A large contingent of Munster supporters are on the move to the south west of England, as Johann van Graan’s men aim to take a big step closer to a Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final place.
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 2: Friday, January 11
GLOUCESTER (4th) v MUNSTER (1st), Kingsholm Stadium, 7.45pm (live BT Sport 2/RTÉ Radio 2FM/Limerick’s Live 95FM/highlights Virgin Media One)
Team News: Munster head coach Johann van Graan has made six changes in personnel for tonight’s Heineken Champions Cup round 5 match against Gloucester at Kingsholm Stadium.
Peter O’Mahony, who made a try-scoring return against Connacht, captains Munster as they look to stay in control of their own destiny at the top of Pool 2. In a big boost, centre Chris Farrell starts again after receiving positive news on a knee scan this week.
Compared to the side that won 31-24 in Galway, Mike Haley, Rory Scannell, Conor Murray, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer and CJ Stander all come into the starting XV. Haley slots back in at full-back, anchoring a back-three completed by wingers Andrew Conway and Keith Earls.
Farrell and Scannell form the centre partnership, the former making his seasonal bow in this year’s Champions Cup, with Murray resuming at half-back alongside the in-form Joey Carbery, who scored 30 points across the derby wins over Leinster and Connacht.
Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and Archer pack down together in the front row with Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne continuing as the second row pairing. Skipper O’Mahony, Tommy O’Donnell and Stander make up a powerful and experienced back row combination.
Rhys Marshall returns from a hamstring injury and is named among the replacements with the hooker set to make his first appearance since October’s 36-22 bonus point victory at home to Gloucester. He was a try scorer that day, joining Haley, Carbery, Sam Arnold and Conway in crossing the whitewash.
Pool 2 is evenly poised ahead of the weekend’s games with all four sides vying for top spot and a quarter-final place. While Munster and Gloucester face off at Kingsholm on Friday night, second-placed Castres Olympique travel to play Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on Sunday afternoon
Munster, who will be wearing their alternate kit for the round 5 fixture, go into the match in buoyant form following their move to the top of Conference A of the GUINNESS PRO14. Gloucester lost 34-16 away to Leicester Tigers in the English Premiership but have a formidable home record.
Meanwhile, although they continue to be hampered by injuries, Gloucester have a number of players back from spells on the sidelines, including out-half Danny Cipriani, for this key European showdown.
Cipriani, whose chest injury saw him miss Gloucester’s back-to-back Premiership losses to Sale Sharks and Leicester, returns to don the number 10 jersey with the fit-again Ollie Thorley back on the left wing. Franco Marais, sidelined since their October reversal at the hands of Munster, is on the bench.
Other changes from the side that started at Welford Road last Saturday see Henry Walker come in at hooker, South African Franco Mostert move to the blindside flank from the second row with Ed Slater taking Mostert’s place in the engine room, and Lewis Ludlow back at openside flanker.
GLOUCESTER: Tom Hudson; Charlie Sharples, Billy Twelvetrees, Mark Atkinson, Ollie Thorley; Danny Cipriani, Callum Braley; Josh Hohneck, Henry Walker, Fraser Balmain, Ed Slater, Gerbrandt Grobler, Franco Mostert, Lewis Ludlow, Ben Morgan (capt).
Replacements: Franco Marais, Alex Seville, Ciaran Knight, Freddie Clarke, Gareth Evans, Ben Vellacott, Owen Williams, Henry Trinder.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.
Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Billy Holland, Arno Botha, Alby Mathewson, Tyler Bleyendaal, Dan Goggin.
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant Referees: Cyril Lafon, Stephane Boyer (both France)
Television Match Official: Denis Grenouillet (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Gloucester to win: 13/8; Draw: 19/1; Munster to win: 1/2
Pre-Match Quotes: Peter O’Mahony (Munster) – “Gloucester’s brand of rugby is very impressive. They are spreading the ball. Franco Mostert certainly has given them an edge in the tight five. Their lineout quality is very impressive as well, along with strike plays.
“Discipline will be very important, not giving them that lineout access. Their lineout defence is very good as well, so we are going to have to be very accurate there. Their back-three are incredibly dangerous, also. You see some of the tries they have scored over the last four or five weeks have been very impressive, so we’re going to have to be on our toes.
“Going away from home is always an incredible challenge, particularly somewhere like Kingsholm. They have a proud and passionate following, and they are going to be well fired up for us.”
Johan Ackermann (Gloucester) – “Having those losses (in the Premiership in recent weeks) was disappointing and not good for us. But my message to the players was that history can’t be changed and we can only control what’s in front of us.
“We’ve learned lessons from the past two weeks and implemented them into our training to try and get better. But we’ve not been sulking about it. Friday’s challenge is massive and, if you go into it with a negative mindset, it’s not going to help.
“We’re looking forward to a big challenge against a quality side and, after this weekend, we’ll know where we are in the pool. But we can’t worry about that, we just have to put in a big performance and let the result look after itself.”
Current Form – Gloucester – (Gallagher Premiership): Won 27-16 v Northampton Saints (home), Drew 31-31 v Bath (away), Won 35-13 v Bristol Bears (home), Lost 38-15 v Saracens (away), Lost 27-25 v Harlequins (home), Won 35-21 v Wasps (away); (Heineken Champions Cup): Won 19-14 v Castres Olympique (home), Lost 36-22 v Munster (away); (Premiership Rugby Cup): Won 31-7 v Wasps (home), Lost 21-13 v Bristol Bears (away), Won 14-12 v Northampton Saints (home); (Gallagher Premiership): Won 36-13 v Leicester Tigers (home), Lost 23-6 v Exeter Chiefs (away), Won 36-16 v Worcester Warriors (home); (Heineken Champions Cup): Won 27-19 v Exeter Chiefs (away), Lost 29-17 v Exeter Chiefs (home); (Gallagher Premiership): Won 20-17 v Newcastle Falcons (away), Lost 30-15 v Sale Sharks (home), Lost 34-16 v Leicester Tigers (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); (Heineken Champions Cup): Drew 10-10 v Exeter Chiefs (away), Won 36-22 v Gloucester (home); (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 25-24 v Glasgow Warriors (home), Won 30-26 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), Won 32-7 v Zebre (away), Won 44-14 v Edinburgh (home); (Heineken Champions Cup): Won 30-5 v Castres Olympique (home), Lost 13-12 v Castres Olympique (away); (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 19-12 v Ulster (away), Won 26-17 v Leinster (home), Won 31-24 v Connacht (away)
Top Scorers – 2018/19 Heineken Champions Cup: Gloucester – Points: Danny Cipriani 27; Tries: Jason Woodward 3; Munster – Points: Joey Carbery 33; Tries: CJ Stander 2
Previous European Meetings: 8
Saturday, October 20, 2018 – Pool 2 – Munster 36 Gloucester 22, Thomond Park
Saturday, January 11, 2014 – Pool 6 – Gloucester 7 Munster 20, Kingsholm
Saturday, October 19, 2013 – Pool 6 – Munster 26 Gloucester 10, Thomond Park
Saturday, April 5, 2008 – Quarter-final – Gloucester 3 Munster 16, Kingsholm
Saturday, January 17, 2004 – Pool 5 – Munster 35 Gloucester 14, Thomond Park
Saturday, January 10, 2004 – Pool 5 – Gloucester 22 Munster 11, Kingsholm
Saturday, January 18, 2003 – Pool 2 – Munster 33 Gloucester 6, Thomond Park
Saturday, October 12, 2002 – Pool 2 – Gloucester 35 Munster 16, Kingsholm
Match Facts –
– Munster have won each of their last five meetings with Gloucester, those victories all coming by more than 12 points
– The province’s last six away games in Europe have all been decided by single figure margins, with their record evenly split in that period, winning twice, drawing twice and losing twice
– Gloucester have won six of their eight European Cup games when hosting Irish opposition (L2), however, their two defeats in that run both came against Munster
– Munster have stolen 10 lineouts this season, more than any other side after four rounds of action
– Munster captain Peter O’Mahony has stolen five lineouts this season, more than any other player and one more than former Munster and current Gloucester forward Gerbrandt Grobler
European Cup Records:
Gloucester –
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2009/10: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2008/09: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2007/08: Reached the quarter-finals
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2004/05: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2003/04: Reached the quarter-finals
2002/03: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2000/01: Reached the semi-finals
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
This website uses cookies.
Read More