Munster To Field Unchanged Team Against Sharks

Kings Park is the venue for Munster’s ninth successive appearance in the BKT United Rugby Championship play-offs, and they have won their last two quarter-final fixtures, beating Glasgow Warriors away and the Ospreys at home.

Jack Crowley and Niall Scannell have been passed fit to start following their respective rib and head injuries, while Diarmuid Barron has overcome a shoulder injury to be included on the replacements bench.

Also providing back-up is Scannell’s younger brother, Rory, who is in line to make his 200th senior appearance for Munster. Their youngest player to reach the 100-cap mark at 25 back in 2019, he is now set to become the province’s 16th double centurion.

Returning to the scene of last October’s 41-24 defeat, Thaakir Abrahams, Calvin Nash, and Diarmuid Kilgallen continue together in the back-three. Abrahams and Nash have scored three tries between them in the last four matches.

The ever-influential Tom Farrell, who has started every game for Munster this season, pairs up again with Alex Nankivell in the centre, while Ireland internationals Crowley and Craig Casey will direct operations from half-back.

Following their memorable send-offs in Limerick and Cork, retiring duo Stephen Archer and former captain Peter O’Mahony feature at tighthead prop and blindside flanker respectively.

Current skipper Tadhg Beirne, the newly-crowned Men’s 15s Players’ Player of the Year at the Rugby Players of Ireland Awards, and Jean Kleyn will pack down behind a front row trio of Michael Milne, Niall Scannell, and Archer.

John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes complete the back row alongside Barbarians call-up O’Mahony, as Ian Costello’s highly-motivated side look to hand the Sharks just their third home loss of 2024/25.

Toulouse, in the Investec Champions Cup, and Leinster, in round 14 of the URC, have been the only teams to trip them up so far. The Sharks have a poor quarter-final record, though, with only win in eight outings at this stage, in all competitions. They beat Edinburgh in the EPCR Challenge Cup last year.

Munster will hope for plenty of impact from replacement forwards Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, and Alex Kendellen. Conor Murray, who is entering his final weeks with the province, Rory Scannell, and Mike Haley are the back-line options.

Munster’s only win against South African opposition during the regular season with a 17-10 victory over the Emirates Lions in round 7 in Limerick. They do have a superior URC record against the Sharks, with two wins, a draw, and a defeat in four previous meetings.

Nash, the scorer of a fine try against the Durban-based outfit in round 6, said: “A few of us do have a few reference points (back to the 2023 title-winning run-in), but we are taking the game as it is.

“We are taking each game week-by-week. The last two games that we had essentially were knockout games for us, and we weren’t in the best position in the URC.

“That’s how we treated them and this week will be no different. The games over here (in South Africa) are some of the hardest games you’ll play in the URC.

“Even last summer, some of the hardest internationals I’ve played. You know you have to step up a bit here, and it always takes a bit extra to win down here. That’s what we are targeting here, trying to get the most out of ourselves.”

He added: “The Sharks put us under a lot of pressure in the first half (of that October fixture), in the first few minutes. They really dominated us in the contact area early and put us under savage pressure.

“It was tough trying to claw back out of that hole that we dug ourselves. Hopefully (we can) start the game better and take the game to them, I suppose, and come away with a better result.”

MUNSTER (v Hollywoodbets Sharks): Thaakir Abrahams; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt), Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Rory Scannell, Mike Haley.