Guinness PRO14 Semi-Final Preview: Leinster v Munster

Defending Guinness PRO14 champions Leinster appear to be the front runners after finishing the regular season unbeaten, but provincial rivals Munster will be determined to spoil their parade at the Aviva Stadium.

GUINNESS PRO14 SEMI-FINAL: Friday, September 4

LEINSTER (1st, Con A) v MUNSTER (2nd, Con B), Aviva Stadium, 7.35pm (live eir Sport 1/eir Sport Facebook/Premier Sports 1/SuperSport 1DAZN/www.pro14.tv/deferred TG4)

Team News: Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has made a dozen personnel changes to the team to play Munster in tonight’s hotly-anticipated semi-final clash at IRFU HQ.

Hugo Keenan, Devin Toner and Will Connors are the only players retained from the side that secured a 28-10 win over Ulster, as Cullen brings back in 12 players who started the previous week’s 27-25 success against the Munstermen.

Captain Jonathan Sexton and Luke McGrath are at the helm of a back-line that includes Keenan, James Lowe and returning full-back Jordan Larmour in the back-three, with Garry Ringrose, a try scorer in last month’s first game, and Robbie Henshaw in the centre.

Winning his 247th Leinster cap, Toner combines with fellow international Scott Fardy in the second row, supporting a front row trio of Cian Healy, also a member of the province’s 200-cap club, Ronan Kelleher and Andrew Porter.

The hard-tackling Connors has edged out Josh van der Flier for the openside flanker role, with Caelan Doris also eager to make his mark at blindside and Jack Conan packing down in the number 8 position.

Meanwhile, Munster boss Johann van Graan has brought Stephen Archer, Billy Holland and Jack O’Donoghue back into the pack for their second showdown with Leinster in the space of 13 days.

The Conference B runners-up will field an unchanged back-line for the third week running, with Shane Daly retaining the number 15 jersey alongside the in-form Andrew Conway and Keith Earls, who made his 100th PRO14 appearance last Sunday.

Chris Farrell and Springbok star Damian de Allende team up in midfield for the third successive time, while JJ Hanrahan, fresh from winning the PRO14 Golden Boot award, lines up outside Conor Murray at half-back.

Archer rejoins Jeremy Loughman and Niall Scannell in the front row and Holland pairs up with Tadhg Beirne, last week’s man-of-the-match, in the engine room as Fineen Wycherley drops back to the bench.

There is a first start for Waterford native O’Donoghue since rugby’s return as he swaps places with Chris Cloete in the back row, while versatile back Mike Haley, who recently recovered from a calf injury, is in line for his first appearance since the season’s restart.

LEINSTER: Jordan Larmour; Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Jonathan Sexton (capt), Luke McGrath; Cian Healy, Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Devin Toner, Scott Fardy, Caelan Doris, Will Connors, Jack Conan.

Replacements: Sean Cronin, Ed Byrne, Michael Bent, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ross Byrne, Rory O’Loughlin.

MUNSTER: Shane Daly; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; JJ Hanrahan, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Tadhg Beirne, Billy Holland, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, James Cronin, John Ryan, Fineen Wycherley, Chris Cloete, Craig Casey, Rory Scannell, Mike Haley.

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: George Clancy, Sean Gallagher (both Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Pre-Match Quotes: Leo Cullen (Leinster) –

We’ve had some tough ones this season. I literally looked back over some of the fixtures yesterday – 3-0 away to Zebre, that was a tough one! But the players know each other so well. There’s always a huge challenge in that itself.

“Over the last number of seasons listening to various different Munster players being interviewed, particularly some of the guys who have been around a while like Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Keith Earls and Billy Holland, and their desperation for silverware. So, I’ve heard what it means to them.

“It clearly does mean a lot to them. We know we’re going to be coming up against a team that is very highly motivated, as you’d expect at a semi-final stage.So we need to understand what we’re going to be coming up against.

“But it’s also making sure we focus on ourselves so we deliver a really good Leinster performance as well, because that’s ultimately what we’re in control of. Where will it rank? We’ll wait and see. But certainly we’re expecting it to be right up there, for sure.”

Graham Rowntree (Munster) –

I’m happy with where we are mentally and physically at the moment going into this game. We’ve played against them enough and previous form means nothing to me for this team. It means nothing.

“All I’m really stressing to the guys is how hardened we are going into this game given we’ve not played rugby for a long time. Very quickly we’re battle and match-ready going into a huge game.

“We have got so much to go for. That’s our energy and belief going into this game. Why not us? There is no reason why we can’t win Friday night. We’ve got to be better across the board against the current champions.

“We’ve had two games now to get used to what’s going on in the breakdown, so I expect us to be better there, more clinical there, and not shell as many penalties as we did last Sunday at the breakdown. So there’s a whole set of areas for us to be better at but I’m confident that we’re going in the right way.

“We’ve had a good few weeks and I think you are seeing that, particularly with Steve (Larkham’s) involvement with the group, how we are trying to challenge teams with our attack. You are certainly seeing things he’s working on with the group. It’s been good but we’ll see Friday night how good we are.”

Top Scorers – 2019/20 Guinness PRO14: Leinster – Points: Ross Byrne 83; Tries: Dave Kearney 9; Munster – Points: JJ Hanrahan 121; Tries: Arno Botha 6

2019/20 TEAM FORM: Leinster – Played 15, Won 15; W 32-27 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 53-5 v Ospreys (home), W 40-14 v Edinburgh (home), W 3-0 v Zebre (away), W 50-15 v Dragons (home), W 42-11 v Connacht (away), W 23-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 54-42 v Ulster (home), W 13-6 v Munster (away), W 54-7 v Connacht (home), W 36-12 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), W 21-13 v Ospreys (away), W 55-19 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 27-25 v Munster (home), W 28-10 v Ulster (away)

Munster – Played 15, Won 10, Lost 5; W 39-9 v Dragons (home), W 31-20 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), L 40-16 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 28-12 v Ospreys (home), W 33-23 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 22-16 v Ulster (home), L 18-16 v Edinburgh (home), W 19-14 v Connacht (away), L 13-6 v Leinster (home), L 38-17 v Ulster (away), W 68-3 v Isuzu Southern Kings (home), W 28-0 v Zebre (away), W 29-10 v Scarlets (home), L 27-25 v Leinster (away), W 49-12 v Connacht (home)

RECENT CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS:

Saturday, May 19, 2018 – Semi-Final: Leinster 16 Munster 15, the RDS
Saturday, October 6, 2018 – Leinster 30 Munster 22, Aviva Stadium
Saturday, December 29, 2018 – Munster 26 Leinster 17, Thomond Park
Saturday, May 18, 2019 – Semi-Final: Leinster 24 Munster 9, the RDS
Saturday, December 28, 2019 – Munster 6 Leinster 13, Thomond Park
Saturday, August 22, 2020 – Leinster 27 Munster 25, Aviva Stadium

MATCH FACTS:

– Leinster are bidding to reach their ninth Guinness PRO14 final in the last eleven years. The champions in 2018 and 2019 have a 100% winning record in the Championship this season

– The Leinstermen have won their last four semi-finals in all competitions since the Scarlets beat them at the RDS in the PRO14 play-offs in 2014

– Leinster have not lost a semi-final at the Aviva Stadium since Munster’s European Cup victory there in 2006

– Munster have won their last four matches in all competitions since their 39-22 reversal at Racing 92 in round 5 of the Heineken Champions Cup

– Munster have lost their last four semi-finals in all tournaments since beating the Ospreys at Thomond Park in the PRO14 in 2017

– Munster’s record in all semi-finals at the Aviva Stadium/Lansdowne Road is won three, lost two

– Leinster’s only defeat in their last eight clashes with Munster was 26-17 in Limerick in December 2018

– The two provinces have met in six previous semi-finals in all tournaments with Munster winning the first two, both at Lansdowne Road, in the Celtic Cup in 2005 and European Cup in 2006, but Leinster have won the four subsequent meetings – including three at that stage in the PRO14