The Munster team has been named by head coach Johann van Graan for Saturday evening’s GUINNESS PRO14 final round encounter with Ulster at Thomond Park (kick-off 5.35pm).
Mike Sherry and James Cronin will both earn their 100th Munster caps in the inteprovincial derby, with hooker Sherry captaining his native province for the first time since February 2013.
Stephen Fitzgerald makes his second start of the season at full-back, with Ireland international Darren Sweetnam and Academy winger Calvin Nash stationed on the wings. Young Player of the Year Sam Arnold keeps his place in the side and is joined in midfield by Dan Goggin.
Fit-again scrum half Duncan Williams returns to the starting XV having made a speedy recovery after undergoing surgery for facial injuries sustained in training. JJ Hanrahan, who was a second half replacement during last Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat in Bordeaux, gets the nod at number 10.
Sherry and Cronin are joined in the front row by Brian Scott with Gerbrandt Grobler and Darren O’Shea, who was a try scorer for Cork Constitution in last Saturday’s Ulster Bank Bateman Cup final loss to Lansdowne, in the engine room. Dave O’Callaghan, Conor Oliver and Robin Copeland make up the back row.
Rhys Marshall, Jeremy Loughman and Stephen Archer provide the front row cover with Player of the Year nominee Jean Kleyn and Jack O’Donoghue completing the forward replacements. James Hart, Bill Johnston and Academy centre Shane Daly, an Ireland Sevens international, are the reserve backs with Daly in line to make his senior debut for Munster.
MUNSTER (v Ulster): Stephen Fitzgerald; Calvin Nash, Sam Arnold, Dan Goggin, Darren Sweetnam; JJ Hanrahan, Duncan Williams; James Cronin, Mike Sherry (capt), Brian Scott; Gerbrandt Grobler, Darren O’Shea, Dave O’Callaghan, Conor Oliver, Robin Copeland.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Jeremy Loughman, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Jack O’Donoghue, James Hart, Bill Johnston, Shane Daly.
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