CLAYTON McMILLAN HAS made five changes to his Munster side for tomorrow’s Champions Cup opener against Bath at The Rec [KO 8pm, Premier Sports] – a trip they will make without out-half Jack Crowley.
The province saw their unbeaten URC run come to an end at home to the Stormers last Saturday, and now head on the road for their opening Champions Cup tie before hosting Gloucester at Páirc Ui Chaoimh next weekend.
Crowley misses out after sustaining an ankle injury in the Stormers defeat, with the out-half expected to be missing for one-two weeks.
Dan Kelly and JJ Hanrahan both come into the Munster backline, with Kelly making his first Champions Cup appearance for the province, while Michael Milne, Jean Kleyn and John Hodnett are named in the pack.
Shane Daly, Diarmuid Kilgallen and Thaakir Abrahams start in an unchanged back three as Kelly joins Ireland international Tom Farrell in midfield.
Hanrahan starts at 10, with Craig Casey named at scrum-half.
Milne, another Champions Cup debutant for Munster, starts with Diarmuid Barron and John Ryan in the Munster front row while in the second row, Kleyn is back from Springboks duty to join Tom Ahern in the engine room.
Captain Tadhg Beirne, Hodnett and Gavin Coombes line out in the back row.
On the Munster bench, Michael Ala’alatoa is set for his Munster debut as a replacement, after the former Leinster player joined until the end of the season from Clermont Auvergne.
Lee Barron, Jeremy Loughman and Ala’alatoa provide the front row back-up with Edwin Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn and Alex Kendellen completing the forward cover. Lee Barron, Edogbo and Quinn are all primed for Champions Cup debuts. Kendellen returned from injury for UCC last week and is set for his first appearance since the URC round one win over Scarlets.
Ethan Coughlan and Alex Nankivell are the backline replacements.
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Crowley ruled out as Munster make 5 changes for Champions Cup opener in Bath
CLAYTON McMILLAN HAS made five changes to his Munster side for tomorrow’s Champions Cup opener against Bath at The Rec [KO 8pm, Premier Sports] – a trip they will make without out-half Jack Crowley.
The province saw their unbeaten URC run come to an end at home to the Stormers last Saturday, and now head on the road for their opening Champions Cup tie before hosting Gloucester at Páirc Ui Chaoimh next weekend.
Crowley misses out after sustaining an ankle injury in the Stormers defeat, with the out-half expected to be missing for one-two weeks.
Dan Kelly and JJ Hanrahan both come into the Munster backline, with Kelly making his first Champions Cup appearance for the province, while Michael Milne, Jean Kleyn and John Hodnett are named in the pack.
Shane Daly, Diarmuid Kilgallen and Thaakir Abrahams start in an unchanged back three as Kelly joins Ireland international Tom Farrell in midfield.
Hanrahan starts at 10, with Craig Casey named at scrum-half.
Milne, another Champions Cup debutant for Munster, starts with Diarmuid Barron and John Ryan in the Munster front row while in the second row, Kleyn is back from Springboks duty to join Tom Ahern in the engine room.
Captain Tadhg Beirne, Hodnett and Gavin Coombes line out in the back row.
On the Munster bench, Michael Ala’alatoa is set for his Munster debut as a replacement, after the former Leinster player joined until the end of the season from Clermont Auvergne.
Lee Barron, Jeremy Loughman and Ala’alatoa provide the front row back-up with Edwin Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn and Alex Kendellen completing the forward cover. Lee Barron, Edogbo and Quinn are all primed for Champions Cup debuts. Kendellen returned from injury for UCC last week and is set for his first appearance since the URC round one win over Scarlets.
Ethan Coughlan and Alex Nankivell are the backline replacements.
Munster:
Replacements:
Bath:
Replacements:
Referee: Jeremy Rozier [Fra]
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