Well a happy Friday evening to you too.

Not long to go no before Munster get back to the bread and butter of Pro12 league action against competitive new kids, Zebre.

While Jerry Flannery buttons up his coat for another chilly night on the sidelines, you can put the bangers and bottle-rockets down and take a gander at the line-ups for tonight.

Most notably for the hosts, Felix Jones is back in situ at fullback while JJ Hanrahan will make his full debut in the number 12 shirt.

Munster: F Jones; L O’Dea, C Laulala, JJ Hanrahan, S Zebo; I Keatley, D Williams; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, S Archer; Donncha O’Callaghan, D Ryan; Dave O’Callaghan, P O’Mahony, P Butler.

Replacements: D Varley, M Horan, BJ Botha; B Holland, T O’Donnell; C Murray, J Murphy, D Hurley.

Zebre: R Trevisan; D Odiete, G Garcia (c), D Halangahu, M Pratichetti; A Chiesa, L Martinelli; S Perugini, A Manici, L Redolfini; E Caffini, J Sole; F Ferrarini, F Cristiano, A V. Schalkwyk.

Replacements: D Giazzoni, M Aguero, D Ryan, F Cazzola, N Belardo, T Tebaldi, L Orquera, L Sarto.

KICK OFF: Ian Keatley gets us underway and Zebre comfortably claim possession. Just a phase later though, Dave O’Callaghan is penalised on the Zebre 10 metre line.

The Italian side attempt a long-range kick at goal. But it’s come to nothing.

Apologies for the delay, folks. slight technical hitch as our TG4 connection was lost in translation.

Rest assured, though. You’ve missed no scores. it remains 0-0 after 11 minutes.

After a nice fluid attack from the hosts, they are still in enemy territory and scrum on the Zebre 22.  Williams is about to start the move from the base, but his opposite number, Martinelli, appears to block the pass with a boot.

The Parma club engage early on the next set-piece and Munster switch wings to attack on the left.

A white shirt strays offside and Ian Keatley has a chance to open the scoring.

Just outside the 22 line on the left, Keatley hits the ball with a thud, but it flies dead straight, past the right-hand post and wide.

He’ll be disappointed with that.

Let’s get ready to scrummage… again.

Zebre put a decent attack together from their own half and Halangahu makes decent ground through a gap on the left wing. Once he’s tackled, the ball is knocked on at the ruck.

Deary me, Williams isn’t having much luck at the base. He reaches to spin the ball away and number eight Paddy Butler is penalised for obstruction.

We’re still scoreless. (*Looks at watch) as Zebre notch their second wide of the night.

TG4 break the monotony by cutting to Fla for some considered analysis.

“I’m freezing my ass off.” was the legendary hooker’s summation of the game.

PENALTY: Munster 3 – 0 Zebre (Keatley ’25)

Ian Keatley warms the cockles of Jerry’s heart with a clinical 35 metre penalty after Cittadini is spotted (how could you miss him) lifting the ball from a ruck while he was laid almost flat on the turf.

After a little spell of Italian possession fails to make an inroad,  Munster look to have a chance to get the ball wide as the white shirts funnell into a very narrow formation.

The move breaks down and the referee is off for a chat with his touch judge. we can’t see what happened, but the net result is a bit of  ’calm down, calm down.’

The referee, incidentally, is Neil Hennessy. It’s two weeks on since he had to deal with this despicable incident in France.

Another break in play means Flannery is on the microphone again. He hopes “the injection of handbags” will bring some urgency to Munster’s game. Though through his chattering teeth, it’s hard to make out too much more.

Get that man a hot cocoa at half time. We’re five minutes away from that whistle.

Fla, the gift that keeps on giving.

©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

PENALTY: Munster 3 – 3 Zebre (Halangahu ’38)

The centre lands an excellent kick from distance after Munster are called for not rolling away.

HALF TIME: Munster 3 – 3 Zebre

So, the second half is off and running with Munster hoping for another second half display to make up for a slow start.

TRY: Munster 10 – 3 Zebre (Hanrahan ‘ 45)

And Keatley adds the conversion from the right wing.

This, ladies and gents, is the ‘new’ Munster. A slick move from right to left, takes the ball to Donncha O’Callaghan on the left touchline. The big second row mowed through the outside centre in his way, and the home side quickly recycled the ball back towards the right wing again.

There. JJ Hanrahan, on his full debut, stepped inside his opposite number and slid over the line before Martinelli could get a meaningful tackle.

TRY: Munster 17 – 3 Zebre (Jones ’55)

Simply sublime from Feliz Jones. The fullback returning from injury took a pass with the attack drifting to the right wing. Jones stepped back inside, and spotted a gap through six defenders.

Not a hand touched him before he planted the ball under the posts.

Penney is eyeing the bench for some extra impetus. Varley on for Sherry, Horan for Kilcoyne, Murray for Williams.

The red shirts are ominously making yards with every carry now, hitting passes are snappy and the backs are coming onto the ball at searing pace.

63 minutes: Another couple of changes. Tommy O’Donnell is on for Paddy Butler and Johne Murphy replaces Simon Zebo.

Can Munster still take the two tries they need?

TRY: Munster 24 – 3 Zebre (Hanrahan ’66)

Young JJ is to the manor born. Munster move the ball left and Keatley slips a grubber down the tram-line. It sits up nicely for Hanrahan to grab his second try of the night.

It’s all Munster now. scrum on their own 10 metre line is instantly stopped for Aguero boring in at an illegal angle. Keatley (did I mention he nailed another tough conversion) brings play up to the 22 with a penalty.

Disappointing stuff, from the red pack. They turn the ball over at the breakdown and Zebre run the ball 20 metres clear before they knock on on their 10 metre line.

It’s all boiling over again. Luke O’Dea chips the ball down the wing, but it’s caught by Pratichetti who is promptly heaved off the field by Jones and O’Dea.

Pratichetti didn’t enjoy it too much though and shove Jones away. O’Mahony is first on the scene and drags the Italian wing away with white shirts in chase towards the baying Limerick crowd.

Marvellous stuff.

TRY: Munster 29 – 3 Zebre (O’Dea ‘ 75)

It’s another excellently worked try from  Munster. Murray in command at a central ruck in the zebre 22, he spins to his right and Casey Laulala experty fixes two ro three defenders, biding his time before feeding a pass on to O’Dea on the gallop to the corner.

This time, Keatley misses the conversion. His second missed place kick tonight.

FULL TIME: Munster 29 – 3 Zebre

There it is, the sharp shrill peeeppp of the referees whistle that lets poor Fla get inside to his hot water bottle.

For the second week in a row, Munster make hard work of limited opposition for  40 minutes before cutting loose in the second half.

There was no mauling here though, each try came about from some beautiful back play.