JOHANN VAN GRAAN has rotated his squad heavily again for Munster’s United Rugby Championship trip to Ospreys on Saturday [KO 7.35pm, RTÉ 2, Premier Sports 1, URC TV], making eight changes to the side that beat Connacht at Thomond Park last week.
The Munster head coach has handed 21-year-old out-half Jack Crowley a first start for the province, while Matt Gallagher, Liam Coombes, Dan Goggin and Shane Daly also come into the backline.
Gallagher comes in at full-back with Andrew Conway and Daly on the wings, while Goggin and Coombes line out in the centre positions.
Crowley, who has made five appearances for Munster to date, partners Craig Casey in the half-backs.
There are three further changes in the pack, with Jeremy Loughman, Fineen Wycherley and Jack O’Donoghue all returning to the team.
Loughman, Niall Scannell and John Ryan start in the front row while Jean Kleyn and Wycherley get the nod in the second row, as Tadhg Beirne moves into the back row.
Peter O’Mahony captains the side from openside while Jack O’Donoghue is named at number eight.
Meanwhile a strong Munster bench includes Conor Murray, Damian de Allende and John Hodnett, with all three players in line to make their first apperances of the season.
Hodnett hasn’t played for Munster since November of last year due to a long-term Achilles injury.
Meanwhile, Irish lock Jack Regan is set to make his Ospreys debut after being named on the bench.
Munster:
15. Matt Gallagher
14. Andrew Conway
13. Liam Coombes
12. Dan Goggin
11. Shane Daly
10. Jack Crowley
9. Craig Casey
1. Jeremy Loughman
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Fineen Wycherley
6. Tadhg Beirne
7. Peter O’Mahony (captain)
8. Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements:
16. Kevin O’Byrne
17. Josh Wycherley
18. Keynan Knox
19. Gavin Coombes
20. John Hodnett
21. Conor Murray
22. Ben Healy
23. Damian de Allende
Ospreys
15. Max Nagy
14. Alex Cuthbert
13. Owen Watkin
12. Keiran Williams
11. Mat Protheroe
10. Stephen Myler
9. Rhys Webb(captain)
1. Nicky Smith
2. Elvis Taione
3. Tom Botha
4. Bradley Davies
5. Rhys Davies
6. Sam Cross
7. Jac Morgan
8. Ethan Roots
Replacements:
16. Ifan Phillips
17. Gareth Thomas
18. Rhys Henry
19. Jack Regan
20. Morgan Morris
21. Reuben Morgan-Williams
22. Joe Hawkins
23. Dan Evans
Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella, and Gavan Casey discuss Ireland’s squad, women’s rugby reviews, and the Tadhg Beirne incident on The42 Rugby Weekly:
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Great result – horrible game
Agreed; all that spitting and shouting at the ref, never mind the tribalistic thuggery it engenders internationally.
A lot to be said for oval shaped balls.
And as is evident here you will often find a cock on the end of them
This is qualified success in a worldwide sport, not reaching the quarter finals of a sport played by 10 teams… Genuine achievement by an extremely mediocre side. Possibly the worst Irish side in my life, but much more commendable than coming out of a group they were expected to come out of(like the oval-balled lads) and then losing to a side they should beat. These boys have a massive task in front of them now. If they can pick up some points it’ll be a result. And if they do a Greece, yourself and the D4 crowd will probably be first on the bandwagon. I’ve been on it years though and there’s plenty of room whenever you’re ready.
99.999% Qualified which is a great achievement for the material that Trap has. Europe is more difficult to qualify for than the World cup well done to the team. It will give the country something to look forward to next summer the kind of buzz that an oval ball would never give to such a wide section of the population.
Worst Irish side in your life?! what age are you, 2? This is easily the best Irish side in 10 years, possibly on a par with the ’02 team. Its the tactics that make the team look bad.
Oh please,no more oval ball shennanigans,please.
Great achievement overall to qualify and well done to the lads but Ireland’s style looked like that of a second rate Jack Charlton’s tonight for much of the time, belting high balls at and into Walters, who did very well. If only we had a player who could put his foot on the ball in the centre of the park and spray the odd decent pass. The result is obviously the most important thing but we are just not an enjoyable team to watch at present and the players to me seem to be stifled, mainly by Trap’s tactics.
A win is a win no matter what you can watch any match and get a bad game but when it your team and you win it’s a great feeling and I hope it’s lift us all out of this recession come on Ireland
“international football has never been more open. As a result ……teams like Greece actually winning etc. “. That’s incredible , Greece were the most defensive team ever to win a championship. Their games were like watching chess in slow motion. Some sports reporters give you the impression they have never done more than read each others articles.
I think it’s fairly obvious he means ‘open’ in the sense of ‘there for the taking’, as opposed to an open style of play.
Tens of thousands of paddies boarding flights to Poland next Summer- whoda thunk it?
I could almost hear Michael O’Leary hiking up prices at the end of the game.
Did anyone else notice the flag the Estonian supporters were flying last night? It was the Union Jack, with the Three Lions crest of England, but in the Estonian colours. What was that all about?
Did wonder about the union Jack alright. Weird!
great article,spot on!
No no Alan,that s only when all the normal priced flights to Poland are sold that Michael will raise the prices,do u know so all the rest of us can have the chance to buy tickets at €400 odd euro