A sell-out crowd of 8,008 will watch Munster’s final Cork game of the season as the Champions Cup semi-finalists host familiar foes Glasgow Warriors in what is sure to be a fiercely-contested GUINNESS PRO12 clash.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, April 8
MUNSTER (2nd) v GLASGOW WARRIORS (6th), Irish Independent Park, 7.35pm (live TG4/BBC ALBA)
Team News: Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has rung the changes for tonight’s GUINNESS PRO12 round 19 match against Glasgow Warriors at Irish Independent Park.
There are ten changes to the side that defeated Toulouse in the Champions Cup last week, with the province also including no less than six Ireland internationals on a strong bench.
James Cronin, who makes his 80th appearance in red, Rhys Marshall and Stephen Archer make up a new front row, with Dave O’Callaghan coming in to join captain Billy Holland in the second row.
Jean Deysel will make his first appearance for the province having been named in a new-look back row. The South African is joined by number 8 Jack O’Donoghue and the Academy’s Conor Oliver whose rich form in the Munster ‘A’ jersey sees him start at openside flanker.
Duncan Williams and current PRO12 Golden Boot leader, Tyler Bleyendaal, continue at half-back, while in midfield, the return of Francis Saili sees him start alongside Jaco Taute for the first time.
In completing the changes, the Championship’s top try scorer to date, Ronan O’Mahony, and full-back Andrew Conway both rejoin Darren Sweetnam in the back-three. Should he appear off the bench, Rory Scannell will win his 50th Munster cap.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors boss Gregor Townsend has named a matchday squad boasting over 1,500 Glasgow appearances to face Munster in Cork.
Stuart Hogg starts at full-back with Tommy Seymour and Lee Jones either side of him, the latter touching down in last weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-final defeat to Saracens.
Alex Dunbar is joined in midfield by Nick Grigg, who sits second in the PRO12 charts in terms of defenders beaten this season with 45 in his 12 games so far. Finn Russell has Ali Price alongside him this week at half-back.
Sila Puafisi joins Fraser Brown and Gordon Reid in the front row, while Brian Alainu’uese and captain Jonny Gray pack down behind them. All three loose forwards from Allianz Park retain their places, with Rob Harley, Ryan Wilson and Adam Ashe completing the starting XV.
On the bench, centurions Pat MacArthur, Chris Fusaro, Henry Pyrgos and Peter Horne will all bring their experience to the pitch should they come on.
MUNSTER: Andrew Conway; Darren Sweetnam, Francis Saili, Jaco Taute, Ronan O’Mahony; Tyler Bleyendaal, Duncan Williams; James Cronin, Rhys Marshall, Stephen Archer, Dave O’Callaghan, Billy Holland (capt), Jean Deysel, Conor Oliver, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, John Ryan, Donnacha Ryan, Peter O’Mahony, Angus Lloyd, Rory Scannell, Simon Zebo.
GLASGOW WARRIORS: Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Nick Grigg, Alex Dunbar, Lee Jones; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Sila Puafisi, Brian Alainu’uese, Jonny Gray (capt), Rob Harley, Ryan Wilson, Adam Ashe.
Replacements: Pat MacArthur, Alex Allan, D’arcy Rae, Scott Cummings, Chris Fusaro, Henry Pyrgos, Peter Horne, Rory Hughes.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Adam Jones (Wales), Paul Haycock (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 4/9; Draw: 17/1; Glasgow Warriors to win: 15/8
Pre-Match Quotes: Jack O’Donoghue (Munster) – “There was a great buzz around the place (after the Champions Cup and British & Irish Cup wins last week), but we know what’s coming against Glasgow.
“They are such a tough outfit and they will want a bit of revenge against us. They’ll be hurting after losing to Saracens last weekend in Europe. We are back in Cork too, and we are very conscious that we lost there earlier this season. We really don’t want another stain on our record.
“We have played Warriors three times already and came out on top of each game, but only barely. There has been nothing in it for each of those games, so we know it is going to be a tough encounter.
“The physicality that they can produce is immense, it’s every bit as big as we faced last weekend against Toulouse. They have a massive pack, two huge locks, but they have plenty of skills behind that as well.
Their running style suits their lively back-three, Stuart Hogg is really dangerous and Finn Russell is another quality player. It’s going to be tough.”
Gregor Townsend (Glasgow Warriors) – “We have had some great battles with Munster already this season and we are expecting the same on Saturday evening.
“They bring physicality and intensity on the same level as a Test match and we are going to have to perform very well in those aspects of the game to get a positive result.
“We didn’t get things right last weekend against Saracens but things move on pretty quickly in sport and we now have an opportunity to show a true reflection of the rugby we are capable of playing. We are determined to deliver a much better performance over in Cork.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Munster – Points: Tyler Bleyendaal 113; Tries: Ronan O’Mahony 9; Glasgow Warriors – Points: Finn Russell 65; Tries: Tommy Seymour 8
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Munster – Played 18, Won 15, Lost 3, 68 Points; 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); Glasgow Warriors – Played 18, Won 18, Lost 8, 51 Points; W 41-5 v Connacht (away), W 33-25 v Leinster (home), L 23-19 v Cardiff Blues (away), L 22-17 v Ulster (home), W 26-17 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 33-28 v Zebre (away), W 31-14 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 27-3 v Scarlets (away), L 22-5 v Ospreys (home), L 16-15 v Munster (home), W 25-12 v Edinburgh (away), W 35-28 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 29-15 v Cardiff Blues (home), L 26-14 v Scarlets (home), L 37-17 v Ulster (away), L 26-15 v Ospreys (away), W 47-17 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 35-24 v Connacht (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, December 20, 2014 – Glasgow Warriors 21 Munster 18, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, February 28, 2015 – Munster 22 Glasgow Warriors 10, Irish Independent Park
Saturday, May 30, 2015 – Final – Munster 13 Glasgow Warriors 31, Kingspan Stadium
Friday, October 2, 2015 – Munster 23 Glasgow Warriors 21, Thomond Park
Friday, February 19, 2016 – Glasgow Warriors 27 Munster 24, Rugby Park
Friday, December 2, 2016 – Glasgow Warriors 15 Munster 16, Scotstoun Stadium
MATCH FACTS:
– Munster’s only defeat in the last twelve rounds of the GUINNESS PRO12 was 21-13 at home to the Scarlets at Thomond Park in February
– Munster have lost just twice in Cork since early 2013 – to the Ospreys in February 2016 and to Cardiff Blues in September
– Munster have won all five matches they have played against Scottish opponents this season
– Glasgow Warriors have won their last two PRO12 matches, both with maximum points, at Scotstoun against the Newport Gwent Dragons and Connacht
– The Warriors have not won away from home in the Championship since visiting Benetton Treviso on December 31, while the Scotsmen’s only victory over an Irish province in Ireland since the 2015 PRO12 final was against Connacht in Galway in round 1 this season
– The two sides have met three times this season in all tournaments with Munster victorious on each occasion. Glasgow’s only previous victory in Cork was 21-18 in May 2008
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