MUNSTER HEAD COACH Graham Rowntree has brought Craig Casey back into the province’s number nine shirt for tomorrow’s crucial URC clash with Connacht at Thomond Park [KO 5.15pm, RTÉ].
Conor Murray had a fine tour of South Africa for Munster last month, starting both games at scrum-half as they beat the Bulls and Lions, but Casey has been restored as the starter for this meeting with Connacht.
The only other change to the Munster XV sees centre Alex Nankivell returning to partner Seán O’Brien in midfield as Antoine Frisch drops to the bench.
Munster will use Gavin Coombes off the bench again, the number eight having excelled in that impact role in South Africa, while tighthead prop Oli Jager also remains part of the bench.
Academy loosehead prop Mark Donnelly is among the replacements after Josh Wycherley was ruled out with a facial injury that means he will be unavailable for “a number of weeks,” according to Munster.
Meanwhile, Connacht boss Pete Wilkins has made five changes to the team that beat the Dragons two weekends ago, three of them enforced by injury.
With JJ Hanrahan’s season ended by an ACL injury, out-half Jack Carty returns from his own spell on the sidelines to captain the team against Munster.
Peter Dooley is named at looshead prop after Denis Buckley was ruled out, while Paul Boyle is included in the back row in place of the injured Cian Prendergast.
Oisín Dowling is named in the second row and the other change sees Byron Ralston included on the left wing. Powerful back row Sean Jansen returns among the replacements.
Munster:
15. Simon Zebo
14. Calvin Nash
13. Alex Nankivell
12. Seán O’Brien
11. Shane Daly
10. Jack Crowley
9. Craig Casey
1. Jeremy Loughman
2. Niall Scannell
3. Stephen Archer
4. RG Snyman
5. Tadhg Beirne (captain)
6. Peter O’Mahony
7. Alex Kendellen
8. Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements:
16. Eoghan Clarke
17. Mark Donnelly
18. Oli Jager
19. Tom Ahern
20. Gavin Coombes
21. Conor Murray
22. Joey Carbery
23. Antoine Frisch
Connacht:
15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Shane Jennings
13. Tom Farrell
12. Bundee Aki
11. Byron Ralston
10. Jack Carty (captain)
9. Matthew Devine
1. Peter Dooley
2. Dave Heffernan
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Joe Joyce
5. Oisín Dowling
6. Shamus Hurley-Langton
7. Conor Oliver
8. Paul Boyle
Replacements:
16. Dylan Tierney-Martin
17. Jordan Duggan
18. Jack Aungier
19. Niall Murray
20. Sean Jansen
21. Caolin Blade
22. Cathal Forde
23. Jarrad Butler
Referee: Craig Evans [Wales].
