Magners Preview: Munster v Llanelli Scarlets
Munster have a chance to gain revenge on the Llanelli Scarlets for their recent Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat as the Welsh side pay a Magners League visit to Cork.
MAGNERS LEAGUE: Saturday, April 14
MUNSTER (8th) v LLANELLI SCARLETS (4th), Musgrave Park, 7.30pm (live Setanta Sports Ireland)
Team News: Munster have made five changes – one positional – to the side that lost at the Ospreys last weekend.
Just one of those changes is in the back line where Ronan O’Gara starts having come off the bench at the Liberty Stadium.
Up front, Marcus Horan and John Hayes return for front row duty while Mick O’Driscoll is also back from a spell on the sidelines to partner Donncha O’Callaghan in the second row.
Shannon lock Donnacha Ryan, who scored a try against the Ospreys, is moved to blindside flanker, in the absence of Alan Quinlan, who is suffering from a bout of pneumonia.
The Scarlets have rested a number of their front liners for the Musgrave Park clash, making a flurry of changes to the side that saw off the Borders last weekend.
Full-back Barry Davies, winger Mark Jones and midfielder Gavin Evans survive the cull in the back line, while loosehead prop Phil John is the sole survivor in the front row.
Munster: Mossy Lawlor; Brian Carney, Barry Murphy, Lifeimi Mafi, Anthony Horgan; Ronan O’Gara, Tomas O’Leary; Marcus Horan, Frankie Sheahan, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mick O’Driscoll, Donnacha Ryan, John O’Sullivan, Anthony Foley (capt).
Replacements: Denis Fogarty, Federico Pucciariello, Chris Wyatt, James Coughlan, Brian O’Meara, Jeremy Manning, John Kelly.
Scarlets: Barry Davies; Darren Daniel, Matthew Watkins, Gavin Evans, Mark Jones; Ceiron Thomas, Liam Davies; Phil John, Ken Owens, Craig Dunlea, Inoke Afeaki, Adam Jones, Dafydd Jones, James Bater (capt), Nathan Thomas.
Replacements: John Davies, Daniel George, Vernon Cooper, Gavin Thomas, Clive Stuart-Smith, Paul Mackey, Garan Evans.
Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland)
Touch Judges: Alan Rogan, Eanna O’Dowd (both Ireland)
Team League Statistics: Munster: Top Points Scorer – Jeremy Manning 72 (6 conversions, 18 penalty goals and 2 drop goals); Top Try Scorers – David Wallace, Lifeimi Mafi, Tomas O’Leary, Brian Carney 2 each
Scarlets: Top Points Scorer – Ceiron Thomas 79 (2 tries, 9 conversions and 77 penalty goals); Top Try Scorer – Darren Daniel 7
Previous League Meetings:
September 2003 – Munster 12 Llanelli 19, Thomond Park
February 2004 – Llanelli 37 Munster 20, Stradey Park
October 2004 – Munster 19 Llanelli 13, Thomond Park
January 2005 – Llanelli 32 Munster 17, Stradey Park
September 2005 – Munster 14 Llanelli 13, Musgrave Park
May 2006 – Llanelli 18 Munster 6, Stradey Park
November 2006 – Llanelli 25 Munster 12, Stradey Park
Match Facts:
– Munster have won just one of their last four matches in all competitions. At home, Munster have lost successive games to Leicester and Cardiff and they will not wish to extend this to an unprecedented three home losses on the trot since the advent of professional rugby
– It is four straight wins for the Scarlets in all competitions, however they have yet to win on the road in the Magners League in 2007. Their last away win in the league was against the Borders (19-13) at Netherdale on November 10
– The Scarlets are going for a treble over Munster this season, having beaten the province 25-12 in the Magners League and 24-15 in the Heineken Cup
– But the Scarlets have not won in Munster since a 19-12 victory at Thomond Park in September 2003