BEN HEALY HAS been promoted to the Munster starting team for Friday’s United Rugby Championship clash with the Lions at Musgrave Park [KO 7.35pm, TG4/Premier Sports/URC TV] following his match-winning cameo off the bench against Ulster on New Year’s Day.
The out-half’s last-ditch try and conversion in Belfast saw Munster take a one-point win in Ulster and head coach Graham Rowntree has now handed Healy – who will join Edinburgh at the end of the season – his first URC start since October.
Healy’s inclusion is one of six changes to the starting XV for tomorrow’s game in Cork, with Rory Scannell, Liam Coombes, Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron and John Hodnett also coming into the side.
Mike Haley starts at fullback with Shane Daly and Coombes – who makes a first apperance since September following injury – named on the wings.
Malakai Fekitoa moves to outside centre and is joined in midfield by Scannell, while Healy and Paddy Patterson start together in the half-back positions for the first time since the November win over South Africa A.
Wycherley, Barron and Roman Salanoa are named in the front row, while in the second row, a positional switch sees Gavin Coombes named alongside Jean Kleyn. Coombes’ only previous start in the Munster second row came against Benetton in March 2022.
Jack O’Donoghue captains the side from the backrow, where he is joined by Hodnett and Alex Kendellen.
On the bench, Dan Goggin is in line for his first appearance since September.
Munster:
15. Mike Haley
14. Shane Daly
13. Malakai Fekitoa
12. Rory Scannell
11. Liam Coombes
10. Ben Healy
9. Paddy Patterson
1. Josh Wycherley
2. Diarmuid Barron
3. Roman Salanoa
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Gavin Coombes
6. Jack O’Donoghue (captain)
7. John Hodnett
8. Alex Kendellen
Replacements:
16. Scott Buckley
17. Dave Kilcoyne
18. Stephen Archer
19. Cian Hurley
20. Jack O’Sullivan
21. Conor Murray
22. Dan Goggin
23. Patrick Campbell
Emirates Lions:
15. Quan Horn
14. Stean Pienaar
13. Henco van Wyk
12. Marius Louw (captain),
11. Edwill van der Merwe
10. Jordan Hendrikse
9. Morne van den Berg
1. JP Smith
2. PJ Botha
3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye
4. Ruan Venter
5. Darrien Landsberg
6. Jarod Cairns
7. Emile van Heerden
8. Emmanuel Tshituka
Replacements:
16. Michael van Vuuren
17. Morgan Naude
18. Ruan Smith
19. Willem Alberts
20. Sibusiso Sangweni
21. Andre Warner
22. Gianni Lombard
23. Manuel Rass
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