WITH EUROPE OVER for another season Munster’s focus now fully lasers in on the URC.
Their Champions Cup exploits in La Rochelle and Bordeaux over the last two weekends made for some of the most enjoyable viewing of the season. The La Rochelle win was a Munster epic while in Bordeaux they fought back admirably after a disastrous opening to the game.
The talk from the Munster camp afterwards was that those experiences could help send the province charging into the final leg of the URC – a competition they won just two years ago. Yet nothing is ever that straightforward with Munster and they have a fair bit of work to do to make this final bloc as stress-free as possible.
There’s four games left before the competition heads into the playoff rounds, and Munster are wedged into fifth place with a bit of space around them. They lead Ulster (sixth) by two points, but now trail the fourth-placed Sharks by 10 points after the South African side won in Edinburgh last night.
First up for the province is the Bulls tonight [KO 5.15pm RTÉ 2/Premier Sports 1], before taking on Cardiff (away), Ulster (home) and Benetton (home). Munster are in a relatively healthy position entering the final clutch of regular season games, but it doesn’t take much for the league table to experience significant movement.
Winning against the third-placed Bulls, which looks the toughest assignment of this run of fixtures, would be a major boost.
The Bulls have been strong this season, winning 10 their 14 URC games and interestingly, losing just twice on the road (v Scarlets and the Sharks). The South African side have also won their last four straight games against the provinces.
That record will serve as an additional warning for Munster, who will be braced for an attritional, niggly battle.
While the province have struggled for consistency at times this season their home record is good, with the December defeat to Leinster their only URC loss in Thomond Park. Munster are also looking to continue their impressive record of winning all 11 home games they’ve played against South African opponents in the league.
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Lee Barron is set to debut for Munster off the bench. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
And they’re not holding back for this one, with the four changes from the Bordeaux loss all injury enforced. The injury damage extends to the bench, with hooker Lee Barron set to make his first appearance for the province. Barron and Michael Milne were both due to join from Leinster this summer but were drafted in early this week to help Munster through the final stretch of the campaign.
The return of Diarmuid Kilgallen among the Munster replacements is another positive, having only started twice this season, looking bright on both occasions.
Calvin Nash’s (ankle) aerial ability could be missed, but Sean O’Brien is having an excellent season and can slot in seamlessly for the Ireland international.
Gavin Coombes (ankle) is perhaps a more damaging loss. Coombes’ ball-carrying threat is needed in games like this and Alex Kendellan doesn’t carry the same power at number eight. This is Kendellan’s first start in the Munster 8 shirt in over two years and he needs a big game as his opposite number, Bulls’ Cameron Hanekom, will be eyeing this as a day where he can be at his destructive best. Hanekom, 22, was capped by South Africa last year and has the potential to be a regular in Springbok squads going forward.
Tom Ahern had to make due with a place on the Munster bench in those Champions Cup games but gets his chance from the start in the back row as John Hodnett (toe) drops out. With an Ireland summer tour to Georgia and Portugal on the horizon, Ahern knows a strong finish to the season is vital to keep himself in the international mix.
Cameron Hanekom of the Vodacom Bulls. Steve Haag Sports / Deon van der Merwe/INPHO
Steve Haag Sports / Deon van der Merwe/INPHO / Deon van der Merwe/INPHO
Niall Scannell replaces Diarmuid Barron (shoulder/arm) at hooker as Munster look to shake off their lineout horror show in Bordeaux, where a multitude of errors resulted in them losing nine of their own throws.
The Bulls are a very different type of team to Bordeaux but Munter cannot afford to be so wasteful at the setpiece and sloppy in their handling.
Jack Crowley and Craig Casey will be key in pulling the strings, while Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell offer power and skill in Munster’s midfield.
In the pack, the likes of Tadhg Beirne and Peter O’Mahony need to go to the well again, while Jean Kleyn will hope to have a more prominent influence.
The South African side will be relishing this challenge but if the energy expended over those two demanding weekends in France hasn’t drained too much from what is largely a very settled and familiar Munster team, the home side should have enough to get over the line.
On what will likely be a heavy, wet Thomond Park pitch, they’ll certainly be made work for it.
MUNSTER: Thaakir Abrahams; Seán O’Brien, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen.
Replacements: Lee Barron, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Ruadhán Quinn.
BULLS: Devon Williams, Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Canan Moodie; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Jan-hendrik Wessels, Akker van der Merwe, Wilco Louw; Cobus Wiese, Ruan Nortje (capt); Marcell Coetzee, Jannes Kirsten, Cameron Hanekom.
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Munster will need to dig deep to tame Bulls in Limerick
WITH EUROPE OVER for another season Munster’s focus now fully lasers in on the URC.
Their Champions Cup exploits in La Rochelle and Bordeaux over the last two weekends made for some of the most enjoyable viewing of the season. The La Rochelle win was a Munster epic while in Bordeaux they fought back admirably after a disastrous opening to the game.
The talk from the Munster camp afterwards was that those experiences could help send the province charging into the final leg of the URC – a competition they won just two years ago. Yet nothing is ever that straightforward with Munster and they have a fair bit of work to do to make this final bloc as stress-free as possible.
There’s four games left before the competition heads into the playoff rounds, and Munster are wedged into fifth place with a bit of space around them. They lead Ulster (sixth) by two points, but now trail the fourth-placed Sharks by 10 points after the South African side won in Edinburgh last night.
First up for the province is the Bulls tonight [KO 5.15pm RTÉ 2/Premier Sports 1], before taking on Cardiff (away), Ulster (home) and Benetton (home). Munster are in a relatively healthy position entering the final clutch of regular season games, but it doesn’t take much for the league table to experience significant movement.
Winning against the third-placed Bulls, which looks the toughest assignment of this run of fixtures, would be a major boost.
The Bulls have been strong this season, winning 10 their 14 URC games and interestingly, losing just twice on the road (v Scarlets and the Sharks). The South African side have also won their last four straight games against the provinces.
That record will serve as an additional warning for Munster, who will be braced for an attritional, niggly battle.
While the province have struggled for consistency at times this season their home record is good, with the December defeat to Leinster their only URC loss in Thomond Park. Munster are also looking to continue their impressive record of winning all 11 home games they’ve played against South African opponents in the league.
And they’re not holding back for this one, with the four changes from the Bordeaux loss all injury enforced. The injury damage extends to the bench, with hooker Lee Barron set to make his first appearance for the province. Barron and Michael Milne were both due to join from Leinster this summer but were drafted in early this week to help Munster through the final stretch of the campaign.
The return of Diarmuid Kilgallen among the Munster replacements is another positive, having only started twice this season, looking bright on both occasions.
Calvin Nash’s (ankle) aerial ability could be missed, but Sean O’Brien is having an excellent season and can slot in seamlessly for the Ireland international.
Gavin Coombes (ankle) is perhaps a more damaging loss. Coombes’ ball-carrying threat is needed in games like this and Alex Kendellan doesn’t carry the same power at number eight. This is Kendellan’s first start in the Munster 8 shirt in over two years and he needs a big game as his opposite number, Bulls’ Cameron Hanekom, will be eyeing this as a day where he can be at his destructive best. Hanekom, 22, was capped by South Africa last year and has the potential to be a regular in Springbok squads going forward.
Tom Ahern had to make due with a place on the Munster bench in those Champions Cup games but gets his chance from the start in the back row as John Hodnett (toe) drops out. With an Ireland summer tour to Georgia and Portugal on the horizon, Ahern knows a strong finish to the season is vital to keep himself in the international mix.
Niall Scannell replaces Diarmuid Barron (shoulder/arm) at hooker as Munster look to shake off their lineout horror show in Bordeaux, where a multitude of errors resulted in them losing nine of their own throws.
The Bulls are a very different type of team to Bordeaux but Munter cannot afford to be so wasteful at the setpiece and sloppy in their handling.
Jack Crowley and Craig Casey will be key in pulling the strings, while Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell offer power and skill in Munster’s midfield.
In the pack, the likes of Tadhg Beirne and Peter O’Mahony need to go to the well again, while Jean Kleyn will hope to have a more prominent influence.
The South African side will be relishing this challenge but if the energy expended over those two demanding weekends in France hasn’t drained too much from what is largely a very settled and familiar Munster team, the home side should have enough to get over the line.
On what will likely be a heavy, wet Thomond Park pitch, they’ll certainly be made work for it.
MUNSTER: Thaakir Abrahams; Seán O’Brien, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen.
Replacements: Lee Barron, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Ruadhán Quinn.
BULLS: Devon Williams, Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Canan Moodie; Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier; Jan-hendrik Wessels, Akker van der Merwe, Wilco Louw; Cobus Wiese, Ruan Nortje (capt); Marcell Coetzee, Jannes Kirsten, Cameron Hanekom.
Replacements: Johann Grobbelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, JF van Heerden, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Keagan Johannes, Stravino Jacobs.
Referee: Andrea Piardi [FIR]
Updated to include Sharks result against Edinburgh on Friday night.
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