How the sides compare: Munster v Leicester

MUNSTER SELECTION

Tighthead prop BJ Botha misses out as he is still following return to play protocols following a concussion last week, forcing one of three changes for Anthony Foley to the side that lost at home to Leicester last Saturday. All three are in the pack with John Ryan coming in for Botha, hooker Mike Sherry replacing Niall Scannell, who drops to the bench, and Mark Chisholm returning to the second row at the expense of Dave Foley. Foley sticks with an unchanged backline while the bench sees Uruguayan international prop Mario Sagario named in his first Champions Cup match-day squad with Botha unavailable.

AREA OF CONCERN

The ease with which Leicester drove the Munster pack backwards in the build-up to their opening try on Saturday means the province’s forwards have been putting in some extra maul work on the training ground this week. And you can be sure a strong Leicester pack will be targeting Munster’s defensive maul once more at Welford Road. “You’re going to see it as a weakness,” hooker Mike Sherry admitted this week, “we’re hoping they do see it as a weakness and we hope we can prove them wrong.”

ONE TO WATCH

Apart from veteran scrum-half Tomas O’Leary, the only current Munster player to have experienced victory at Welford Road is new boy Francis Saili. The All Blacks centre did it last season for the Barbarians in a resounding victory over the Tigers in which he scored a stunning try.

LEICESTER SELECTION

Australia international centre Peter Betham returns to the Tigers line-up having missed last week’s win at Thomond Park, Seremaia Bai dropping to the bench. Fly-half Freddie Burns replaces Owen Williams, the Welshman having jarred a knee last Saturday, when he was replaced by Tommy Bell. Richard Cockerill and head coach Aaron Mauger have named an unchanged forward pack with the only other difference in personnel coming on the bench where England flanker Tom Croft has recovered from illness to take his place amongst the replacements.

DANGER MAN

Flanker Brendon O’Connor made an instant impact with the Welford Road fans when he helped his new club storm to a bonus-point win over French champions Stade Francais in round one and the Kiwi has continued his good works, winning more turnovers, seven, than any other player in the tournament this season.

THE X FACTOR

Leicester may have won 26 and drawn two of their last 29 matches on home turf in the European Cup, but their single defeat came last season in a pool round six encounter with Ulster. Welford Road has been talked up as a fortress and reasonably so given the passion of the home support inside a traditional old English rugby ground but as Munster have twice proven during in 2004 and 2006, it is not impregnable.

PREDICTION

Once again Munster will have to upset the odds, defy form and a waning confidence in their abilities. If they can produce as good a performance tomorrow as the belief within the squad suggests then Leicester will be in for a shock.