Battle-hardened from playing Leinster last Saturday, Munster are relishing the prospect of pitting themselves against current Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs. The teams met in pre-season in Cork where the Devon side triumphed 12-0.
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 2: Saturday, October 13
EXETER CHIEFS v MUNSTER, Sandy Park, 3.15pm (live BT Sport 2/RTÉ Radio 1/highlights Virgin Media One)
Team News: Munster head coach Johann van Graan has made four personnel changes and two positional switches to the team that lost 30-22 to Leinster in the GUINNESS PRO14, with Mike Haley, Rory Scannell and Duncan Williams returning to the back-line.
Haley makes his first European appearance for the province at full-back, prompting a move to the right wing for Andrew Conway and the 154-times capped Keith Earls retains his place on the left. Scannell partners the 23-year-old Dan Goggin who makes his Champions Cup debut in midfield.
Munster’s half-back pairing sees Williams take over from the injured Alby Mathewson (knee) at scrum half alongside Joey Carbery who was a Champions Cup winner with Leinster last season. It will be Carbery’s fifth successive start for the Munstermen.
There is an unchanged front row with Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and Stephen Archer packing down together, backed up by Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne, a beaten semi-finalist with the Scarlets last season, in behind.
South African flanker Chris Cloete is the only change to the province’s pack, joining captain Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander in the back row, with Tipperary man Tommy O’Donnell providing back-up on this occasion as part of a strong bench.
Scrum half Neil Cronin is in line to make his return from a shoulder injury, while the replacements bench also includes fit-again front rowers Rhys Marshall and John Ryan who resumed training this week. James Cronin, Billy Holland, JJ Hanrahan and Sam Arnold complete the matchday 23.
Meanwhile, with six wins out of six in the Gallagher Premiership, Exeter Chiefs come into Europe on a high and with a largely unchanged formula which came from behind to win 39-24 at Bath last weekend.
The sole change sees former Ulster and Ireland centre Ian Whitten promoted from the bench to partner Henry Slade in the centre, alongside Dungannon native Gareth Steenson. Sam Hill is added to the matchday 23 to provide midfield back-up.
A capacity crowd is expected at Sandy Park for this inaugural match-up between the English and Irish heavyweights, both of whom will be looking to deliver a telling early blow in the first of six matches that make up Pool 2.
EXETER CHIEFS: Phil Dollman; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ian Whitten, Santiago Cordero; Gareth Steenson (capt), Stuart Townsend; Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Harry Williams, Dave Dennis, Sam Skinner, Dave Ewers, Don Armand, Matt Kvesic.
Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Alec Hepburn, Tomas Francis, Ollie Atkins, Tom Lawday, Jack Maunder, Joe Simmonds, Sam Hill.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Dan Goggin, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Chris Cloete, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, James Cronin, John Ryan, Billy Holland, Tommy O’Donnell, Neil Cronin, JJ Hanrahan, Sam Arnold.
Referee: Jérome Garcès (France)
Assistant Referees: Ludovic Cayre, Jonathan Dufort (both France)
Television Match Official: Eric Briquet-Campin (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Exeter Chiefs to win: 3/10; Draw: 20/1; Munster to win: 13/5
Pre-Match Quotes: Johann van Graan (Munster) – “It’s a massive task. Not a lot of teams go there and even get a point. You’ve just got to look at the score and they do punish teams there. You’ve got to be at your best to get away with even a point.
“We’re looking to fire on all cylinders on Saturday afternoon. It’s all about us, if you worry about the opposition too much you will go off task. You can’t really afford any slip-ups. You’ve got to win your home games in this competition, make sure you get one or two four-try bonus points.
“If you were to go down losing a game away, you’ve got to make sure you pick up points. We’ve got Exeter away and Gloucester at home in the next two weeks, two sides who currently sit in the top four of the Premiership and are playing some brilliant rugby so we’re under no illusions about the task that awaits us.”
Rob Baxter (Exeter Chiefs) – “We will spend time this week tidying up a few things from the Bath game. What we might focus on are the little bits of fight you are going to have to win when a team come after you like Munster will.
“We need to talk about the fact that we need to crank up a couple of levels if we want to be successful, because I would hate to go 10 points down this week – as we did against Bath – and then have to fight our way back from there.
“Munster have rotated guys in and look like they are going to go really big, so it is going to be a really interesting game (in the opening round of the Champions Cup).”
Current Form – Exeter Chiefs – (Gallagher Premiership): Won 40-6 v Leicester Tigers (home), Won 42-31 v Wasps (away), Won 35-18 v Sale Sharks (home), Won 24-17 v Newcastle Falcons (away), Won 28-11 v Worcester Warriors (home), Won 39-24 v Bath (away)
Munster – (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 38-0 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), Lost 25-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), Won 49-13 v Ospreys (home), Lost 37-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), Won 64-7 v Ulster (home), Lost 30-22 v Leinster (away)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Champions Cup: Exeter Chiefs – Points: Gareth Steenson 43; Tries: Don Armand 4; Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 74; Tries: Simon Zebo 4
Previous European Meetings: 0
Match Facts –
– Munster are the only Irish province Exeter have yet to face in Europe having played Leinster and Ulster in the top tier, as well as Connacht in the Challenge Cup
– Munster are unbeaten in their opening game in each of their last four campaigns (W3, 01), with two of those four matches in that run coming away from home
– Two-time champions Munster have lost just one of their last nine pool matches in the competition (W7, 01), that defeat coming in round 5 last season against eventual runners-up Racing 92
– Munster’s CJ Stander was the only player to make over 100 tackles (119) and 100 carries (126) last season.
Former Scarlets player Tadhg Beirne won 18 turnovers last season, seven more than any other player
European Cup Records:
Exeter Chiefs –
2017/18: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2016/17: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2015/16: Reached the quarter-finals
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
Munster –
2017/18: Reached the semi-finals
2016/17: Reached the semi-finals
2015/16: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2013/14: Reached the semi-finals
2012/13: Reached the semi-finals
2011/12: Reached the quarter-finals
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2009/10: Reached the semi-finals
2008/09: Reached the semi-finals
2007/08: Champions
2006/07: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Champions
2004/05: Reached the quarter-finals
2003/04: Reached the semi-finals
2002/03: Reached the semi-finals
2001/02: Runners-up
2000/01: Reached the semi-finals
1999/00: Runners-up
1998/99: Reached the quarter-finals
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool D
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool D
1995/96: Failed to qualify from Pool D
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