Munster will be eager to improve their inconsistent recent form in Cork – two defeats in four outings – as the GUINNESS PRO12 leaders look to take a step closer to the play-offs by beating the Dragons.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, February 10
MUNSTER (1st) v NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS (10th), Irish Independent Park, 7.35pm (live TG4/BBC 2 Wales)
Team News: Tyler Bleyendaal retains the captaincy for Munster’s PRO12 date with the Dragons in Cork, while local man Darren Sweetnam makes a welcome return to the starting line-up following a knee injury.
There are five changes to the side that defeated Edinburgh, with Dave Kilcoyne, Tommy O’Donnell, Rory Scannell and Andrew Conway all released from the Ireland Six Nations camp for the game in Cork.
Kilcoyne comes into the front row alongside Rhys Marshall and Stephen Archer, and second rows Jean Kleyn and Dave Foley again complete the tight five.
O’Donnell returns to the back row at openside flanker with Dave O’Callaghan and Jack O’Donoghue taking charge at blindside and number 8 respectively.
Duncan Williams and stand-in skipper Bleyendaal continue together at half-back, and in a fully changed midfield, Jaco Taute reverts from full-back to resume his centre partnership with Scannell.
Crossing for his sixth try of the current PRO12 campaign last weekend, Ronan O’Mahony remains on the left wing with the final two changes seeing Conway and Sweetnam rejoin the back-three. Cork native Sweetnam makes his first appearance since injuring his knee in Munster’s derby win over Leinster on St Stephen’s Day.
Three Academy representatives – Brian Scott, Conor Oliver and Dan Goggin – are named on the bench alongside club player Abrie Griesel of Young Munster.
Start your weekend cheering on Munster plus supporters can avail of FREE PARKING in the Black Ash Park and Ride.
Tickets are priced at €;20 for adults, €;7 for juniors, €;7 for students and it is €;40 for family tickets (2 adults and 2 juniors). Tickets can be purchased online here, from the Munster Rugby Ticket Offices at Irish Independent Park and Thomond Park, or by calling 061 421103.
Meanwhile, Dragons head coach Kingsley Jones has named a strong side which includes the return of first team regulars who sat out last Saturday’s 24-13 Anglo-Welsh Cup defeat at Gloucester.
One of these changes is skipper Lewis Evans who, along with Adam Warren, signed a new contract with the Welsh region last week. The 24-year-old Pat Howard returns to the back-three to join fellow winger Adam Hughes and full-back Carl Meyer who made his 50th Dragons appearance for the Dragons last time out.
The selected centres see Tyler Morgan partnered by Adam Warren this week, with out-half Dorian Jones retaining his starting position and scrum half Tavis Knoyle returning to the team.
In the front row, Sam Hobbs continues at loosehead prop with hooker Rhys Buckley and tighthead prop Brok Harris joining him. Last weekend’s double try scorer Matthew Screech gets the nod in the second row alongside Rynard Landman, as the back row sees flankers Ollie Griffiths and Nic Cudd named alongside number 8 Lewis Evans.
MUNSTER: Andrew Conway; Darren Sweetnam, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Ronan O’Mahony; Tyler Bleyendaal (capt), Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Rhys Marshall, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Dave Foley; Dave O’Callaghan, Tommy O’Donnell, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Peter McCabe, Brian Scott, Darren O’Shea, Conor Oliver, Abrie Griesel, Francis Saili, Dan Goggin.
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: Carl Meyer; Adam Hughes, Tyler Morgan, Adam Warren, Pat Howard; Dorian Jones, Tavis Knoyle; Sam Hobbs, Rhys Buckley, Brok Harris, Matthew Screech, Rynard Landman, Ollie Griffiths, Nic Cudd, Lewis Evans (capt).
Replacements: Elliot Dee, Thomas Davies, Lloyd Fairbrother, Nick Crosswell, Harrison Keddie, Sarel Pretorius, Angus O’Brien, Sam Beard.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Keith Allen (Scotland), Stuart Douglas (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 1/10; Draw: 25/1; Newport Gwent Dragons to win: 6/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Rassie Erasmus (Munster) – “The Dragons are a very good team. Even when we had our internationals playing for us in the last away game against them, I can still remember the last lineout maul where they were all over us.
“They could have scored that last maul and we would have lost the game. They wouldn’t be a team that lose a lot of international players right now so it will be a good challenge. For us, this is a block of games where we have to do without a lot of international players, either with the Under-20s or playing for the senior Ireland team against Italy this weekend, and we are up against a gutsy team without a lot of changes, so it will be tough.
“Jacques (Nienaber) is a really good defensive coach but the players must take a hell of a lot of credit (for the impressive defending) and I think Jerry (Flannery) and Felix (Jones) too. People always see defence in isolation but defence links to the scrum, to the lineout defence, to the kicking game which Felix is handling, so it all links into one another.
“I think it’s a great group effort from us and the young boys stepping up and the Academy boys coming in and fitting into the system and slotting in. I think that’s a positive so we have to build on it.
“We are in new waters with 14 guys up in national camp. It was great for the guys who are not regular starters to start (against Edinburgh) and then at the end to grind it out with our defence. The defence is usually the thing that shows the character of the team and now our challenge is to get some attacking play going.”
Ceri Jones (Newport Gwent Dragons) – “It’s a very, very difficult place to go. It will be a huge challenge and we just need to go there and put in an 80-minute performance on the field. We know we can do that and we can be competitive with any team in the league, but it’s down to us to stop making those stupid errors.
“We know the threats that Munster are going to impose on the rugby field and we have prepared really well for them. We know what is coming, so if we deal with that and then put our game onto the pitch, I am sure that we will give a good account of ourselves.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Munster – Points: Tyler Bleyendaal 71; Tries: Ronan O’Mahony 6; Newport Gwent Dragons – Points: Angus O’Brien 77; Tries: Pat Howard 4
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Munster – Played 13, Won 11, Lost 2, 50 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); Newport Gwent Dragons – Played 13, Won 4, Lost 9, 19 Points; L 29-8 v Ulster (away), W 11-6 v Zebre (home), L 20-16 v Munster (home), L 27-11 v Benetton Treviso (away), L 26-17 v Glasgow Warriors (home), L 31-27 v Scarlets (away), L 35-17 v Ospreys (away), W 21-16 v Connacht (home), W 27-19 v Edinburgh (home), L 28-15 v Leinster (away), L 27-16 v Cardiff Blues (away), L 10-0 v Ospreys (home), Won 26-8 v Benetton Treviso (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, November 29, 2013 – Newport Gwent Dragons 14 Munster 18, Rodney Parade
Friday, November 21, 2014 – Newport Gwent Dragons 12 Munster 38, Rodney Parade
Saturday, May 16, 2015 – Munster 50 Newport Gwent Dragons 27, Irish Independent Park
Sunday, December 6, 2015 – Newport Gwent Dragons 22 Munster 6, Rodney Parade
Saturday, March 5, 2016 – Munster 26 Newport Gwent Dragons 5, Thomond Park
Saturday, September 17, 2016 – Newport Gwent Dragons 16 Munster 20, Rodney Parade
MATCH FACTS:
– Munster have won their last seven matches in the GUINNESS PRO12 since their reversal to Leinster at Aviva Stadium on October 8
– The Munstermen have lost two of their last four fixtures played in Cork, to the Ospreys last February and to Cardiff Blues in September
– The Newport Gwent Dragons’ 26-8 victory at home to Benetton Treviso in round 13 ended a three-match losing run in the PRO12
– The Welshmen have lost their last 18 away games in the PRO12 since beating Treviso at Stadio di Monigo in March 2015
– Munster’s only defeat to the Dragons in their last seven meetings was 22-6 at Rodney Parade in December 2015, while the men of Gwent’s only previous success on Munster soil came on their first ever visit to Thomond Park in March 2004
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