JOHANN VAN GRAAN has shuffled his deck for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship meeting with the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg (RTÉ Two/Premier Sports 2, 12pm).
His Munster team includes five changes to the side which fell to the Bulls at altitude last weekend, with Jack Crowley replacing Ben Healy at out-half and Damian de Allende, Shane Daly, John Ryan and John Hodnett also coming into the starting XV.
Alex Kendellen keeps his place at eight after an impressive showing in Pretoria while his fellow academy players Scott Buckley, Mark Donnelly, Eoin O’Connor and Paddy Patterson are among the replacements.
Jack O’Donoghue captains the side for the noon encounter with Ivan van Rooyen’s Lions, who beat Cardiff 37-20 last weekend and are beginning to resemble formidable opposition despite having won just three of their 11 games so far this season.
The South Africans’ inside centre, Burger Odendaal, will take over the captaincy in the absence of injured Jaco Kriel.
Emirates Lions
- Quan Horn
- Stean Pienaar
- Wandisile Simelane
- Burger Odendaal (Captain)
- Edwill van der Merwe
- Jordan Hendrikse
- Morne van den Berg
- Sithembiso Sithole
- Jaco Visagie
- Carlu Sadie
- Ruben Schoeman
- Reinhard Nothnagel
- Sibusiso Sangweni
- Vincent Tshituka
- Francke Horn
Replacements:
- PJ Botha
- JP Smith
- Ruan Dreyer
- Ruan Venter
- Emmanuel Tshituka
- Nico Steyn
- Manuel Rass
- Tiaan Swanepoel
Munster
- Mike Haley
- Calvin Nash
- Chris Farrell
- Damian de Allende
- Shane Daly
- Jack Crowley
- Neil Cronin
- Josh Wycherley
- Niall Scannell
- John Ryan
- Jean Kleyn
- Fineen Wycherley
- Jack O’Donoghue (Captain)
- John Hodnett
- Alex Kendellen
Replacements:
- Scott Buckley
- Mark Donnelly
- Keynan Knox
- Eoin O’Connor
- Chris Cloete
- Paddy Patterson
- Ben Healy
- Liam Coombes
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 17th league game)
AR 1: Cwengile Jadezweni (SARU); AR 2: Paul Mente (SARU)
TMO: Chris Busby (IRFU)
