URC: Munster v Stormers, Thomond Park, Saturday, 5.15 – Live on TG4 and Premier Sports
At face value, Munster certainly look strengthened by the seasonal return of talismanic captain Peter O’Mahony and Tadhg Beirne, albeit refocussing on bread-and-butter affairs cannot be easy. Perhaps this is even truer for someone like O’Mahony, who knows that was his last shot at a Rugby World Cup.
While the appearance of ten academy players this season conveys the talent coming through, there is still a slightly patchwork look to the Munster line-up which also betrays the lack of real depth in the front-row, and especially at hooker, and in the back three.
Nor, despite Conor Murray also being named among a 6-2 split on the bench, are the level of international reinforcements anything like the replenishments that Leinster have benefitted from this week.
O’Mahony and Beirne are two of four changes in the Munster side from last week’s defeat by Ulster in Belfast. Scott Buckley starts at hooker for the first time since his debut in 2021, his intervening 19 appearances having all been off the bench, while following the retirements of Keith Earls and Andrew Conway, Academy winger Shay McCarthy makes his third start.
Furthermore, with Niall Scannell and Diarumid Barron ruled out, replacement hooker Chris Moore is in line for his senior Munster debut after joining from Exeter University last year.
By stark contrast, Stephen Archer, one of the heroes of last season’s title charge, is also named among the replacements and in line to play his 268th game for Munster, equalling Donncha O’Callaghan’s record of most appearances for the province.
As well as seeking revenge for last May’s defeat in the Grand Final, the Stormers are also seeking to avoid three successive defeats for the first time in the URC after losses to the Glasgow Warriors and Benetton.
They have been boosted by the return of 21-year-old Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s wizardry after missing last week with a hamstring injury.
Affording them a second playmaker alongside Jean-Luc du Plessis and allowed Ruhan Nel and Ben Loader to revert to outside centre and wing.
“We know we had trouble with the 10-12 thing,” admitted John Dobson. “Sacha gives us much more balance, especially with the way he’s been playing.
“We just want to be better. This is a tough place to get the win, but we will go for it.”
Strictly speaking, despite Paddy Powers making the home side ten-point favourites, on a line through Benetton (where Munster eked out a late draw) there is not much between the two sides again. But Munster ought to have more experience and savvy to come through the testing moments.
Munster: Shane Daly, Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Shay McCarthy, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Jeremy Loughman, Scott Buckley, John Ryan; Edwin Edogbo, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (CAPT), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Chris Moore, Josh Wycherley, Stephen Archer, Tom Ahern, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Rory Scannell, Alex Kendellen
Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Ben Loader, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Leolin Zas, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Paul de Wet, Sti Sithole, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche (CAPT), Ruben van Heerden, Gary Porter, Willie Engelbrecht, Ben-Jason Dixon, Evan Roos. Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Ali Vermaak, Brok Harris, Adre Smith, Keke Morabe, Herschel Jantjies, Clayton Blommetjies, Angelo Davids
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU).
Forecast: Munster to win.
