JEREMY LOUGHMAN WILL make his first appearance in almost five months in Munster’s Friday night URC clash against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun (7.35pm, RTE 2, Premier Sports 1).
The loosehead prop underwent an operation on a hip injury, followed by a period of rehabilitation.
Diarmuid Barron captains the side with nine changes to the team that were beaten by Edinburgh last time out.
Barron, Seán O’Brien, Andrew Smith, Tony Butler, Paddy Patterson, Loughman, Stephen Archer, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes all come into the side.
The team for Round 13 👇
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) March 20, 2025
🔄 Nine changes
🪽 Andrew Smith makes his Munster debut
💪 Jeremy Loughman returns
👊 Gordon Wood in line for his first Munster appearance#SUAF 🔴 | #GLAvMUN
Smith makes his Munster debut on the wing having joined the province on loan from Connacht earlier this month. A former Ireland 7s and U20s international, Smith made his first Munster appearance in the friendly against Leicester last week.
Four academy players are included as Ben O’Connor starts at full-back with Danny Sheahan, Ruadhán Quinn and Gordon Wood among the replacements.
Centre Wood is in line for his Munster debut having impressed against Leicester last week.
Hooker Sheahan is set for his second URC appearance having made his debut against Dragons in January.
O’Connor, O’Brien and Smith form the back three with Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell starting in midfield.
Friday night lights 🏟️
— Glasgow Warriors (@GlasgowWarriors) March 20, 2025
Here is your Glasgow Warriors team to take on Munster at Scotstoun, as the #BKTURC returns this weekend 💪
📰 https://t.co/ldBTClh24K
🎟️ https://t.co/mQTMwTg91C#WhateverItTakes | @MackenzieConstr pic.twitter.com/GqvYRQ1iph
Patterson and Butler are named in the half-backs after starting together against Leicester last week.
Loughman, Barron and Archer pack down in the front row with Archer making his 297th appearance for Munster.
Fineen Wycherley and Tom Ahern start in the second row with a back row of Kendellen, John Hodnett and Coombes.
Sheahan, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Brian Gleeson and Academy flanker Quinn provide the forward cover.
Ethan Coughlan, Wood and Rory Scannell are the backline replacements with Scannell set for his 197th Munster appearance.
Billy Burns, Niall Scannell and Oli Jager were unavailable due to injury.
Munster
15. Ben O’Connor
14. Seán O’Brien
13. Tom Farrell
12. Alex Nankivell
11. Andrew Smith
10 Tony Butler
9 Paddy Patterson
1. Jeremy Loughman
2. Diarmuid Barron (capt)
3. Stephen Archer
4. Fineen Wycherley
5. Tom Ahern
6. Alex Kendellen
7. John Hodnett
8. Gavin Coombes.
Replacements:
16. Danny Sheahan
17. Josh Wycherley
18. John Ryan
19. Brian Gleeson
20. Ruadhán Quinn
21. Ethan Coughlan
22. Gordon Wood
23. Rory Scannell.
Ref: Morne Ferreira
This is a tough assignment for this Munster team. They really need a result and a performance. Not sure the squad named will be able to deliver either.
Lads and ladies, just block that azdizlack gomie. The comments section instantly becomes a much nicer placer
@Niall Boyle: like blocking out reality
@Niall Boyle: 100%. Did that early on. Great not to read his inane rambling
@Michael Corkery: the poor chap definitely needs help
@Niall Boyle: The amount of people out there that see an open comment section and immediately all they want to do is have a go at someone or something…
They need some serious self reflection.
@Barry Moran: self reflection is an alien concept to the majority unfortunately Barry. The funny thing is how you see another is what one secretly believes is true for themselves and through denial is projected onto another
@Niall Boyle: I’m a Leinster supporter and I fully agree with you.
Do the business tomorrow night and both provinces will be happy.
@Niall Boyle: Did that weeks ago he is worse than are ray negitive ridge least ray can be funny
@Niall Boyle: yep, just did that myself a few days ago. Now there are just glorious blank spaces where his divisive rubbish used to be.
Hard to see Munster coming away with anything other than a beating.
@Ray Ridge: how bad is that starting Munster front row. The replacements are even worse.
@Ray Ridge: I’m quite positive from a Munster perspective after hearing your prediction
@Aidan Farrell: great to see you can read the future. This will be the second senior appearance of one of the front row replacements
@Niall Boyle: Hopefully Niall. But I doubt it considering my recent record. The Scotland game was some time ago now. Although some lads are still forced to refer to it in desperation.
@Ray Ridge: Munster to win with a bonus point too
@Jed Ward: That would be fantastic Jed. However they’ll need to improve some from the $hit show that was the Edinburgh game.
@Ray Ridge: wouldn’t be too difficult to make an improvement from game with Edinburgh. As Ian Costello said, it was the worst 1st half of rugby he ever saw. Glasgow are the right team and the right time to right that wrong of last game. I’d say muster are licking their lips looking forward to this battle
@Ray Ridge: Now Now plenty records you have set on here not just scotland man ciry winning the league in october ireland are finished after the world cup and sooooooooooooo on
@SEAN: everyone is allowed to make a prediction there Sean. Who are you predicting will win?
@Jed Ward: Anything team ray picks i do the other one
@SEAN: Ray is shouting for Cork on Saturday night in the hurling Sean. Does that mean you will be shouting for his county against your county come Saturday?
Munster fans who repeatedly abused SP the 22 year old – I am going to watch this game closely and scrutinise every aspect of Tony Butlers play on Sat. He’s older than Sam by a year so it should be nothin to the lad, URC teams are a walk in the park to play against compared to France, one of the best teams in the world. Let’s see what Tony Butler is made of
@adizlack93: Butler is third choice with Munster, Sammy is first choice with Ireland and Leinster. No comparison really.
@adizlack93: This, sadly, says so much more about you than Tony Butler, a young player steeping up to higher levels. Instead of supporting him you are already primed to criticize/use him to support your argument.
@adizlack93: I must have missed the game that Tony Butler started for Ireland? I must have also missed where Tony Butler was compared in anyway to Sam Prendergast?
@John Ludgate: this has to be irony
@adizlack93: old testament, the only way.
@adizlack93: go for a walk or something lad, bit of fresh air might help !
And now do you clowns see how below the belt it is to have a go at a young aspiring lad?? Point proven
@John Ludgate: I don’t support Munster but you dopes support Ireland
@adizlack93: You’re entering Ray Ridge levels of acting the Betty Swollocks now
@adizlack93: the game isn’t on Saturday you m!ron haha
@Cian Halley: let’s see who the m0rons are at full time
@adizlack93: My dad’s bigger than your Dad – that’s exactly what you sound like you complete and utter knobhead
@adizlack93: I’l analyse Tony Butler on Saturday too. He prob be spending the day recovering from the game Friday night me thinks
@adizlack93: you need a hobby pal
@adizlack93: once a Muppet
@Liam23: I think that’s his whole point Liam
@adizlack93: butler at least has the willingness to tackle.
@adizlack93: You mention Munster supporters, but Munster people are not the only ones that see the problem. If you were a true Irish supporter you would also leave aside your provincial bias and push for a selection of the best player. All Irish supporters (other than myopic Leinster dead heads) want the Irish team to be selected on ability. Everyone including our opponents question the selection policy for this 6Nations. See https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12317/13331309/a-baffling-change-in-style-how-ireland-blew-the-six-nations-chance-of-a-century-and-a-half
@Cormac McCarthy: that article must have been written by a Munster fanatic who could only see those games with JC rose tinted glasses.
@adizlack93: well someone is a bit upset here
@Jed Ward: You can say that again Jed. That’s the most dreadful and one-eyed appraisal I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. A cursory bit of research into the author of this drivel shows he’s from Limerick! Quelle surprise. I particularly enjoyed how Crowley’s, let’s face facts, absolute stinker of a performance vs Italy and his poor place kicking was totally washed over. It must be amateur hour at Sky Sports. I’m sure people would go mad for the balanced appraisal the likes of you and I could offer.
@Cormac McCarthy: Great article, the stats don’t lie.
@Cormac McCarthy: great article, the stats don’t lie. You wouldn’t see Cian and Rory in the Sindo printing stats like that.
@Carmine Lorenzo: Crowley certainly had a poorer game against Italy than anyone would have liked particularly from the ground but can you argue with any of the facts listed in the article? Who can say if we would have fared any better with Crowley at 10 its a moot point now but the overall premise is that we were far from our standards in 23 and 24. Don’t take this as a go at Leinster but for me Nienaber is the root cause here (great plant by Rassie :-)) he has drastically changed the core principles of how Leinster have played and this is translating in to the Irish performance. I am sure Leinster are happy with the transition as your league and cup performances have shown and if you win a 5th star it will be truly validated but bigger picture is it is impacting Ireland for now
Good news, tho am not positive about the game, be v hard to turn over a result, Horne and Hastings are a decent half back pairing, big game for Butler and Paddy, who is hopefully due to find some form, great to see Sheehan and Wood on the bench too.
Yikes
@adizlack93: Yikes is right.
From an Irish perspective good to see Loughman back, need as many IQ looseheads playing as possible. Also very good to see Ahern playing at lock, seems to make the most sense as his long term position rather than 6
Tough game but great to see young talent coming through and getting some minutes from the bench.
It’s amazing how the Scottish internationals are up for selection albeit from the bench….. Murray mustn’t have played no more than 60mins over the last 6 weeks and O’Mahony maybe double that… it been their last season with Munster you’d of thought they’d be pushing to get back onto the team after all they are no longer governed by the IRFU… even if they were at least on the bench to give the team a mental lift?
If we come away with a losing bonus point it will be a plus ….
In saying that the weather could play a big factor in this game and a slim chance for Munster to capitalise..
That’s a callow looking 15 but you can only play the cards your dealt. Jager has been a disastrous signing so far, any word on where Edogbo is with his rehab?