Munster are back in the GUINNESS PRO12 final for the first time since 2015 when they were defeated by Glasgow Warriors, while the Scarlets are aiming to win their first Championship title since 2004. Both teams possess tremendous pedigree and either one will serve as superb successors to 2016 champions Connacht.
GUINNESS PRO12 FINAL: Saturday, May 27
MUNSTER v SCARLETS, Aviva Stadium, 6.15pm (live TG4/Sky Sports 1 HD/BBC 2 Wales/RTE Radio 1/Newstalk 106-108fm)
Team News: Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has kept faith with the matchday 23 that defeated the Ospreys for Saturday evening’s GUINNESS PRO12 final against the Scarlets.
Named in the second row, Donnacha Ryan will win his 167th and final Munster cap, with outside centre Francis Saili and replacement Jean Deysel also set for their final involvement with the province.
Having made his debut as an Academy player away to Connacht in April 2010, scrum half Conor Murray will make his 100th Munster appearance on Saturday and becomes the tenth player in the current squad to reach the milestone.
Hoping to steer the province to their first PRO12 silverware in six years, Murray’s half-back partner Tyler Bleyendaal said: “It’s been huge for us. Our forwards have been providing that platform for the whole season, to attack from and to relieve pressure on the team.
“If you get under pressure, sometimes you can’t stop the bleeding and you make mistakes. Sometimes you can’t put your finger on it during those games. Like Leinster, we’ve experienced that. It’s tough sometimes. You probably saw that when we were playing Saracens. From our situation I’m hoping that we’ve learned from that and that we’re stronger for this final.
“I think the Scarlets have got class from nine to 15 and in their reserves. Their attacking ability, we’ve all experienced that over the last couple of months. Any turnover, any counter attack or just any chance they get to attack on the break, they seem extremely hungry to score tries.”
Facing up to a potent Scarlets attack, Munster boast the leanest defence in the Championship having conceded just 316 points (an average of 14) across the 22-match regular season in the GUINNESS PRO12.
Rassie Erasmus’ men saw off the challenge of the Ospreys in last weekend’s semi-final at Thomond Park where they held their opponents to no tries while scoring three of their own. Munster will be looking to add another Championship title to the three they have already claimed – 2003, 2009 and 2011 – and a fourth crown would put them on par with Leinster and the Ospreys who share the record for most titles.
It has been a rebound season for the Munstermen who failed to reach the semi-final stage last year but, under the guidance of Erasmus, they finished top of the table in 2017. They did so in record style by winning 86 match points, the highest tally ever compiled by a team in the PRO12.
Limited GUINNESS PRO12 final tickets, starting from 45 euro, can be purchased online here.
Meanwhile, Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac has rewarded the team that secured a superb 27-15 victory at Leinster last week, naming an unchanged side for the PRO12 decider.
Scottish captain John Barclay will remain at the helm in Ken Owens’ injury-enforced absence, while top try-scoring winger Steff Evans had his 37th minute semi-final red card rescinded and is free to continue his rich vein of form.
Scrum half Gareth Davies will mark his 150th appearance for the Welsh region at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, a fitting way to reach a century-and-a-half of games in the famous Scarlet jersey.
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Francis Saili, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Brian Scott, Stephen Archer, Jean Deysel, Jack O’Donoghue, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Jaco Taute.
SCARLETS: Johnny Mcnicholl; Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Rob Evans, Ryan Elias, Samson Lee, Lewis Rawlins, Tadhg Beirne, Aaron Shingler, James Davies, John Barclay (capt).
Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Wyn Jones, Werner Kruger, David Bulbring, Will Boyde, Jonathan Evans, Hadleigh Parkes, DTH van der Merwe.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: David Wilkinson (Ireland), Ian Davies (Wales)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 2/7; Draw: 19/1; Scarlets to win: 11/4
Pre-Match Quotes: Rassie Erasmus (Munster) – “We learned from the Saracens semi-final how to treat the Ospreys game. It’s all about pressure. I know pressure and understand there are big moments in a game. It’s probably a bit of a cliché, but big moments turn play-off rugby.
“Sometimes you get a lot of belief – or lose a lot. I thought it was a big moment when we couldn’t score in the 22 last week, but then the Ospreys kicked the ball and we actually scored from that one to relieve the pressure on ourselves.
“Against Saracens, we had 10 minutes just before half-time when we were on their try-line and could have scored to turn the pressure around. I don’t think it’s a technical and tactical thing we learned. It’s more a mind thing. We applied it last Saturday and we’ll definitely need it this Saturday.
“Scarlets are hitting form and they had big moments with 14 men (in their semi-final win over Leinster). I think they have the second most runs in the competition and a lot of kicking.
“They changed it from the first few games they played. They’re tactically a well-coached team and you can see they’re on a run of unbelievable results. After they beat us here (in February), they went and got a good smack off Leinster. Then now they go and beat Leinster with 14 men.
“They’ve changed their tactics. But we’ll stick to our guns. We only know one way to play, which has worked for us. I’d be lying if I said to you that even if we lose, it has been a great season. It probably was an okay season. It would be a wonderful season if we won it (the PRO12).”
Wayne Pivac (Scarlets) – “We know Munster are a very good side. You don’t finish top after the round robin stage for nothing. They’ve got the best defensive record in the Championship and they’re a side that we have a lot of respect for.
“We took some confidence out of that win (at Thomond Park in February) but it’s going to be a different occasion altogether. We have to make sure we go out there and play our game and enjoy the occasion.
“The boys know that if they get it right on the day they can beat anyone, so we just have to get it right on the day.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Munster – Points: Tyler Bleyendaal 134; Tries: Ronan O’Mahony 9; Scarlets – Points: Rhys Patchell 133; Tries: Steff Evans 12
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Munster – Played 23, Won 20, Lost 3; W 23-13 v Scarlets (away), L 24-23 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 20-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 28-14 v Edinburgh (home), W 49-5 v Zebre (home), Played , L 25-14 v Leinster (away), W 15-14 v Ulster (away), W 33-0 v Ospreys (home), W 46-3 v Benetton Treviso (home), W 16-15 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 29-17 v Leinster (home), W 16-9 v Connacht (away), W 10-9 v Edinburgh (away), W 45-17 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 25-23 v Ospreys (away), L 30-21 v Scarlets (home), W 23-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 50-14 v Zebre (away), W 10-7 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 22-20 v Ulster (home), W 34-14 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 50-14 v Connacht (home), W 23-3 v Ospreys (home semi-final); Scarlets – Played 23, Won 18, Lost 5; L 23-13 v Munster (home), L 20-9 v Edinburgh (away), L 19-8 v Ulster (away), W 17-8 v Connacht (home), W 22-6 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 31-27 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 26-15 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 27-3 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 38-29 v Leinster (home), W 31-24 v Zebre (away), L 19-9 v Ospreys (away), W 15-10 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 16-13 v Ulster (home), W 26-14 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 42-7 v Zebre (home), W 30-21 v Munster (away), L 45-9 v Leinster (away), W 26-10 v Edinburgh (home), W 51-5 v Benetton Treviso (home), W 21-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 30-8 v Connacht (away), W 40-17 v Ospreys (home), W 27-15 v Leinster (away semi-final)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, October 10, 2014 – Munster 17 Scarlets 6, Thomond Park
Saturday, February 21, 2015 – Scarlets 25 Munster 25, Parc y Scarlets
Friday, October 23, 2015 – Scarlets 25 Munster 22, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, May 7, 2016 – Munster 31 Scarlets 15, Thomond Park
Saturday, September 3, 2016 – Scarlets 13 Munster 23, Parc y Scarlets
Friday, February 24, 2017 – Munster 21 Scarlets 30, Thomond Park
MATCH FACTS:
– Munster are attempting to win their fourth GUINNESS PRO12 title, and their first since the 2010/11 season
– The Munstermen have won their last seven PRO12 matches, while their only defeat in the Championship since round 6 was 30-21 at home to the Scarlets in round 16
– Munster have lost on their last three appearances at the Aviva Stadium in all tournaments and have won just once there since the old Lansdowne Road was redeveloped: 34-23 against Leinster in round 5 of the PRO12 in the 2014/15 season
– The Scarlets have won the PRO12 title once before, in 2003/04 (the inaugural season of home-and-away league play)
– The Scarlets region have played in two previous finals, losing them both, to Munster at Lansdowne Road in the 2005 Celtic Cup final and to Wasps at Twickenham in the Anglo-Welsh Cup a year later
– The Scarlets have won their last six PRO12 encounters, while their only defeat in the competition in 2017 was on a visit to Leinster in round 17
– The Scarlets have not played at the Aviva Stadium before but did appear three times at the old Lansdowne Road between 2005 to 2006, losing on each occasion, to Munster in the Celtic Cup final and twice to Leinster in the PRO12
– Both of the PRO12 fixtures between the two sides this season were won by the away side on the day, while the last dozen encounters between them in the PRO12 could not be more evenly split with five wins apiece and two draws
– No Welsh region has won the PRO12 crown since the Ospreys’ 31-30 victory over Leinster at the RDS in 2012
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