Munster are aiming to sign off before the start of the Champions Cup with a sixth win in seven league games, as they tackle Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield – the venue for this season’s GUINNESS PRO12 final.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, November 7
EDINBURGH (6th) v MUNSTER (4th), BT Murrayfield, 5.15pm (live Sky Sports 5 HD/BBC ALBA)
Team News: Rugby World Cup returnees Conor Murray and Keith Earls will make their first Munster appearances of the season after being named in the team to face Edinburgh at BT Murrayfield.
Head coach Anthony Foley makes eight changes to the side that defeated Ulster at Thomond Park for this weekend’s round 7 clash in the GUINNESS PRO12.
An all-new front row sees Dave Kilcoyne and Duncan Casey come back in with tighthead John Ryan making his first start of the season. Donnacha Ryan is another player to make his first Munster start of the season and does so partnering Dave Foley in the second row.
Dave O’Callaghan returns at blindside flanker with Jack O’Donoghue continuing in the number 7 jersey. Captain CJ Stander completes the back row in switching back to number 8 for Saturday evening’s encounter.
Murray and Ian Keatley resume their half-back partnership for the first time this season, with Francis Saili and Earls forming a new pairing in the midfield.
The only personnel change among the back-three sees winger Ronan O’Mahony make his first start of the current campaign. Gerhard van den Heever remains on the right wing and Simon Zebo reverts to the full-back position.
Uruguayan international Mario Sagario (pictured below) is again in line to make his first appearance for the province after being named on the bench.
On the injury front, Billy Holland (ankle) has completed his rehabilitation programme and is set to play a part in Cork Constitution’s Ulster Bank League match against Young Munster at Tom Clifford Park. Munster squad captain Peter O’Mahony’s knee surgery is expected to take place in a fortnight’s time.
Meanwhile, the all-Scotland international front row of Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford and WP Nel, alongside centre Matt Scott, return to the starting line-up as Edinburgh meet Munster in the PRO12.
Dickinson, Ford and Nel, who touched down against the USA recently, played in all five of Scotland’s Rugby World Cup matches while Scott featured in four, scoring a bonus point try in the pool win over the Americans.
Eighteen-year-old Blair Kinghorn keeps his starting spot at full-back with winger Damien Hoyland retaining the number 14 shirt. Will Helu moves from left wing to outside centre with Scott at inside centre, replacing the injured Sam Beard, while Tom Brown replaces Helu out wide.
A fully-recovered Greig Tonks comes in at out-half to replace the injured Phil Burleigh, with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne retaining the number 9 jersey.
In addition to the returning front row, Alex Toolis moves up from the bench to partner Anton Bresler in the second row, replacing the unavailable Fraser McKenzie.
Mike Coman will again lead the team out at blindside flanker, while Hamish Watson returns at openside and Cornell du Preez moves up from the bench to start at the back of the scrum.
EDINBURGH: Blair Kinghorn; Damien Hoyland, Will Helu, Matt Scott, Tom Brown; Greig Tonks, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, WP Nel, Anton Bresler, Alex Toolis, Mike Coman (capt), Hamish Watson, Cornell du Preez.
Replacements: Neil Cochrane, Rory Sutherland, John Andress, Roddy Grant, Nasi Manu, Sean Kennedy, Andries Strauss, Dougie Fife.
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Gerhard van den Heever, Keith Earls, Francis Saili, Ronan O’Mahony; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Duncan Casey, John Ryan, Donnacha Ryan, Dave Foley, Dave O’Callaghan, Jack O’Donoghue, CJ Stander (capt).
Replacements: Niall Scannell, James Cronin, Mario Sagario, Robin Copeland, Jordan Coghlan, Tomas O’Leary, Rory Scannell, Denis Hurley.
Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Neil Paterson, Bob Nevins (both Scotland)
Television Match Official: Jim Yuille (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Edinburgh to win: 6/4; Draw: 16/1; Munster to win: 4/7
Pre-Match Quotes: Brian Walsh (Munster) – “Edinburgh have had a good start, particularly at home. They won’t be happy about their last two losses but I think we’ll see a different side this weekend. They’ll also be back to full strength and will be a difficult side to beat, especially at home.
“We picked up a few knocks and bangs against Ulster last weekend but touch wood we are in pretty good shape, and I guess that’s one of the big challenges we face over a 16-week block – to keep guys fresh and rotate as much as possible.
“The flip side of that is as you get nearer to Europe, you need to get closer to putting your final side out on the park.
“(Having a full squad training) brings a bit of freshness, mentally and physically, and it’s not just the internationals, but the likes of Mario Sagario and Sean Doyle coming in bolsters the squad and the pace increases as guys try to impress.
“We’ve improved game to game as the league has gone on and it’s about bringing your right game at the right time. I thought we were very good last weekend and did well also in Scarlets given the conditions and we were unlucky not to get a win out of it – little things let us down. We’re building nicely, we need to take confidence out of the things we’re doing well and keep improving.”
Alan Solomons (Edinburgh) – “What the guys did well (against Connacht) was, even right at the death, they took their chances but they worked their way up from their own try-line to the ten metre line.
“But bonus points are vital. We were disappointing (against Zebre) but I felt we played much better (against Connacht). It’s always a difficult place to come out and play.
“The only thing that I am really disappointed with was the game against Zebre, where I honestly felt that we should have won that game. So far, I’m not unhappy with where we are. But we have got a massive game against Munster.
“We are only too aware of the challenge that we face on Saturday evening and know that we need to be at our best.”
Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Edinburgh – Points: Greig Tonks 31; Tries: Damien Hoyland 3; Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 62; Tries: CJ Stander, Andrew Conway 3 each
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, September 1, 2012 – Edinburgh 18 Munster 23, Murrayfield
Saturday, February 9, 2013 – Munster 30 Edinburgh 3, Musgrave Park
Saturday, September 7, 2013 – Munster 34 Edinburgh 23, Musgrave Park
Saturday, May 3, 2014 – Edinburgh 12 Munster 55, Meggetland
Friday, September 5, 2014 – Munster 13 Edinburgh 14, Thomond Park
Saturday, April 11, 2015 – Edinburgh 3 Munster 34, BT Murrayfield
MATCH FACTS:
– Edinburgh began their GUINNESS PRO12 campaign with four straight victories, but they were defeated in rounds 5 and 6 at Zebre and Connacht respectively
– Edinburgh have won all three of their home games in the PRO12 so far this season
– Munster have lost just once since last season’s final defeat to Glasgow Warriors: 25-22 at the Scarlets in round 5
– Munster have not lost back-to-back way games in the competition since December-January
– Edinburgh have beaten Munster just once in the PRO12 in their last seven fixtures: 14-13 at Limerick in the opening round of last season, while they have not beaten the Irish province at Murrayfield since September 2011
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