In what is Johann van Graan’s Champions Cup debut as a head coach, Munster and Leicester Tigers do battle at Thomond Park tonight with the winners set to take control of Pool 4 ahead of next week’s reverse fixture.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 4: Saturday, December 9
MUNSTER (2nd) v LEICESTER TIGERS (1st), Thomond Park, 7.45pm (live BT Sport 2/beIN Sports/Newstalk/highlights TG4)
Team News: Munster head coach Johann van Graan has named his first Champions Cup team with returning internationals Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander, Dave Kilcoyne, Conor Murray and Andrew Conway all included for tonight’s Thomond Park date with Leicester Tigers.
The returning Ireland contingent, including the province’s captain O’Mahony, represent five of the six changes to the side that defeated the Ospreys in comprehensive fashion at Irish Independent Park last weekend.
Stephen Archer is promoted from the bench this week and joins Rhys Marshall, the man-of-the-match against the Ospreys, and Kilcoyne in the front row, with the trio supported by the unchanged second row of Jean Kleyn and Billy Holland.
A new-look back row sees Chris Cloete start in his first Champions Cup game as the South African flanker links up with the experienced duo of O’Mahony and Stander. The back row battle could have a big bearing on the outcome as Munster meet Leicester for the third season in a row in Europe.
Murray rejoins Ian Keatley in the half-backs with Rory Scannell and Sam Arnold again forming the centre pairing. The 21-year-old Arnold makes his Champions Cup debut in red after last representing Ulster in Europe in January 2016.
In-form winger Alex Wootton is another player who will make his European bow this weekend as he retains his place in a back-three that also contains Conway and Simon Zebo. Included among the replacements is Darren O’Shea, who is also in line for his first taste of Champions Cup rugby.
Munster v Leicester Tigers tickets – €;20 for adults, €;10 for juniors and €;10 for students – can be purchased online here, from the Munster Rugby Ticket Offices at Irish Independent Park and Thomond Park, or by calling 061 421103.
Meanwhile, Jonny May and Luke Hamilton return from injury to take their places in the Leicester Tigers team to face Munster. Matt O’Connor’s men have lost their last two Aviva Premiership games, going down to Worcester Warriors (31-27) and Wasps (32-25).
England international winger May, who has 10 tries in nine appearances for the club this season, starts for the first time since the autumn internationals, while flanker Hamilton returns after recovering from an injury suffered during his Scotland debut.
Leicester-born Matt Smith comes into midfield with Welshman Gareth Owen sidelined by a back injury, and Scotland-capped prop Kyle Traynor is included in the front row in the absence of Ellis Genge, who requires surgery on a shoulder injury.
Dom Barrow, Sam Harrison and Nick Malouf are all among the replacements after missing the league match against Wasps last weekend. Former Leinster flanker Dominic Ryan is a notable absentee from the Tigers squad, having been stood down in October for 12 weeks following repeated concussions.
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Sam Arnold, Rory Scannell, Alex Wootton; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Rhys Marshall, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Chris Cloete, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Brian Scott, John Ryan, Darren O’Shea, Jack O’Donoghue, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Darren Sweetnam.
LEICESTER TIGERS: Telusa Veainu; Adam Thompstone, Matt Smith, Mathew Tait, Jonny May; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Kyle Traynor, Tom Youngs (capt), Dan Cole, Mike Fitzgerald, Graham Kitchener, Valentino Mapapalangi, Luke Hamilton, Sione Kalamafoni.
Replacements: Harry Thacker, Logovi’i Mulipola, Chris Baumann, Dom Barrow, Mike Williams, Sam Harrison, Joe Ford, Nick Malouf.
Referee: Jérome Garcès (France)
Assistant Referees: Ludovic Cayre, Hervé Labaylette (both France)
Television Match Official: Philippe Bonhoure (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 2/7; Draw: 19/1; Leicester Tigers to win: 11/4
Pre-Match Quotes: Peter O’Mahony (Munster) – “Leicester the only team in Europe to come here to Thomond Park and won twice. I don’t think fear factor will be an issue for them – they won’t be worried about that. The European Cup is a different kettle of fish for both of us.
“You take that as motivation, and there’s a huge amount at stake. They’re a very proud club in Europe and in the Premiership so they’ll come out and try and beat us at the weekend. The back-to-back fixtures are like a little battle on their own, and obviously we have a huge amount of history with Leicester.
“We’ve had some great encounters with them and they are a different animal in the Champions Cup, and we are expecting a quality, quality performance from them. It’s nice for us to have a couple of guys coming back from international duty, a nice confidence booster for guys who got involved and with three good wins in an international environment.
“You bring your experiences back down always to provincial level. Those experiences for the broader group of guys, and younger guys – they’re invaluable. Obviously the more experience you get at that level, the better you become at European Cup level.”
Matt O’Connor (Leicester Tigers) – “We lost some key blokes for a month in the autumn Tests and got them back together in bits and pieces, and now it is about trying to get that continuity back.
“Munster will be the same, they’ve got key guys coming back from internationals. Playing against Munster at Thomond Park is one of the great joys in European rugby. It is a special place in the European game.”
Current Form – Munster – (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 34-3 v Benetton Rugby (home), Won 51-18 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), Won 21-16 v Ospreys (away), Lost 37-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), Won 39-16 v Cardiff Blues (home), Lost 23-17 v Leinster (away); (Champions Cup): Drew 17-17 v Castres Olympique (away), Won 14-7 v Racing 92 (home); (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 20-16 v Connacht (away), Won 49-6 v Dragons (home), Won 36-19 v Zebre (away), Won 36-10 v Ospreys (home)
Leicester Tigers – (Aviva Premiership): Lost 27-23 v Bath (home), Lost 24-11 v Northampton Saints (away), Won 24-10 v Gloucester (home), Won 31-28 v Harlequins (away), Won 20-13 v Exeter Chiefs (home), Won 28-27 v London Irish (away); (Champions Cup): Lost 22-18 v Racing 92 (away), Won 54-29 v Castres Olympique (home); (Aviva Premiership): Won 30-13 v Newcastle Falcons (away); (Anglo-Welsh Cup): Won 26-24 v Gloucester (home), Lost 33-31 v Bath (away); (Aviva Premiership): Won 35-27 v Sale Sharks (home), Lost 31-27 v Worcester Warriors (home), Lost 32-25 v Wasps (away)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Champions Cup: Munster – Points: Tyler Bleyendaal 7; Tries: Simon Zebo, Dave Kilcoyne, Conor Murray, Andrew Conway 1 each; Leicester Tigers – Points: George Ford 25; Tries: Jonny May, Telusa Veainu 3 each
Previous European Meetings: 8
Saturday, December 17, 2016 – Pool 1 – Leicester Tigers 18 Munster 16, Welford Road
Saturday, December 10, 2016 – Pool 1 – Munster 38 Leicester Tigers 0, Thomond Park
Sunday, December 20, 2015 – Pool 4 – Leicester Tigers 17 Munster 6, Welford Road
Saturday, December 12, 2015 – Pool 4 – Munster 19 Leicester Tigers 31, Thomond Park
Saturday, January 20, 2007 – Pool 4 – Munster 6 Leicester Tigers 13, Thomond Park
Sunday, October 22, 2006 – Pool 4 – Leicester Tigers 19 Munster 21, Welford Road
Sunday, April 13, 2003 – Quarter-final – Leicester Tigers 7 Munster 20, Welford Road
Saturday, May 25, 2002 – Final – Leicester Tigers 15 Munster 9, Millennium Stadium
Match Facts –
– Munster and Leicester Tigers come into round 3 of the Champions Cup level on six points apiece at the Pool 4 summit, albeit the Aviva Premiership side boast a 14-point advantage in points difference
– Despite winning big in Europe last time out, beating Castres Olympique 54-29, Leicester are enduring a rough spell, with back-to-back defeats in the English top flight, as well as receiving news that their England prop Ellis Genge will be sidelined for months through injury
– Meanwhile, Munster, now under the tutelage of new head coach Johann van Graan who takes charge of his first European encounter, host Leicester seeking a fourth successive victory in all competitions
– Although the form side coming into this clash, having beaten French Top 14 giants Racing 92 in round 2 also, Munster will be desperate to rewrite records having lost five of their eight European fixtures against Leicester
European Cup Records:
Munster –
2016/17: Reached the semi-finals
2015/16: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2013/14: Reached the semi-finals
2012/13: Reached the semi-finals
2011/12: Reached the quarter-finals
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2009/10: Reached the semi-finals
2008/09: Reached the semi-finals
2007/08: Champions
2006/07: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Champions
2004/05: Reached the quarter-finals
2003/04: Reached the semi-finals
2002/03: Reached the semi-finals
2001/02: Runners-up
2000/01: Reached the semi-finals
1999/00: Runners-up
1998/99: Reached the quarter-finals
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool D
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool D
1995/96: Failed to qualify from Pool D
Leicester Tigers –
2016/17: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2015/16: Reached the semi-finals
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2012/13: Reached the quarter-finals
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2010/11: Reached the quarter-finals
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2008/09: Runners-up
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2006/07: Runners-up
2005/06: Reached the quarter-finals
2004/05: Reached the semi-finals
2003/04: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2002/03: Reached the quarter-finals
2001/02: Champions
2000/01: Champions
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1997/98: Reached the quarter-finals
1996/97: Runners-up
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