Racing 92 assistant coach Ronan O’Gara finds himself in the unique position of plotting the downfall of his beloved Munster, a team with whom he won two European Cup titles and became the tournament’s record points scorer.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 1: Sunday, October 16
RACING 92 v MUNSTER, Stade Yves-du-Manoir, 4.15pm local time/3.15pm Irish time (live Sky Sports 2 HD/FR2/beIN Sports/RTÉ Radio 1/highlights TG4)
Team News: Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has made just one change to the starting line-up for Sunday’s European Champions Cup opener away to Racing 92 at Stade Yves-du-Manoir.
With Keith Earls still following the return-to-play protocols, South African international Jaco Taute will make his European debut for the province at outside centre.
There was better news for Dave Kilcoyne who has now completed his return-to-play protocols and will start in the front row, while this weekend sees out-half Tyler Bleyendaal and right winger Darren Sweetnam make their European debuts.
Munster Academy prop Brian Scott and centre Dan Goggin are also included in their first European matchday squads after being named on the bench.
It is as you were in the pack with Kilcoyne joining Niall Scannell and John Ryan in the front row. Donnacha Ryan and Billy Holland pair up in the second row with captain Peter O’Mahony, Tommy O’Donnell and CJ Stander again forming the back row trio.
Bleyendaal makes his first Champions Cup appearance alongside Conor Murray in the half-backs, with Taute and Rory Scannell forming a new partnership in the midfield. A back-three of Ronan O’Mahony, Sweetnam and Simon Zebo completes the selection.
Meanwhile, the selected Racing 92 side shows four personnel changes to the one that started last Saturday’s 29-22 Paris derby victory over Stade Francais.
All Black legend Dan Carter has failed to recover from a calf injury in time for the visit of Munster, so young Springbok Johannes Goosen will feature at half-back alongside Racing’s stand-in skipper Maxime Machenaud who kicked 19 points against Stade.
The fit-again Henry Chavancy replaces former Munster man Casey Laulala in midfield, while last season’s Champions Cup runners-up have added Camille Chat – the scorer of a crucial 79th minute try last week – and Kiwi Ben Tameifuna to their front row.
RACING 92: Brice Dulin; Joe Rokocoko, Henry Chavancy, Anthony Tuitavake, Juan Imhoff; Johannes Goosen, Maxime Machenaud (capt); Eddy Ben Arous, Camille Chat, Ben Tameifuna, Leone Nakarawa, Manuel Carizza, Wenceslas Lauret, Yannick Nyanga, Chris Masoe.
Replacements: Virgile Lacombe, Viliamu Afatia, Cedate Gomes Sa, Francois van der Merwe, Thibault Dubarry, James Hart, Remi Tales, Albert Vulivuli.
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Darren Sweetnam, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Ronan O’Mahony; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Duncan Casey, Brian Scott, Stephen Archer, Robin Copeland, Jack O’Donoghue, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Dan Goggin.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Ian Tempest, Paul Dix (both England)
Television Match Official: Sean Davey (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Racing 92 to win: 1/10; Draw: 22/1; Munster to win: 6/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Jacques Nienaber (Munster) – “Because we are a new team it will take some time for the system errors to reduce, but from the start I expected to see the effort from the Munster players, which I have seen. Players will make errors in defence, that’s the only way you can learn, but I don’t think they will make the errors again.
“This weekend in Paris, I think we will face a similar challenge. Leinster played a well-established side against us, and the French champions will do similar on Sunday.
“If we get three opportunities to score we need to take all three. They are a team with many internationals, they are experienced players and have executed well under pressure. We need to do the same.”
Laurent Labit (Racing 92) – “It’s very tough to start the competition with Munster. We have been watching them since the start of the season but we also have the best spy possible with Ronan O’Gara to know how they function.
“Even if the coaching staff has changed, we will have a lot of very useful indications. But Ronan won’t be on the pitch and only the players will have their say.
“It’s funny because he’s got mixed feelings about meeting Munster. It’s the team that’s in his heart, he loves Munster. He feels like he’s betraying them. Of course, he wants Racing to win but, strangely, he’s not happy facing them (Munster), even if he’ll be thrilled to be back at Thomond Park (in January).”
Current Form – Racing 92 – (Top 14 Championship): Lost 15-9 v Bordeaux-Bègles (away); Won 29-16 v Lyon (home); Won 28-14 v Toulouse (home); Lost 47-10 v Clermont Auvergne (away); Won 41-30 v Toulon (home); Lost 31-23 v Castres Olympique (away); Lost 25-16 v Brive (away); Won 29-22 v Stade Francais (home)
Munster – (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 23-13 v Scarlets (away); Lost 24-23 v Cardiff Blues (home); Won 20-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away); Won 28-14 v Edinburgh (home); Won 49-5 v Zebre (home); Lost 35-14 v Leinster (away)
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Champions Cup: Racing 92 – Points: Dan Carter 56; Tries: Juan Imhoff 4; Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 41; Tries: CJ Stander, Simon Zebo, Mike Sherry, Conor Murray, Ronan O’Mahony 2 each
Previous European Meetings: 2
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
European Cup Records:
Racing 92 –
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 –
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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