Munster v All Blacks XV, Thomond Park, Saturday, 5.30pm (On TV: Streamed exclusively on Access Munster)
Appropriately in the week that’s in it, no game encapsulates the storied history of Munster rugby than a meeting with an All Blacks XV, especially at a capacity Thomond Park. Sold out in quick-fire time last March, this game is an increased 26,267 capacity due to additional seating at both ends of the ground for the first time since the December 2018 fixture against Leinster.
Perhaps some were under the impression that an All Blacks XV were more than it says on the tin, but it also says much about the depth chart in New Zealand rugby, that the bookies make the tourists 17-point favourites.
While Munster are missing five of their six-strong contingent in the Ireland squad, Peter O’Mahony makes a welcome return as spiritual leader and, presumably, a decidedly vocal vice-captain, in endeavouring to prove his fitness to Andy Farrell.
So this amounts to a first-choice backrow alongside John Hodnett and the twice-capped Gavin Coombes, each of whom will also feel they have a statement to make, and ditto Tom Ahern.
In addition to O’Mahony and Coombes there are another five capped players in Munster’s starting XV, namely Mike Haley, Rory Scannell, Billy Burns, John Ryan and Stephen Archer
This compares favourably with the five Test-capped players in the All Blacks XV, namely full-back Shaun Stevenson, centre Quinn Tupaea, outhalf Harry Plummer, World Cup final replacement scrumhalf Finlay Christie (Blues/Tasman) and loose-head George Bower, as well as scrumhalf Noah Hotham and the game-breaking utility back Ruben Love on the bench
Coombes and captain Diarmuid Barron are survivors from the Ireland ‘A’ squad beaten 47-19 on a sobering night at the RDS two Novembers ago. Alex Nankivell, a replacement for the tourists that night, can also give an insight to the All Blacks’ XV, who retain Stevenson, Love, AJ Lam and Brodie McAlister from that game.
It should be a wonderful occasion, and a hugely beneficial experience for some of the less experienced players. But Munster are missing 20 players between injuries and Irish call-ups, and the ripple effect means that in addition to Shay McCarthy, there are another five academy players on the bench. With six props injured, this means John Ryan (switching to loose-head) and fellow 36-year-old Stephen Archer will need to put in big shifts.
Of course, there’s also been the disruption of Graham Rowntree’s sudden departure, leaving head of rugby operations Ian Costello just two sessions as interim head coach to make this somewhat makeshift side gel.
[ Sad that Graham Rowntree could not script dream ending in Munster theatreOpens in new window ]
But they’ll have been reminded of their place in Munster history this week. On the 46th anniversary of their famous 12-0 win over the All Blacks last Thursday, one of its protagonists Brendan Foley presented the players with their jerseys at Thomond Park to reinvoke the spirit of that Tom Kiernan-coached side. But there have been a few mighty scraps in the other seven meetings going back to 1903, with Kiernan playing in both the 6-3 defeat and 3-3 draw in 1963 and 1973. There was also that pulsating November night in 2008 when Joe Rokocoko’s late try denied Munster another famous win.
This is the first time that Munster have hosted an All Blacks’ representative team since beating the Maori All Blacks in 2018. They’re also attempting to emulate the wins at Páirc Uí Chaoimh over a South Africa XV two Novembers ago and the Crusaders on a sodden night in February 2024.
Thankfully, the weather forecast suggests a dry night in Limerick, and inspired by the occasion and a jam-packed, floodlit cauldron, Munster will probably add up to more than the sum of their parts. History has taught us that they invariably do.
Munster: Mike Haley: Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; John Ryan, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern; Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Foxe, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhán Quinn, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Ben O’Connor.
All Blacks’ XV: Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs/North Harbour); Chay Fihaki (Crusaders/Canterbury), AJ Lam (Blues/Auckland), Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs/Waikato), Kini Naholo (Hurricanes/Taranaki); Harry Plummer (Blues/Auckland), Finlay Christie* (Blues/Tasman); George Bower (Crusaders/Otago), Brodie McAlister (Crusaders/Canterbury), George Dyer (Chiefs/Waikato), Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay), Fabian Holland (Highlanders/Otago), Oliver Haig (Highlanders/Otago), Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes/Wellington, capt), Devan Flanders (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay). Replacements: Bradley Slater (Chiefs/Taranaki), Xavier Numia (Hurricanes/Wellington), Marcel Renata (Blues/Auckland), Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty), Corey Kellow (Crusaders/Canterbury), Noah Hotham (Crusaders/Tasman), Josh Jacomb (Chiefs/Taranaki), Ruben Love (Hurricanes/Wellington).
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Japan).
Forecast: All Blacks XV to win.
