Unbeaten at Thomond Park this season, Munster – already guaranteed a home Celtic Cup quarter-final draw – will be all out to dismiss Edinburgh on Saturday in Alan Gaffney’s final league tie.
Unbeaten at Thomond Park this season, Munster – already guaranteed a home Celtic Cup quarter-final draw – will be all out to dismiss Edinburgh on Saturday in Alan Gaffney’s final league tie.
CELTIC LEAGUE: Week 22: Saturday, April 16
Munster v Edinburgh, Thomond Park, 7.30pm
And they are sure to be doubly determined to succeed in fly-half Jason Holland’s 100th game for the province.
Gaffney has made six changes to the side which came from behind with a five-try second half salvo to win 38-23 at the Borders last Sunday.
The 32-year-old Holland starts, but in tandem with returning Ireland international Peter Stringer. The only other change in the backs sees John Kelly drop to the bench, with Paul Devlin – a try-scorer at Netherdale – moving to the right wing to make way for Mike Mullins.
In the forwards, two of Munster’s recently named ‘Lions’ – John Hayes and Paul O’Connell will be on parade from the start, with another of the province’s New Zealand tourists Donncha O’Callaghan making way at lock for Trevor Hogan.
Munster’s other switches see loosehead prop Gordon McIlwham in for Marcus Horan, and Frankie Sheahan replacing Shannon’s Jerry Flannery at hooker.
Alan Quinlan also returns in the back row, with Denis Leamy – who has been making strides with Cork Constitution in recent weeks – set for bench duty, having shipped the hamstring injury that disrupted his debut Six Nations season.
Munster will be looking to do the double over the Scots, having kept them scoreless in last November’s 11-0 victory at Murrayfield.
Head-to-head since 2001: Munster 3, Edinburgh 2
League form: Munster: WLWWW; Edinburgh: WLWLW
Top scorers: Munster: Paul Burke 129 points / Christian Cullen 8 tries; Edinburgh: Chris Paterson 93 / David Callam, Derrick Lee, Simon Webster 5 each
MUNSTER:
(15) Shaun Payne
(14) Paul Devlin
(13) Mike Mullins
(12) Rob Henderson
(11) Anthony Horgan
(10) Jason Holland
(9) Peter Stringer
(1) Gordon McIlwham
(2) Frank Sheahan
(3) John Hayes
(4) Trevor Hogan
(5) Paul O’Connell
(6) Alan Quinlan
(7) David Wallace
(8) Anthony Foley (Capt)
Replacements:
(16) Eugene McGovern
(17) Jerry Flannery
(18) Donncha O’Callaghan
(19) Denis Leamy
(20) Mike Prendergast
(21) Paul Burke
(22) John Kelly
Edinburgh: Hugo Southwell; Chris Paterson, Marcus Di Rollo, Brendan Laney, Simon Webster; Phil Godman, Mike Blair; Allan Jacobsen, Andrew Kelly, Craig Smith, Nathan Hines, Scott Murray, Todd Blackadder (Capt), Allister Hogg, David Callam.
Replacements: Dougie Hall, Alasdair Dickinson, Alastair Kellock, Simon Cross, Rory Lawson, Craig Joiner, Michael Pyke.
Referee: Nigel Williams (Wales)
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