DESPITE OVERCOMING PARIS rivals Stade Francais last weekend in the Top 14, there are four changes in personnel to the Racing 92 team for Sunday’s European Champions Cup opener against Munster at Stade Yves-Du-Manoir [KO 3.15pm, Sky Sports 2].
However, the return of Dan Carter isn’t one of them. Carter is set to miss his third consecutive game as he continues to struggle with a calf problem. The former All Black out-half hasn’t played since Racing’s away defeat to Castres on 24 September.
Carter, along with team-mates Joe Rokocoko and Juan Imhoff, attended a French anti-doping hearing on Wednesday after they were found with traces of a banned corticosteroid in samples taken after Racing’s Top 14 final victory over Toulon in June.
Carter’s representatives have insisted that the players had a therapeutic use exemption [TUE] allowing them to use the corticosteroid medication. The results of the hearing are expected to be known early next week.
Nevertheless, Rokocoko and Imhoff will start on the wings for Racing 92 for the visit of Munster. One of the two changes in the Racing backline is at centre, where former Munster man Casey Laulala is replaced by Henry Chavancy. The other change is in fact at out-half, but it sees Johannes Goosen come in for Remi Tales.
There are two further adjustments in the front row. Camille Chat and Ben Tameifuna start at hooker and tighthead prop respectively in place of Virgile Lacombe and Luc Ducalcon.
Racing 92:
15. Brice Dulin
14. Joe Rokocoko
13. Anthony Tuitavake
12. Henry Chavancy
11. Juan Imhoff
10. Johannes Goosen
9. Maxime Machenaud (captain)
1. Eddy Ben Arous
2. Camille Chat
3. Ben Tameifuna
4. Leone Nakarawa
5. Manuel Carizza
6. Wenceslas Lauret
7. Yannick Nyanga
8. Chris Masoe
Replacements:
16. Virgile Lacombe
17. Viliamu Afatia
18. Cedate Gomes Sa
19. Francois Van Der Merwe
20. Thibault Dubarry
21. James Hart
22. Remi Tales
23. Albert Vulivuli
Munster:
15. Simon Zebo
14. Darren Sweetnam
13. Jaco Taute
12. Rory Scannell
11. Ronan O’Mahony
10. Tyler Bleyendaal
9. Conor Murray
1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Donnacha Ryan
5. Billy Holland
6. Peter O’Mahony (captain)
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. CJ Stander
Replacements:
16. Duncan Casey
17. Brian Scott
18. Stephen Archer
19. Robin Copeland
20. Jack O’Donoghue
21. Duncan Williams
22. Ian Keatley
23. Dan Goggin
