A little under four years on from their semi-final defeat to Toulon in Marseille, Munster renew rivalries with the French powerhouses as they look to make home advantage count and record another famous European win at fortress Thomond.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTER-FINAL: Saturday, March 31
MUNSTER (1st, Pool 4) v TOULON (2nd, Pool 5), Thomond Park, 3.15pm (live Sky Sports Action/Sky Sports Main Event/FR2/beIN Sports/RTÉ Radio 1/highlights TG4)
Team News: The Munster team has been announced for the province’s record 17th Champions Cup quarter-final against French heavyweights Toulon at Thomond Park this afternoon.
There are six changes to the side that beat the Scarlets 19-7 in the GUINNESS PRO14 last Saturday. Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway are both back from injury having come through training this week, with Stephen Archer and Grand Slam winners Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and CJ Stander also returning in the red jersey.
Zebo starts at full-back with Conway and Alex Wootton, Munster’s top try scorer so far this season with nine tries, on the flanks. Rory Scannell, who has played every minute of Munster’s 2017/18 European campaign, continues his centre partnership with the impressive Sam Arnold.
EPCR European Player of the Year nominee Murray starts at scrum half alongside Ian Keatley, who scored 61 points in the province’s six pool games, while Dave Kilcoyne, Rhys Marshall and Archer get the nod in the front row.
Head coach Johann van Graan pairs the ever-reliable Billy Holland and Jean Kleyn together in the engine room, with captain O’Mahony and Stander slot straight into the back row, the latter having played all 480 minutes of Munster’s Champions Cup run so far this season.
While Tommy O’Donnell’s shoulder injury robs Munster of an experienced back rower, fellow Ireland international Jack O’Donoghue will start after an excellent performance against the Scarlets. The Waterford man moves from blindside to openside flanker.
The all-international trio of Niall Scannell, James Cronin and John Ryan make up the front row cover. Having both faced Munster as Racing 92 players last season, James Hart and Gerbrandt Grobler are in line to make their European bows for the province as replacements. Robin Copeland, who was man-of-the-match against the Scarlets, JJ Hanrahan and Darren Sweetnam complete the bench options.
Meanwhile, Toulon boss Fabien Galthié has retained 10 players in the starting XV from last Sunday’s seven-try 47-0 rout of Clermont Auvergne in the Top 14. Behind the scrum, former All Black Ma’a Nonu and Francois Trinh-Duc, who made recent starts for France against England and Wales, return at inside centre and out-half respectively.
The benched Malakai Fekitoa and Anthony Belleau make way for the experienced pair, with Nonu reunited with captain Mathieu Bastareaud in midfield. Trinh-Duc and Eric Escande will look to provide a platform from which to launch a dangerous back-three which has prolific English winger Chris Ashton at full-back.
France captain Guilhem Guirado and South African duo Juandre Kruger and Duane Vermeulen are the changes up front, meaning it is the same Toulon pack which started the 30-27 round 6 defeat to the Scarlets, apart from the inclusion of 24-times capped England international Dave Attwood in the second row.
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), Jack O’Donoghue, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, James Cronin, John Ryan, Gerbrandt Grobler, Robin Copeland, James Hart, JJ Hanrahan, Darren Sweetnam.
TOULON: Chris Ashton; Josua Tuisova, Mathieu Bastareaud (capt), Ma’a Nonu, Semi Radradra; Francois Trinh-Duc, Eric Escande; Florian Fresia, Guilhem Guirado, Marcel van der Merwe, Juandre Kruger, Dave Attwood, Raphael Lakafia, Facundo Isa, Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: Anthony Etrillard, Xavier Chiocci, Emerick Setiano, Romain Taofifenua, Anthony Belleau, Malakai Fekitoa, Alby Mathewson, Samu Manoa.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Ben Whitehouse, Ian Davies (both Wales)
Television Match Official: Jonathan Mason (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 8/13; Draw: 14/1; Toulon to win: 7/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Johann van Graan (Munster) – “It’s always pressure. I’m relishing the opportunity. I think it’s why we work in rugby – for moments like this. It’s my first (knockout game) with Munster. I was lucky enough to be part of Super Rugby finals and semi-finals, and a World Cup semi-final and play-off games.
“This is unique. I’m looking forward to it, can’t wait for Saturday. If you can’t enjoy weeks like this, why are you in the game? You want it, that’s why you are in the game. You want it, that’s why we train. You want this pressure, and hopefully we can come through it.
“Any side that beats Clermont 49-0 is quality. Just look at the tries Toulon scored (last week), some of their broken-field attack, their maul, and their scrum. In some scrums they went just right through the opposition. They have star players everywhere.
“They put a fantastic game together last Sunday. We’ll have to be at our very best to get a result on Saturday. Toulon have fantastic ball carriers – (Facundo) Isa, (Duane) Vermeulen, (Ma’a) Nonu, (Mathieu) Bastareaud, (Malakai) Fekitoa, (JP) Pietersen, (Chris) Ashton. I could name any guy. We will have to be at our best in all areas to get through this game.”
Peter O’Mahony (Munster) – “At the end of the day, all of those big wins we’ve seen in Thomond Park come down to big performances on the day. No doubt it is certainly a factor. We get incredible support – relentlessly over the years – and it will certainly be a factor, but we have to prepare ourselves to put in a huge performance to match the one the supporters will put in.
“We have the biggest week of the province’s year so far this week with the calibre of Toulon coming over here. I can rattle off tens of reasons why the mind has to be focused now, getting back to work and getting ready for Saturday.
“We’ve come up against Toulon a few times. Big squads, the calibre of player they have is incredible, with big, big forwards. We can talk about them all day but we’ve got to have a good look at ourselves as well, and put our best foot forward on Saturday. If we play averagely, or just above average, we will probably have a good score put on us.
“So we have to have the best performance of the season so far if we are going to be in with a shot. I’ve been lucky enough to play for my home province all my life. We are obviously back into a European quarter-final. You’ve regrets from some years, and fond memories of big wins. Some of it stands with you for a long time, and you have to remember those lows and the highs, and try to balance that with training, and take all of those memories into Saturday.”
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); (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); (Champions Cup): Lost 34-30 v Racing 92 (away), Won 48-3 v Castres Olympique (home); (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 33-5 v Zebre (home), Lost 25-18 v Cardiff Blues (away), Won 21-10 v Glasgow Warriors (home), Lost 12-6 v Edinburgh (away), Won 19-7 v Scarlets (home)
Toulon – (Top 14 Championship): Won 41-14 v Pau (home), Lost 21-16 v Clermont Auvergne (away), Won 20-16 v Toulouse (home), Lost 43-20 v Montpellier (away), Won 19-15 v Stade Francais (away), Won 26-20 v La Rochelle (home), Lost 30-27 v Bordeaux-Begles (away); (Champions Cup): Won 21-20 v Scarlets (home), Won 30-29 v Benetton Rugby (away); (Top 14 Championship): Won 41-24 v Brive (home), Lost 26-24 v Agen (away), Lost 40-29 v Racing 92 (home), Lost 20-19 v Castres Olympique (away), Won 39-11 v Lyon (home); (Champions Cup): Won 24-20 v Bath (home), Lost 26-21 v Bath (away); (Top 14 Championship): Won 49-25 v Oyonnax (home), Lost 18-13 v Toulouse (away), Lost 13-12 v Brive (away); (Champions Cup): Won 36-0 v Benetton Rugby (home), Lost 30-27 v Scarlets (away); (Top 14 Championship): Won 36-12 v Bordeaux-Begles (home), Won 43-5 v Stade Francais (home), Won 27-20 v La Rochelle (away), Lost 15-6 v Lyon (away), Won 54-5 v Agen (home), Lost 29-26 v Oyonnax (away), Won 49-0 v Clermont Auvergne (home)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Champions Cup: Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 61; Tries: Simon Zebo 3; Toulon – Points: Francois Trinh-Duc 49; Tries: Josua Tuisova 3
Previous European Meetings: 3
Sunday, April 27, 2014 – Semi-Final – Toulon 27 Munster 16, Stade Veldrome
Sunday, January 16, 2011 – Pool 3 – Toulon 32 Munster 16, Stade Félix Mayol
Saturday, October 16, 2010 – Pool 3 – Munster 45 Toulon 18, Thomond Park
Match Facts –
– This will be the fourth match between the teams. Both won their home games in the 2010/11 pool stages, while Toulon were victorious in the 2014 semi-final in Marseille
– Munster have won 70 of their previous 75 home fixtures in the European Cup. Clermont Auvergne are the only Top 14 club to win at Thomond Park in that time (round 3 during the 2015/16 campaign)
– Toulon have won eight of their nine meetings with Irish provinces, only losing to Munster in the 2010/11 season
– The three-time champions have lost five of their last six away games, only managing to beat Benetton Rugby during that run (30-29)
– Munster made the fewest metres per match (324) of any side during the pool stages, while Toulon averaged the most (479)
– Toulon also beat the most defenders of any team in the pool stages (155), with Josua Tuisova (23) and Facundo Isa (19) both featuring among the top 10 individual players
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
Toulon –
2016/17: Reached the quarter-finals
2015/16: Reached the quarter-finals
2014/15: Champions
2013/14: Champions
2012/13: Champions
2010/11: Reached the quarter-finals
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