The GUINNESS PRO12 final has a neutral venue for the first time as Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, plays host to the two most consistent teams during the regular season – table toppers Glasgow Warriors and second-placed Munster.
GUINNESS PRO12 FINAL: Saturday, May 30
MUNSTER (2nd) v GLASGOW WARRIORS (1st), Kingspan Stadium, 6.30pm (live TG4/Sky Sports 3 HD/BBC 2 Scotland/worldwide broadcast details)
Team News: Munster head coach Anthony Foley has named his team to face Glasgow Warriors in Saturday’s GUINNESS PRO12 final, making a number of tactical and injury-enforced changes to the side that defeated the Ospreys.
Having failed a late fitness test, Munster captain Peter O’Mahony (hip flexor) is unavailable for selection while injury also rules out Conor Murray. The scrum half met with a specialist yesterday and is required to rehab a medial ligament knee injury for the next six weeks.
As expected, Andrew Smith, Eusebio Guinazu and Paddy Butler, all of whom sat out Tuesday’s training session, have recovered from their respective knocks to make the starting line-up.
There is good news also for Simon Zebo who has successfully completed his return-to-play protocols to start on the left wing.
In O’Mahony’s absence, centre Denis Hurley, a try scorer against the Ospreys last weekend, will captain the province for the seventh time this season.
The only change in the front row sees BJ Botha come in to win his 100th Munster cap, starting alongside Dave Kilcoyne and Guinazu. The South African tighthead prop becomes the fifth player this season – and the tenth of the current squad – to reach the century milestone for the province.
With Donnacha Ryan making the switch to blindside flanker this weekend, Billy Holland comes into the second row to partner Paul O’Connell for what could be the former Munster skipper’s final game in the famous red jersey.
Ryan is the only change to the back row with Butler and CJ Stander, the man-of-the-match in the semi-final win, completing the pack at openside and number 8 respectively.
The only switch in the back-line sees Duncan Williams take over from the sidelined Murray as Ian Keatley’s half-back partner. Australian Smith continues his centre partnership with Hurley, while Zebo, Keith Earls and full-back Felix Jones will again start in the back-three.
Having sustained a bruised knee in April, James Cronin returns to provide front row cover from the bench with Cathal Sheridan another fit-again player in the matchday 23. The scrum half could feature in the PRO12 for the first time since November after successfully rehabbing a prolonged forearm injury.
If you are travelling to the game, check out details on how to #MakeKingspanHome here. A limited number of remaining PRO12 final tickets are now on public sale. Click here to purchase online.
Match tickets may also come available from Ulster fans re-selling their tickets via Ticketmaster’s Ticket Exchange. Click here to check availability.
Meanwhile, for what will be his last appearance in a Glasgow Warriors shirt, Canadian winger DTH van der Merwe has been handed a place in the Scots’ starting line-up following his try against Ulster last weekend, with Niko Matawalu moving to the bench.
Henry Pyrgos continues at scrum half to win his 99th cap for the club. Dougie Hall, who will make his final appearance for the Warriors, replaces Fraser Brown at hooker.
Gordon Reid replaces the injured Ryan Grant at loosehead prop, while Rossouw de Klerk will start his third consecutive game for the Warriors at tighthead. Fijian second row Leone Nakarawa has been added to the engine room in place of Al Kellock.
Rob Harley returns to the team for the first since the defeat to the the Ospreys at the beginning of May and he will be joined in the back row by Ryan Wilson. Josh Strauss starts at number 8 and will captain the side in the club’s second major final.
Jon Welsh, Matawalu and Kellock are named among the replacements and if they come on, they will make their final appearances for the club.
MUNSTER: Felix Jones; Keith Earls, Andrew Smith, Denis Hurley (capt), Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Eusebio Guinazu, BJ Botha, Billy Holland, Paul O’Connell, Donnacha Ryan, Paddy Butler, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Duncan Casey, James Cronin, Stephen Archer, Sean Dougall, Jack O’Donoghue, Cathal Sheridan, JJ Hanrahan, Ronan O’Mahony.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Richie Vernon, Peter Horne, DTH van der Merwe; Finn Russell, Henry Pyrgos; Gordon Reid, Dougie Hall, Rossouw de Klerk, Leone Nakarawa, Jonny Gray, Rob Harley, Ryan Wilson, Josh Strauss (capt).
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Jon Welsh, Al Kellock, Chris Fusaro, Niko Matawalu, Duncan Weir, Sean Lamont.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Ian Davies, Sean Brickell (both Wales)
Television Match Official: Derek Bevan (Wales)
Pre-Match Quotes: Anthony Foley (Munster) – “A lot of these guys are getting to an age of 25, 26, 27 – a good age for a team to start looking to win trophies, to kick on with their careers, to try and get international careers, to look to establish themselves in teams and looking to be very ambitious in what they’re doing.
“If we can start with that and, hopefully, do something on Saturday, then that would be great. If we don’t and we end up losing, it’s not all doom and gloom. We’ve brought through a lot of players, we’re in a good position in that everyone has a clear understanding of how we want to play and what are we looking to do around the game.
“It’s a continuous progression. Pick up trophies, get pats on the back along the way – well and good, but for Munster we want to be in these competitions, to be in the knockout stages, to be in the finals and we want to be in with a chance of lifting silverware every year.
“Now, there’s a lot of teams that want that as well and that’s why it’s so contested, so hopefully we can get there and get over the line, but it would be hell of a performance to get past Glasgow.
“It (Paul O’Connell’s situation) wasn’t spoken about last week, it hasn’t been mentioned this week. Everyone’s intelligent enough to understand the situation, to go about doing their job.
“If we all do our jobs to the best of our ability, we’ll get the outcome we deserve. If we start thinking about different things and getting distracted by it, getting emotional…then that’s a negative. We want to stay on top of it and be positive around it and give it our best performance and see where that takes us.”
Gregor Townsend (Glasgow Warriors) – “It’s been an enjoyable week preparing for another final and it’s essential we use the experience of last season to put in a performance of which we can all be proud. The way the team came back to win last week against Ulster underlined the work ethic and belief the players have in each other, and we expect to see more of that on display in Belfast tomorrow.
“Munster are a quality side who have been at the top end of the PRO12 table all season. They play a direct brand of rugby, balanced with dangerous attackers in their back-line, so we’ll have to give our best defensive effort of the season.
“Our supporters have got behind the team in large numbers home and away and we’re looking forward to playing in front of them one final time this season at Kingspan Stadium.”
Top Scorers – 2014/15 GUINNESS PRO12: Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 176; Tries: CJ Stander, Simon Zebo 9 each; Glasgow Warriors – Points: Peter Horne 99; Tries: DTH van der Merwe 7
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, March 29, 2013 – Glasgow Warriors 51 Munster 24, Scotstoun Stadium
Friday, October 25, 2013 – Glasgow Warriors 6 Munster 13, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, April 12, 2014 – Munster 5 Glasgow Warriors 22, Thomond Park
Friday, May 16, 2014 – Semi-final – Glasgow Warriors 16 Munster 15, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, December 20, 2014 – Glasgow Warriors 21 Munster 18, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, February 28, 2015 – Munster 22 Glasgow Warriors 10, Irish Independent Park
PREVIOUS PRO12 CHAMPIONS –
2001/02: Leinster
2002/03: Munster
2003/04: Llanelli Scarlets
2004/05: Ospreys
2005/06: Ulster
2006/07: Ospreys
2007/08: Leinster
2008/09: Munster
2009/10: Ospreys (final: 17-12 v Leinster, the RDS)
2010/11: Munster (final: 19-9 v Leinster, Thomond Park)
2011/12: Ospreys (final: 31-30 v Leinster, the RDS)
2012/13: Leinster (final: 24-18 v Ulster, the RDS)
2013/14: Leinster (final: 34-12 v Glasgow Warriors, the RDS)
MATCH FACTS:
– Munster are chasing a fourth PRO12 title and their first since they won the final against Leinster at Thomond Park in 2011. That was their most recent appearance in a major final and was their fifth successive victory in the final of all competitions they have contested
– The Munstermen are unbeaten in their last six PRO12 encounters, since losing 26-12 at the Ospreys in round 17 (their only league defeat since New Year’s Day
– Munster have won both of their games against Scottish opponents in 2015, but have triumphed only once in Belfast in their last eight visits
– Glasgow Warriors are bidding to become the first Scottish side ever to carry off the PRO12 title, and are playing in a second successive final following their defeat to Leinster at the RDS twelve months ago. That was Glasgow’s only previous appearance in the final of any major competition
– The Warriors’ lone defeat in their last seven PRO12 matches was 21-10 at the Ospreys on May 8
– The Warriors have lost just two of their nine fixtures with Irish provinces this season, at Ulster in October and at Munster in February
– The Scotsmen’s only victory at Kingspan Stadium in their last six visits since 2009 was 13-12 over hosts Ulster in September 2013
– Munster’s 22-10 triumph over the Warriors in Cork in round 16 ended a three-match losing run to the Scotsmen, including a 16-15 reversal at Scotstoun Stadium in last season’s semi-final
– Saturday’s PRO12 decider will also see the Hawk-Eye System in operation again, as part of trials with Sky Sports and World Rugby
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