Beirne And Casey Among The Changes For Munster

Captain Tadhg Beirne and Craig Casey are among the returning players for Munster’s BKT United Rugby Championship showdown with Leinster at Thomond Park (kick-off 7.45pm) on Saturday.

For the sold-out interprovincial derby, head coach Clayton McMillan has made seven personnel changes as they look to compete a season’s double over their arch rivals, whom they defeated 31-14 in memorable fashion at Croke Park in October.

Along with Beirne and Casey, Thaakir Abrahams, Michael Milne, Lee Barron, Edwin Edogbo, and Tom Ahern all come into Munster’s starting XV.

Shane Daly, who switches to full-back, Calvin Nash, and Abrahams start together in the back-three, and Tom Farrell, a try scorer against Leinster two months ago, and New Zealander Alex Nankivell make up the centre pairing again.

Casey and Crowley reunite after the former sat out last week’s 26-10 bonus point victory at the Ospreys. Barron replaces the injured Niall Scannell (neck) at hooker, packing down with Michael Milne and former Leinster prop Michael Ala’alatoa either side of him.

Edogbo and Ahern feature in the engine room this week, and Beirne’s return at blindside flanker sees Jack O’Donoghue move to openside. Gavin Coombes continues at number 8 for his his sixth successive start.

Selected on the bench, John Ryan is set to make his 250th Munster appearance. He is poised to become just the third player to reach the landmark, with only Stephen Archer (304) and Donncha O’Callaghan (268) playing more games for the province.

Diarmuid Barron (head) and Dan Kelly (calf) both return from injury to be part of the matchday 23. Paddy Patterson and Kelly are the back-line replacements in a six-two split.

Munster’s only defeat in the first seven rounds of the URC was a 27-21 reversal at the hands of the DHL Stormers in Limerick last month. Only the Bulls and the Stormers have beaten the Reds at Thomond Park in 2025.

October’s result ended a run of four successive Leinster wins in this series, while McMillan’s men are aiming to put things right at Thomond after six Leinster victories in as many trips to the Limerick venue.

“I still think the rivalry is definitely there, I don’t think it ever went away,” said flanker O’Donoghue. “Unfortunately, we probably came out the wrong side of a couple of results, but we have beaten them.

“We went up to the Aviva and beat them in the URC semi-final, and we went to Croke Park just there recently and we came out victorious.

“But I think what we are probably looking at is Thomond Park, them coming down to us, it being a home game for us. Although it’s a massive derby, we’re looking at making Thomond Park special for us and that’s building on last week.

“But we’re under no illusions, we have a massive test ahead of us this weekend. I think from the outside, you can build it up to be the special occasion, to be a World Cup final, but for us, the same five points are an offer this weekend as they were last weekend.

“That’s something that we speak about as not letting ourselves get ahead of ourselves or play the occasion. It’s just 80 minutes of rugby, going out there, beating them at home is something that we’re going to try and do.

“Just like last weekend when we went to the Ospreys and tried to beat them in Bridgend. That is our goal, that’s what we set out to do.

“We don’t put them on a pedestal. We don’t put any team on a pedestal. It is just going out for 80 minutes of rugby and trying to back our performance.”

MUNSTER (v Leinster); Shane Daly; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Lee Barron, Michael Ala’alatoa, Edwin Edogbo, Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Paddy Patterson, Dan Kelly, John Hodnett.