MUNSTER HAVE NAMED the same matchday 23 that beat Ulster last week for Friday night’s pivotal URC final-round meeting with Benetton at Virgin Media Park (7:35pm, TG4/Premier Sports).
Craig Casey will make his 100th appearance for the province, with Jean Kleyn earning his 150th Munster cap.
Tom Farrell will continue his record of starting every game for Munster this season, making his 25th consecutive appearance in the province’s midfield.
Your Munster team for tomorrow's huge clash at Virgin Media Park 🙌
1⃣5⃣0⃣th appearance for Jean Kleyn
1⃣0⃣0⃣th appearance for Craig Casey
🚫 No changes to squad that beat Ulster#SUAF 🔴 | #MUNvBEN
Benetton, who are level on points with Munster but sit a place above them in the table in seventh, have also named an unchanged starting side from their 33-7 victory over Glasgow last weekend.
Hooker Bautista Bernasconi takes the place of Augustín Creevy on the bench, while Tomas Albornoz also returns to Marco Bortolami’s 23 in place of Leonardo Marin.
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Former Munster centre Malakai Fekitoa is one of three backs on the Italians’ bench.
Both sides need to win to seal a URC play-off berth and Champions Cup rugby for next season.
Benetton’s last victory on Irish soil came against Leinster at the RDS in April 2018. They haven’t beaten Munster in their last 15 encounters, albeit the most recent meeting between the sides was a 13-13 draw at the Monigo in October 2023.
Munster were unbeaten in their last 10 competitive games at Virgin Media Park before a poor defeat to Edinburgh in February. The southern province have won just two of their last six URC games, away to Connacht in Round 14 and at home to Ulster last weekend.
Munster
15. Thaakir Abrahams
14. Calvin Nash
13. Tom Farrell
12. Alex Nankivell
11. Diarmuid Kilgallen
10. Jack Crowley
9. Craig Casey
1. Michael Milne
2. Niall Scannell
3. Stephen Archer
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Tadhg Beirne (C)
6. Peter O’Mahony
7. John Hodnett
8. Gavin Coombes
Replacements:
16. Lee Barron
17. Josh Wycherley
18. John Ryan
19. Fineen Wycherley
20. Tom Ahern
21. Conor Murray
22. Seán O’Brien
23. Alex Kendellen
Benetton
15. Rhyno Smith
14. Ignacio Mendy
13. Tommaso Menoncello
12. Ignacio Brex
11. Paolo Odogwu
10. Jacob Umaga
9. Alessandro Garbisi
1. Thomas Gallo
2. Siua Maile
3. Simone Ferrari
4. Scott Scrafton
5. Federico Ruzza (C)
6. Riccardo Favretto
7. Manuel Zuliani
8. Lorenzo Cannone
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Munster unchanged for pivotal clash with Benetton in Cork
MUNSTER HAVE NAMED the same matchday 23 that beat Ulster last week for Friday night’s pivotal URC final-round meeting with Benetton at Virgin Media Park (7:35pm, TG4/Premier Sports).
Craig Casey will make his 100th appearance for the province, with Jean Kleyn earning his 150th Munster cap.
Tom Farrell will continue his record of starting every game for Munster this season, making his 25th consecutive appearance in the province’s midfield.
Benetton, who are level on points with Munster but sit a place above them in the table in seventh, have also named an unchanged starting side from their 33-7 victory over Glasgow last weekend.
Hooker Bautista Bernasconi takes the place of Augustín Creevy on the bench, while Tomas Albornoz also returns to Marco Bortolami’s 23 in place of Leonardo Marin.
Former Munster centre Malakai Fekitoa is one of three backs on the Italians’ bench.
Both sides need to win to seal a URC play-off berth and Champions Cup rugby for next season.
Benetton’s last victory on Irish soil came against Leinster at the RDS in April 2018. They haven’t beaten Munster in their last 15 encounters, albeit the most recent meeting between the sides was a 13-13 draw at the Monigo in October 2023.
Munster were unbeaten in their last 10 competitive games at Virgin Media Park before a poor defeat to Edinburgh in February. The southern province have won just two of their last six URC games, away to Connacht in Round 14 and at home to Ulster last weekend.
Munster
15. Thaakir Abrahams
14. Calvin Nash
13. Tom Farrell
12. Alex Nankivell
11. Diarmuid Kilgallen
10. Jack Crowley
9. Craig Casey
1. Michael Milne
2. Niall Scannell
3. Stephen Archer
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Tadhg Beirne (C)
6. Peter O’Mahony
7. John Hodnett
8. Gavin Coombes
Replacements:
16. Lee Barron
17. Josh Wycherley
18. John Ryan
19. Fineen Wycherley
20. Tom Ahern
21. Conor Murray
22. Seán O’Brien
23. Alex Kendellen
Benetton
15. Rhyno Smith
14. Ignacio Mendy
13. Tommaso Menoncello
12. Ignacio Brex
11. Paolo Odogwu
10. Jacob Umaga
9. Alessandro Garbisi
1. Thomas Gallo
2. Siua Maile
3. Simone Ferrari
4. Scott Scrafton
5. Federico Ruzza (C)
6. Riccardo Favretto
7. Manuel Zuliani
8. Lorenzo Cannone
Replacements:
16. Bautista Bernasconi
17. Mirco Spagnolo
18. Giosué Zilocchi
19. Niccolò Cannone
20. Sebastian Negri
21. Nicolò Casilio
22. Tomas Albornoz
23. Malakai Fekitoa
Referee: Mike Adamson (SCO)
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Rugby URC win or bust