Munster v Edinburgh
Venue: Thomond Park.
Kick-off: 7.35pm.
On TV: Live on TG4 and Premier Sports.
Munster are afforded an immediate opportunity to make up for lost ground following last week’s defeat in Glasgow when hosting Edinburgh, the importance of the game in the playoff picture underlined by this being a meeting between fifth and fourth.
Johann van Graan’s side trail Edinburgh by four points and whereas another setback could see them cut a little adrift of the four sides above them, victory could propel them back into the top four and keep them on the shirttails of the leaders.
Their four-game winning run having come to an end, van Graan makes four changes from last week's starting XV, with one of those recalled, Dave Kilcoyne, set to become just the 12th Munster player to reach 200 caps for the province.
Kilcoyne is the only change up front, while Craig Casey returns from international camp to start at scrumhalf, with Dan Goggin restored to midfield and Calvin Nash recalled to the wing. Niall Scannell returns from shoulder injury to be named in the replacements.
Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair also makes four changes from the side beaten 26-7 by Leinster at the RDS last Friday as he welcomes back a quartet of players from Scotland camp in centre Mark Bennett, outhalf Blair Kinghorn, scrumhalf Ben Vellacott and blindside flanker Nick Haining.
“We are expecting a real battle out there,” said Blair. “Part of the disappointment of the Leinster game was around our physicality. There is no better place to go than Thomond Park to see if we have learned the lessons from the week before. We can’t wait for the challenge.”
That was Edinburgh’s second consecutive reverse away from home, having previously lost to the Ospreys, and their only wins on the road this season have been against Zebre and Dragons, while their only victory over an Irish province since February 2020 was over Connacht in March 2021.
They were the last Scottish side to win in Thomond Park, but that was over seven years ago, and not only do Munster hold a healthy 28-7 win-loss record over Edinburgh in the competition, they have won their last seven matches at their Limerick fortress.
Tickets will be available online up until kick off and at the ticket office at Thomond Park. Although the worst of Storm Eunice is due to ease in the afternoon conditions are likely to be wet and blustery for what looks a must-win encounter for Munster.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin, Simon Zebo; Ben Healy, Craig Casey; Dave Kilcoyne, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O'Donoghue, Chris Cloete, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Alex Kendellen, John Hodnett, Neil Cronin, Jack Crowley, Shane Daly.
EDINBURGH: Henry Immelman; Ramiro Moyano, Mark Bennett (capt), James Lang, Emiliano Boffelli; Blair Kinghorn, Ben Vellacott; Boan Venter, Adam McBurney, Lee-Roy Atalifo, Marshall Sykes, Glen Young, Nick Haining, Connor Boyle, Ben Muncaster. Replacements: Dave Cherry, Sam Grahamslaw, Jake Armstrong, Pierce Phillips, Mesulame Kunavula, Henry Pyrgos, Charlie Savala, Chris Dean.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
