Munster Welcome Back Five Internationals Along With Edogbo

Munster will have five returning Ireland internationals in their starting line-up when they host the DHL Stormers at Thomond Park on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm). Tickets are available to buy here.

The much-anticipated BKT United Rugby Championship top of the table clash will see the two unbeaten teams go head-to-head, with only three points separating the pair from Glasgow Warriors in third place.

Tadhg Beirne, who played every minute of Ireland’s Quilter Nations Series campaign, is back to captain Munster in the same week that he was included in the World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team for 2025.

Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Tom Farrell, and Tom Ahern also return for Clayton McMillan’s men. Centre Farrell earned his second Ireland cap last Saturday, coming off the bench against South Africa.

Head coach McMillan has made seven personnel changes to the team that won 17-15 against Connacht. Shane Daly, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Thaakir Abrahams, and Alex Nankivell are the players retained in the back-line.

John Ryan, making his third successive start at tighthead prop, is joined in the front row by Jeremy Loughman and Diarmuid Barron, who has recovered from a neck injury.

Packing down alongside Ahern in the engine room will be Fineen Wycherley, a key cog in the Munster pack under McMillan. He has started all five of the province’s URC fixtures so far this season, playing in all but 19 minutes of these games.

Jack O’Donoghue, who captain Munster to victory against Connacht and Argentina XV, shifts to openside flanker. Beirne is back on the blindside, and number 8 Gavin Coombes completes the back row.

Edwin Edogbo and John Hodnett are both back to full fitness, providing forward cover on the bench alongside the front row trio of Niall Scannell, Michael Milne, and Academy tighthead Ronan Foxe.

Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, and Dan Kelly are the back-line replacements, with centre Kelly part of the five-man Munster contingent that played in the Ireland XV’s 61-24 triumph over Spain three weeks ago.

Munster have won their last five home games in the URC since the Vodacom Bulls beat them in Limerick last April. The Stormers are chasing their fourth successive away league win, but their only victory in Ireland so far came against Connacht in May 2024.

Munster forwards coach Alex Codling commented: “You look at the Stormers this week, they’re an embryo of the South African team.

“They go after pressure points. They’ve had 34 turnovers in five games on the ground. Their kicking game is strong. They’ve had, on average, 12 entries (into the opposition 22) a game, scored four tries.

“They’ve got 95% ball winning. They’ve got the number one scrum. They’ve averaged 31 points for, six points against. These are all microcosms of the South African team.

“So for us, in a sense, how we prepare the boys this week is really important that they know what’s coming, but let’s treat this as a massive opportunity and challenge for us, because ultimately that’s why you play.”

He added: “We’re obviously pleased to have five from five and obviously the Argentina XV game was a great game too, but obviously we’re not happy in terms of we know there’s massive growth in this group.

“We also know we’ve performed really well away from home. We haven’t been to those levels at home but we’ve found a way so that in a sense is really positive.

“But you play the Stormers this week who are the leaders, we know now we’ve got to take that next step forward and it happens on Saturday night. Otherwise the log changes.”

MUNSTER (v DHL Stormers): Shane Daly; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Michael Milne, Ronan Foxe, Edwin Edogbo, John Hodnett, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Dan Kelly.