Munster may have a perfect seven wins from seven encounters with Zebre, but they will take nothing for granted against the Italian club tonight as the sides’ January meeting in Parma was a particularly close affair.
GUINNESS PRO12: Friday, March 25
MUNSTER (5th) v ZEBRE (11th), Thomond Park, 7pm (live TG4)
Team News: Munster head coach Anthony Foley has made no less than nine changes for this evening’s GUINNESS PRO12 clash against Zebre at Thomond Park.
Returning Ireland internationals Donnacha Ryan, Tommy O’Donnell, Keith Earls and Simon Zebo all start with Conor Murray and CJ Stander named among the replacements.
In naming an all-Irish starting line-up, the province will field a side that are all products of the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy.
In an all-new front row, Dave Kilcoyne and Stephen Archer start on either side of Niall Scannell with Archer making his first start since returning from a long-term neck injury.
Donnacha Ryan comes into the second row and will make his 100th league appearance when partnering Billy Holland, who again captains the Munstermen.
O’Donnell is the one personnel change in the back row with Dave O’Callaghan and Jack O’Donoghue reverting to blindside flanker and number 8 respectively.
Changes in the half-backs see Tomas O’Leary and Johnny Holland start alongside each other for the first time in what will be Holland’s first inclusion in the starting line-up since returning from a long-term hamstring injury.
A new starting partnership is also seen in midfield with the returning Earls linking up with Rory Scannell, while the return of Zebo at full-back is the final change with Ronan O’Mahony and Darren Sweetnam again completing the back-three.
Francis Saili sustained a knock to the shoulder in training this week, ruling him out of contention for tonight’s round 18 match. The centre is expected to return to training next week.
Tickets from €;15 and €;30 for families can be purchased from the Munster Rugby Ticket Offices at Irish Independent Park and Thomond Park, or by calling 0818 719 300. Fanzone and Bars open from 5pm.
Meanwhile, Zebre boss Gianluca Guidi is able to slot nine Italy internationals back into his matchday selection this week for the trip to Limerick.
The Italians are back in Ireland just three weeks on from their 32-0 loss to Ulster in Belfast. With Kayle van Zyl moving to full-back, the back-line has been bolstered by half-backs Kelly Haimona and Guglielmo Palazzani and wingers Leonardo Sarto and Giulio Toniolatti. Centre Tommaso Boni also returns from injury.
The starting pack shows three changes in personnel as loosehead prop Guillermo Roan, lock Valerio Bernabò and flanker Jean Cook all come in. Quintin Geldenhuys will captain the side from the second row with Marco Bortolami – skipper for the last seven games – being rested this week.
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Darren Sweetnam, Keith Earls, Rory Scannell, Ronan O’Mahony; Johnny Holland, Tomas O’Leary; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland (capt), Dave O’Callaghan, Tommy O’Donnell, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Mike Sherry, James Cronin, Mario Sagario, Dave Foley, CJ Stander, Conor Murray, Ian Keatley, David Johnston.
ZEBRE: Kayle van Zyl; Leonardo Sarto, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Boni, Giulio Toniolatti; Kelly Haimona, Guglielmo Palazzani; Guillermo Roan, Oliviero Fabiani, Dario Chistolini, Quintin Geldenhuys (capt), Valerio Bernabò, Jean Cook, Federico Ruzza, Johan Meyer.
Replacements: Bruno Postiglioni, Andrea de Marchi, Pietro Ceccarelli, Gideon Koegelenberg, Emiliano Caffini, Luke Burgess, Ulrich Beyers, Matteo Pratichetti.
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: David Wilkinson, Helen O’Reilly (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 1/33; Draw: 45/1; Zebre to win: 16/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Anthony Foley (Munster) – “I’ve come across Gianluca (Guidi) on a number of occasions, a lovely man and a great coach. He has gone into Zebre this year and has implemented a good structure around the team.
“They have a very good pack and in the backs they have great internationals in the likes of Luke Burgess from Australia, Kelly Haimona the Italian out-half and of course Mils Muliaina. That gives them a lot of rugby intellect from 1 to 15. They work the ball across the pitch and play to their strengths.”
Jack O’Donoghue (Munster) – “We had a very tough encounter with Zebre over there and they’re coming over here and, like ourselves, we’re both looking for a Champions Cup spot. They’re in a battle with Treviso looking for that Italian spot and I presume their internationals will be back and I think they’re really going to throw everything at us.
“It will be a good chance for us to front up. We’re at home and we can show our crowd and show everyone in Munster that we’re going to get back on track.
“It’s all about sticking to what we know best and not getting into a loose game like Cardiff because Italian sides love that and they love to counter-attack and run anything from their own 22 and stuff like that, so that’s where we need to be calm and composed. We still have our destiny in our hands so we just have to keep control of our game and what we do.”
Top Scorers – 2015/16 GUINNESS PRO12: Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 124; Tries: Dave Kilcoyne, Mike Sherry 4 each; Zebre – Points: Carlo Canna 47; Tries: Dries van Schalkwyk 6
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, May 3, 2013 – Zebre 25 Munster 27, Stadio XXV Aprile
Friday, September 13, 2013 – Zebre 21 Munster 43, Stadio XXV Aprile
Saturday, February 15, 2014 – Munster 36 Zebre 8, Musgrave Park
Friday, September 19, 2014 – Munster 31 Zebre 5, Thomond Park
Saturday, January 10, 2015 – Zebre 7 Munster 31, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Saturday, January 30, 2016 – Zebre 12 Munster 16, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
MATCH FACTS:
– Munster slipped up 37-28 at Cardiff Blues in the rearranged round 12 game last Friday, the first time they had failed to tally a league point from a GUINNESS PRO12 game in 2016
– The Munstermen beat the Dragons 26-5 at Thomond Park in round 17 to end a three-match home losing run in the competition
– Zebre have lost their last five PRO12 encounters and have beaten an Irish province just once before: 13- 6 over Ulster in Parma in September 2014
– The two sides have met on seven previous occasions with Munster winning them all
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