Warriors. 4th Scarlets.
Final: Leinster 24, Ulster 18 at the RDS.

2011-12:
1st Leinster. 2nd Ospreys. 3rd Munster, 4th Glasgow Warriors.
Final: Ospreys 31, Leinster 30 at the RDS.

2010-11:
1st Munster. 2nd Leinster. 3rd Ulster. 4th Ospreys.
Final: Munster 19, Leinster 9 at Thomond Park.

2009-10:
1st Leinster. 2nd Ospreys. 3rd Glasgow Warriors. 4th Munster.
Final: Ospreys 17, Leinster 12 at the RDS.

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