MUNSTER HAVE BEEN dealt another blow ahead of their Champions Cup clash with Exeter at Sandy Park this evening [KO 5.30pm, BT Sport] after left wing Simon Zebo and replacement hooker Diarmuid Barron were ruled out due to acute gastroenteritis.
These late withdrawals mean that travelling reserve Shane Daly comes in to start on the left wing in place of Zebo, while academy hooker Scott Buckley is promoted onto the bench instead of Barron.
Munster had already lost captain Peter O’Mahony, second row Tadhg Beirne, number eight Gavin Coombes, out-half Joey Carbery, right wing Andrew Conway, and loosehead prop Dave Kilcoyne to injury ahead of the first leg of their Round-of-16 clash with Exeter.
The latest blow in losing Zebo and Barron underlines that Munster have been decimated by injury and illness for this crucial Champions Cup clash.
Johann van Graan’s men face an uphill task but they will hope to do enough to bring the tie back to Thomond Park and seal their progress into the quarter-finals at home in Limerick next weekend.
Munster (v Exeter):
- 15. Mike Haley
- 14. Keith Earls
- 13. Chris Farrell
- 12. Damian de Allende
- 11. Shane Daly
- 10. Ben Healy
- 9. Conor Murray
- 1. Jeremy Loughman
- 2. Niall Scannell
- 3. Stephen Archer
- 4. Jean Kleyn
- 5. Fineen Wycherley
- 6. Jack O’Donoghue (Captain)
- 7. John Hodnett
- 8. Alex Kendellen
Replacements:
- 16. Scott Buckley
- 17. Josh Wycherley
- 18. John Ryan
- 19. Jason Jenkins
- 20. Thomas Ahern
- 21. Craig Casey
- 22. Rory Scannell
- 23. Jack O’Sullivan
