Ireland Trio Back In Munster Red For Visit Of Zebre

Fresh from their recent Guinness Men’s Six Nations appearances, Michael Milne and Edwin Edogbo are part of Munster’s matchday squad for the visit of Zebre Parma to Thomond Park on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm). Tickets are on sale from Ticketmaster.ie.

Fellow Ireland international Tom Farrell has also been released from the national camp for the BKT United Rugby Championship round 12 fixture. He will start at outside centre, with Milne packing down at loosehead prop, and new Ireland cap Edogbo set to feature off the bench.

Head coach Clayton McMillan has made 10 personnel changes to the team that lost 31-22 at leaders Glasgow Warriors last time out. Jack O’Donoghue captains the province from the back row, with Fineen Wycherley the only player retained up front.

For the URC’s Origin Round, Milne, Niall Scannell, and Michael Ala’alatoa will combine in a completely new front row, supported from the engine room by Wycherley and South African international Jean Kleyn, who has recovered from a head injury.

Brian Gleeson, a try scorer against Glasgow, is joined in the loose forwards by Gavin Coombes and O’Donoghue, while JJ Hanrahan returns from a hamstring injury to pair up at half-back with Paddy Patterson, who starts on the occasion of his 50th Munster cap.

Back from a shoulder injury, Ireland winger Calvin Nash will make just his fifth start of the season. Mike Haley and Shane Daly complete the back-three, and Farrell links up in midfield with Dan Kelly, a recent starter for the Ireland XV against England ‘A’.

Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, and John Ryan provide the front row back-up, with Edogbo and Alex Kendellen completing the forward cover. Kendellen is set for his first appearance in eight weeks after sustaining an ankle injury last month.

Ethan Coughlan, Academy out-half Tom Wood, and Seán O’Brien are the back-line replacements. Wood made his senior debut for Munster against Glasgow four weeks ago, and has helped the Ireland Under-20s to two wins out of three in the U-20 Six Nations Championship.

Munster are sixth in the table at present, just a point behind the three teams above them. They have won just one of their last four URC matches, beating the Dragons 22-20 in Cork last month, but bottom side Zebre have lost their last nine league games.

Determined to end their disappointing recent form at Thomond Park, where Munster have suffered three successive defeats, McMillan said: “Every game is important, and right from the beginning we really wanted to make our home games difficult for any team to come and play, and we haven’t quite met that mark.

“A lot of our home games where we have lost have been by very small margins, so it hasn’t been far away, but nevertheless we want to be much better.

“The last three weeks have given us an opportunity to sharpen the sword in a few areas, and we’re really hopeful that that will be evident in the way that we perform on the weekend.

“And if we’re good enough to earn a result then I think it’s going to be a lot of positive spin-off from that that will serve us well for the rest of the season.”

MUNSTER (v Zebre Parma): Mike Haley (Preston Grasshoppers/Hartpury College); Calvin Nash (Young Munster RFC/Crescent College Comprehensive), Tom Farrell (Coolmine RFC/Castleknock College), Dan Kelly (Rochdale Rugby Union/Kirkham Grammar School), Shane Daly (Highfield RFC/PBC Cork); JJ Hanrahan (Castleisland RFC/Rockwell College), Paddy Patterson (Blackrock College); Michael Milne (Birr RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea), Niall Scannell (PBC Cork/Dolphin RFC), Michael Ala’alatoa (West Harbour RFC), Jean Kleyn (Hoërskool Linden), Fineen Wycherley (Bantry Bay RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea), Gavin Coombes (Skibbereen RFC/Bandon Grammar School), Jack O’Donoghue (Waterpark RFC) (capt), Brian Gleeson (Thurles RFC/Rockwell College).

Replacements: Lee Barron (Lansdowne FC/St. Michael’s College), Josh Wycherley (Bantry Bay RFC/Cistercian College Roscrea), John Ryan (Muskerry RFC/CBC Cork), Edwin Edogbo (Cobh Pirates RFC), Alex Kendellen (PBC Cork), Ethan Coughlan (Ennis RFC), Tom Wood (Ballina Killaloe RFC/St. Munchin’s College), Seán O’Brien (Mullingar RFC).