Racing 92’s 32,000-capacity U Arena in Paris opens its doors to European club rugby for the first time today, and Munster could mark the occasion by qualifying for the Champions Cup knockout stages as Pool 4 winners.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 4: Sunday, January 14
RACING 92 (2nd) v MUNSTER (1st), U Arena, 4.15pm local time/3.15pm Irish time (live Sky Sports Action/FR2/beIN Sports/RTE Radio 1/highlights TG4)
Team News: The latest trio to sign two-year contracts with Munster – Billy Holland, Stephen Archer and Kevin O’Byrne – are all included in the matchday squad with Holland, the almost ever-present lock, and tighthead prop Archer among the starters.
The returning duo are two of four changes Johann van Graan has made to the side that beat Connacht 39-13 in Limerick last Saturday, with captain Peter O’Mahony and Chris Cloete named in the back row for the round 5 encounter with the French outfit.
Archer joins Dave Kilcoyne and Rhys Marshall in the front row, as Holland resumes his partnership with Jean Kleyn in the second row. The pack is completed by a combative back row unit of O’Mahony, Cloete and number 8 CJ Stander.
The all-Ireland international back-line remains intact with Simon Zebo at full-back and Andrew Conwayand Keith Earls on the wings. Rory Scannell partners Chris Farrell in midfield, and Ian Keatley, who has scored 37 points so far in the pool stages, and Conor Murray continue as the starting half-backs.
The aforementioned O’Byrne, James Cronin and John Ryan make up the front row replacements with prop Cronin in line for his first European appearance of the season. Darren O’Shea and Jack O’Donoghue complete the forward reserves, while Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan and Alex Wootton will provide the back-line cover.
Meanwhile, former Munster lock Donnacha Ryan is a familiar face in the Racing pack with another ex-Munster player, Casey Laulala, now the club’s skills coach following the departure of Ronan O’Gara to the Crusaders.
Unsurprisingly, Racing coaches Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers have kept faith with the team that thrashed a weakened Clermont Auvergne side 58-6 at the U Arena last week. That runaway result made it four wins on the trot since they lost 16-13 to Castres Olympique in round 3 of the Champions Cup.
Wenceslas Lauret’s listing at openside flanker rather than blindside is the only alteration to the matchday 23. With All Black great Dan Carter sidelined through injury, Rémi Tales continues at out-half alongside captain Maxime Machenaud, while Fijian star Leone Nakarawa, who has scored three tries in Europe this season, is deployed again at number 8 rather than in the second row.
RACING 92: Louis Dupichot; Teddy Thomas, Virimi Vakatawa, Henry Chavancy, Marc Andreu; Rémi Tales, Maxime Machenaud (capt); Eddy Ben Arous, Camille Chat, Ben Tameifuna, Donnacha Ryan, Edwin Maka, Yannick Nyanga, Wenceslas Lauret, Leone Nakarawa.
Replacements: Dimitri Szarzewski, Vasil Kakovin, Cedate Gomes Sa, Baptiste Chouzenoux, Boris Palu, Xavier Chauveau, Benjamin Dambielle, Joe Rokocoko.
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; 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, James Cronin, John Ryan, Darren O’Shea, Jack O’Donoghue, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Alex Wootton.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley, Roy Maybank (both England)
Television Match Official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Racing 92 to win: 8/15; Draw: 19/1; Munster to win: 8/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Peter O’Mahony (Munster) – “(Discipline) is something that we address every week. We’ve certain figures that we want to try and keep penalty counts under and we reassess that every week. I’ve only been involved in one or two games where you’re down to one or two penalties.
“You don’t want to take the competitive edge away from a team either but we’re giving away some silly penalties and they’re the ones that we’ve to cut out. There’s no bones about it. I don’t think there is this whirlwind of a disciplinary issue that I’m hearing of, but it’s something that we address every week.
“It’s something that we have a huge amount of pride in, and if you’re going to get a win away from home in Europe it’s going to be something that’s very important, so it would be very foolish of us not to be addressing, but we address it every week.
“(Against Racing in Limerick earlier in the pool) the conditions weren’t great that night granted, but I think we’d be happy enough if it was a close game and we can put ourselves within a shout. In Europe anything can happen. We try and play the best rugby we can in Europe because you have to when you come up against teams like that.
“So we’ve got to focus on ourselves this week and try and train as well as we can the two or three times we get out there, and try and put ourselves in the best position.”
Andrew Conway (Munster) – “If we don’t get a result against Racing, everyone is going to be saying we have lost three out of the last four, that this isn’t working (with Johann van Graan). We need to be conscious of that. But we know what’s going on inside the walls. We know what’s going on on the training ground.
“We need to think for ourselves and not let other people influence us. They are watching from the outside and have their opinions. You listen to them and they are really good opinions – sometimes. But sometimes they are not. Our perception of it is a bit different.
“Individually, Racing are incredibly dangerous. They can pick 15 guys and you wouldn’t know who their strongest ones are from one week to the next. As long as we prepare as well as we can and try to know them as much as we can, but we won’t overdo it and make them something that they are not.”
Current Form – Racing 92 – (Top 14 Championship): Won 25-21 v Castres Olympique (home), Lost 23-19 v Agen (away), Won 25-6 v Brive (away), Won 25-13 v Oyonnax (home), Lost 23-21 v Clermont Auvergne (away), Lost 20-17 v Lyon (home), Lost 16-9 v La Rochelle (away); (Champions Cup): Won 22-18 v Leicester Tigers (home), Lost 14-7 v Munster (away); (Top 14 Championship): Won 29-13 v Bordeaux-Begles (home), Won 23-20 v Pau (home), Won 40-29 v Toulon (away), Won 26-0 v Montpellier (home), Lost 27-17 v Stade Francais (away); (Champions Cup): Lost 16-13 v Castres Olympique (away), Won 29-7 v Castres Olympique (home); (Top 14 Championship): Won 23-19 v Toulouse (home), Won 16-12 v Oyonnax (away), Won 58-6 v Clermont Auvergne (home)
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); (Champions Cup): Won 33-10 v Leicester Tigers (home), Won 25-16 v Leicester Tigers (away): (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 34-24 v Leinster (home), Lost 24-17 v Ulster (away), Won 39-13 v Connacht (home)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Champions Cup: Racing 92 – Points: Maxime Machenaud 18; Tries: Leone Nakarawa 3; Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 37; Tries: Simon Zebo 2
Previous European Meetings: 5
Saturday, October 21, 2017 – Pool 4 – Munster 14 Racing 92 7, Thomond Park
Saturday, January 21, 2017 – Pool 1 – Munster 22 Racing 92 10, Thomond Park
Saturday, January 7, 2017 – Pool 1 – Racing 92 7 Munster 32, Stade Yves-du-Manoir
Sunday, January 20, 2013 – Pool 1 – Munster 29 Racing Metro 92 6, Thomond Park
Saturday, October 13, 2012 – Pool 1 – Racing Metro 92 22 Munster 17, Stade de France
Match Facts –
– The teams have met five times previously. Racing 92 won their first encounter in the 2012/13 season with Munster winning all four fixtures since then
– The last time Racing hosted Munster they suffered their joint heaviest defeat in Europe losing by 25 points, level with losses to Leinster and Clermont Auvergne
– Despite that defeat to Munster, Racing 92 have managed to win seven of their last nine games at home, never conceding more than 18 points in those seven victories
– Racing have a place-kicking success rate of just 65% this season, the lowest rate of any side in the competition
– The top two ball carriers in Europe this season are set to face each other today. CJ Stander has made a competition high 71 carries, with Leone Nakarawa just one behind on 70
European Cup Records:
Racing 92 –
2016/17: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2015/16: Runners-up
2014/15: Reached the quarter-finals
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
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
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