IT’S ALL CHANGE for Munster as Johann van Graan has made 11 changes to the team that beat Ospreys for Saturday’s Guinness Pro14 trip to play Cardiff Blues [KO 7.35pm, TG4, Eir Sport 1 & Premier Sport 1].
Jack O’Donoghue, Dan Goggin, Calvin Nash and Shane Daly are the only players to keep their place in the team, with O’Donoghue captaining the province for the second time in his career.
There is an all-new front row as Academy prop Keynan Knox is handed a first Pro14 start alongside Jeremy Loughman and Kevin O’Byrne.
Darren O’Shea partners Fineen Wycherley in the second row, with Chris Cloete and Arno Botha lining out beside O’Donoghue in the back row.
Alex Wootton makes a first appearance on the wing since March after recovering from a knee injury, with Nash on the opposite wing and Daly shifted into full-back.
Sammy Arnold is also handed a first start of the season in midfield beside Dan Goggin, while Alby Mathewson and JJ Hanrahan are the starting half-backs.
On the bench, Conor Oliver is set to make his first appearance of the season.
Meanwhile Cardiff have made three changes to the team that lost in Ulster last weekend, with Rey Lee-Lo, Corey Domachowski and Shane Lewis-Hughes all coming in.
Cardiff enter the game on the back of three straight defeats, and sit nine points behind Munster in Conference B.
Munster:
15. Shane Daly
14. Calvin Nash
13. Sammy Arnold
12. Dan Goggin
11. Alex Wootton
10. JJ Hanrahan
9. Alby Mathewson
1. Jeremy Loughman
2. Kevin O’Byrne
3. Keynan Knox
4. Fineen Wycherley
5. Darren O’Shea
6. Jack O’Donoghue (captain)
7. Chris Cloete
8. Arno Botha.
Replacements:
16. Diarmuid Barron
17. Liam O’Connor
18. Stephen Archer
19. Jed Holloway
20. Conor Oliver
21. Nick McCarthy
22. Tyler Bleyendaal
23. Rory Scannell
Cardiff Blues:
15. Matthew Morgan
14. Jason Harries
13. Rey Lee-Lo
12. Garyn Smith
11. Aled Summerhill
10. Jarrod Evans
9. Lloyd Williams (captain)
1. Corey Domachowski
2. Liam Belcher
3. Scott Andrews
4. Josh Turnbull
5. Rory Thornton
6. Shane Lewis-Hughes
7. Olly Robinson
8. Will Boyde
Replacements:
16. Kirby Myhill
17. Brad Thyer
18. Keiron Assiratti
19. Seb Davies
20. Nick Williams
21. Lewis Jones
22. Jason Tovey
23. Willis Halaholo
It’s Rugby World Cup final week! On the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly, Murray Kinsella joins Gavan Casey and Sean Farrell to preview Saturday’s showdown between England and South Africa.
