Being frozen out again not an option for Reds

Not that Munster need reminding of their defeat in atrocious weather conditions in Cork last season but this evening’s forecast for a wind-chill factor that will give the temperature a feel of 0C, combined with an 80% chance of showers, will bring into sharp focus a bitterly disappointing performance of 13 months ago that still irks the province’s players and management alike.

Munster go into this evening’s league clash against the west Wales region with confidence sky high after back-to-back Heineken Cup victories over Perpignan and, before last night’s games, a four-point lead at the top of the RaboDirect Pro12 table.

Scarlets, meanwhile, are in need of a boost after falling to Clermont Auvergne in successive weeks and need to start picking up points if they are to get themselves into the Rabo top four and the all-important play-off places.

Yet it will be the events of November 2012 and that 13-6 reverse at a freezing, rain-soaked Musgrave Park that will provide the spur for the home side, even for those who did not play that night.

“I was injured at that stage last year but I was watching in the crowd and it’s definitely a bit of a sore point that we were beaten in our home and we weren’t exactly playing well,” Tommy O’Donnell said. “So it’s going to be in the back of our minds heading in this week that this is a game that we have to, and should win.”

Head coach Rob Penney is certainly reading nothing into Scarlets’ results this season and is eager to avoid another setback to them on home soil.

“They’re a really good side, Scarlets, we lost to them twice last year and one time in Musgrave Park, which wasn’t pretty,” Penney said.

“They’re a side that towards the middle and latter part of last year were one of the flying sides and they probably haven’t got the results this year that they had last year but they’re there or thereabouts and their performances have been bloody good.

“So they’ll be a very difficult side and, coming off the high of [last] weekend, we’re going to have to get the boys grounded and back to work and get their minds on the job because if they’re not, it could be an embarrassing evening at Musgrave, which is not what we’re after.”

With this the first of three league games to be played over 14 days, Penney has made 12 changes from the side which started at Stade Aimé Giral last Saturday, with three of the architects of that dramatic game-winning try, Denis Hurley, O’Donnell and try-scorer JJ Hanrahan promoted from the bench.

South African signing Gerhard van den Heever will make his home debut after recovering from a hand injury and there is a first competitive start for hooker Duncan Casey, an unused sub in Perpignan.

Casey packs down in a front row featuring props Dave Kilcoyne and BJ Botha, who started in France, while Billy Holland captains Munster in a second row alongside Ian Nagle. O’Donnell forms a back row with Dave O’Callaghan at blindside flanker and CJ Stander at No 8 while Hanrahan starts at fly-half in partnership with scrum-half Cathal Sheridan.

Van den Heever and Hurley are joined in a back three unit with Andrew Conway on the left wing following his recovery from a knee injury suffered in the win at Cardiff Blues last month, while Ivan Dineen replaces James Downey at inside centre in a midfield partnership with Casey Laulala.

There could be a home debut for Cork Constitution fly-half Johnny Holland, named as a replacement alongside prop Alan Cotter, who could celebrate his first selection in a match-day 23 with a Munster debut.

Scarlets head coach Simon Easterby has made nine changes, one positional, from the team beaten at home by Clermont last weekend.

Wales international Liam Williams and centre Gareth Maule are the only backs to survive the cut, with Williams moving from full-back to the wing, while Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland drops to the bench, making way for Aled Thomas.

Ken Owens retains his place at hooker but international props Phil John and Samson Lee are given the weekend off from a side led by No.8 Rob McCusker.

While Munster can stretch their winning run to eight matches in all tournaments, Penney is not getting carried away just yet.

“We have to be careful that we don’t get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

MUNSTER: D Hurley; G van den Heever, C Laulala, I Dineen, A Conway; JJ Hanrahan, C Sheridan; D Kilcoyne, D Casey, BJ Botha; I Nagle, B Holland (capt); Dave O’Callaghan, T O’Donnell, CJ Stander.

Replacements: D Varley, A Cotter, J Ryan, Donncha O’Callaghan, B O’Mahony, D Williams, J Holland, R O’Mahony.

SCARLETS: G Owen, L Williams, G Maule, A Warren, K Phillips; A Thomas, R Williams; R Evans, K Owens, J Adriaanse; J Ball, R Kelly; J Turnbull, J Barclay, R McCusker (capt).

Replacements: E Phillips, S Hopkins, R Jones, J Snyman, D Thomas, G Davies, R Priestland, M Poole.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).