History will be made tonight at Irish Independent Park where Munster play the Isuzu Southern Kings for the first time on Irish soil. Aided by a handful of returning internationals, the Conference A leaders are odds-on favourites to extend their unbeaten home record to 18 matches.
GUINNESS PRO14: Friday, February 15
MUNSTER (1st, Con A) v ISUZU SOUTHERN KINGS (7th, Con B), Irish Independent Park, 7.35pm (live eir Sport 1/SuperSport 1/Free Sports/Limerick’s Live 95FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: The Munster team has been named for their GUINNESS PRO14 clash with the Isuzu Southern Kings at Irish Independent Park. The West Stand at the Cork venue is sold out but Terrace tickets are available to buy here from Ticketmaster.
There are seven changes to the side that defeated the Dragons 8-7 in Munster’s last outing three weeks ago. Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Niall Scannell, John Ryan and Billy Holland all return from Ireland duty to start the round 15 fixture.
Tyler Bleyendaal captains the province in his first start at out-half this season, having lined out at inside centre previously. Mike Haley combines with Conway and Darren Sweetnam in the back-three, while Farrell, who helped Ireland overcome Scotland last Saturday, and Rory Scannell pair up in midfield, and Bleyendaal will have Neil Cronin alongside him at half-back.
In the forwards, Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell and tighthead Ryan pack down together in the front row with Jean Kleyn and Holland in the engine room. Flanker Chris Cloete will make his first appearance since sustaining a neck injury in December, joining forces with Fineen Wycherley and Arno Botha in the back row.
In another fitness boost, JJ Hanrahan has recovered from the hip injury he suffered last month to take his place in the squad with Academy back rower Gavin Coombes also named among the replacements. This is the Southern Kings’ first ever visit to Munster, who are currently top of the Conference A table.
Meanwhile, exciting young out-half Bader Pretorius will make his first start for the Southern Kings as head coach Deon Davids makes three changes to the team that lost 40-36 to the Toyota Cheetahs in a high-scoring derby clash in Bloemfontein two weeks ago.
The 21-year-old Pretorius made his debut off the bench in the Kings’ 25-21 victory at home to Edinburgh last month. It will be his third appearance after also getting game-time against the Cheetahs. The experienced Berton Klaasen returns to the starting XV to pair up with Fijian Meli Rokoua in midfield.
Up front, Stephan de Wit also slots back in at blindside flanker, taking over from the suspended CJ Velleman. John-Charles Astle, who is 6ft 6in and over 18 stone, captains the Kings from the second row where he partners Dries van Schalkwyk, a familiar name given his five-year spell with Zebre and haul of 15 caps with Italy.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Rory Scannell, Darren Sweetnam; Tyler Bleyendaal (capt), Neil Cronin; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland, Fineen Wycherley, Chris Cloete, Arno Botha.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Liam O’Connor, Stephen Archer, Darren O’Shea, Gavin Coombes, Alby Mathewson, JJ Hanrahan, Dan Goggin.
ISUZU SOUTHERN KINGS: Masixole Banda; Yaw Penxe, Meli Rokoua, Berton Klaasen, Bjorn Basson; Bader Pretorius, Stefan Ungerer; Schalk Ferreira, Michael Willemse, De-Jay Terblanche, Dries van Schalkwyk, John-Charles Astle (capt), Stephan de Wit, Martinus Burger, Ruaan Lerm.
Replacements: Alandre van Rooyen, Alulutho Tshakweni, Pieter Scholtz, Stephan Greeff, Andisa Ntsila, Sarel Pretorius, Tertius Kruger, Ulrich Beyers.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Sean Gallagher (Ireland), Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Television Match Official: Alan Falzone (Italy)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 1/80; Draw: 66/1; Isuzu Southern Kings to win: 20/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Johann van Graan (Munster) –
I think you’ve got to give the Kings a lot of credit. I think they’ve been doing very well in the summer, where they are in South Africa on a hard, dry pitch. We’ll be playing on an all-weather pitch on Friday night and they’ve got a lot of speed.
“I thought the way they came back to beat Edinburgh was really impressive, and they scored some lovely tries against the Cheetahs to come within four points of them. They’re difficult opponents, we’ve had a few weeks off and we know after a few weeks off we need to get into our rhythm again. But all the focus will be on ourselves to hopefully put in a quality performance.
“We’ve got real trust in the squad. We have to have balance, as a coach and as a player. The season is so long and it was a really tough ten-week block just before, so we gave everybody ten days away from rugby. It’s important to spend time with your family and literally get away from the game. We had a really good week of training last week and we gave them the weekend again open, and it’s been all business at training this week.
“Everybody’s really raring to go. There’s about 36 guys who want to play on Friday night and unfortunately I can only pick 23. Everybody’s excited, it’s a short block of three weeks – we’ve got the Kings and we go to Wales twice in two weeks. It’s pretty important that we keep building towards the (European) quarter-final and the latter part of the PRO14 season.”
John-Charles Astle (Isuzu Southern Kings) –
It was a long trip – about 26 hours of travelling – but it was good. We managed to get a lot of training done last week, and on Monday before we left Port Elizabeth where we focused on the things we want to do against Munster.
“We had rain in Port Elizabeth on Monday which prepared us for the conditions in Ireland. We are experiencing some cold weather in Ireland, between two and 10 degrees. We have had no rain so far, but underfoot it is quite wet, but we are adjusting to get the feel of what it will be like on Friday night.
“Munster are a very clinical side and are top of the Conference, so we are expecting a hard match with clinical, good players who know how to do their job. The aim of the tour, after we have had a few good games in the past few weeks, is to improve on that. Getting a good start. It will be nice to go into the last two matches of the tour with heightened confidence and giving stern competition to some good teams.”
Top Scorers – 2018/19 GUINNESS PRO14: Munster – Points: Joey Carbery 75; Tries: Keith Earls 5; Isuzu Southern Kings – Points: Masixole Banda 96; Tries: Yaw Penxe 7
2018/19 TEAM FORM: Munster – Played 14, Won 10, Lost 4, 48 Points; W 38-0 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), L 25-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 49-13 v Ospreys (home), L 37-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 64-7 v Ulster (home), L 30-22 v Leinster (away), W 25-24 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 30-26 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 32-7 v Zebre (away), W 44-14 v Edinburgh (home), L 19-12 v Ulster (away), W 26-17 v Leinster (home), W 31-24 v Connacht (away), W 8-7 v Dragons (away); Isuzu Southern Kings – Played 14, Won 2, Lost 12, 19 Points; L 32-16 v Zebre (away), L 27-22 v Dragons (away), L 28-7 v Ulster (home), W 38-28 v Glasgow Warriors (home), L 54-14 v Scarlets (away), L 28-5 v Benetton Rugby (away), L 41-34 v Scarlets (home), L 38-31 v Leinster (home), L 31-14 v Connacht (home), L 22-19 v Benetton Rugby (home), L 38-0 v Edinburgh (away), L 24-17 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), W 25-21 v Edinburgh (home), L 40-36 v Toyota Cheetahs (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, April 7, 2018 – Isuzu Southern Kings 22 Munster 39, Outeniqua Park, George
MATCH FACTS:
– Munster have won their last five matches in all competitions since losing to Ulster in Belfast in round 11 of the GUINNESS PRO14
– The Munstermen are unbeaten in their last 17 home games at their two venues in all tournaments, a run which includes one draw against Ulster last April
– Munster’s most recent reversal at Irish Independent Park was by a solitary point to Cardiff Blues in September 2016
– The Isuzu Southern Kings have faced Irish provinces on nine previous occasions in the GUINNESS PRO14 and lost them all
– The two sides have met just once before with Munster winning 39-22 in George last April