Munster must match Racing’s physicality

So much for the French unpredictability. The world and its mother knew Racing 92 would take a scalpel to the side that earned a losing bonus point away to Toulon in last week’s domestic fixture and the reigning Top 14 champions duly performed significant surgery.

Out go their half-backs Dan Carter and Maxime Machenaud - as well as four other backs - yesterday. So too Yannick Nyanga, Leone Nakawara, Eddy Ben Arous and team captain Dimitri Szarzewski from the pack.

In their place, Racing have named a team made up of grizzled vets and, you would expect, eager-to-please younger types. Eight of the starting side are aged 30 or over. Another half-dozen are 24 or younger. Only Juan Imhoff, at 28, is in his prime.

In all, 12 changes have been made from the Toulon trip though there remains a thick vein of class in the likes of Joe Rokocoko and Chris Masoe and some familiar faces in Munster old boy Casey Lualua and James Hart.

The latter starts on the bench alongside Carter whose presence in the reserves, despite the unavailability of both Remi Tales and Johannes Goosen, is maybe most symbolic of the fact this is not a must-win for the hosts.

Journeyman Benjamin Dambielle gets the nod at out-half.

Absent tens are the order of the day, in fact, given Ian Keatley has been omitted from the Munster 23 after impressing in the gritty defeat of Connacht at a wet Sportsgrounds last weekend.

That leaves Rory Scannell as cover should Tyler Blyendaal fail to make it through the 80 minutes so something of a risk then as Rassie Erasmus looks to manage his resources through the next three critical European weeks.

Munster named the same starting 15 for their first three fixtures but that was always going to change this weekend with Darren Sweetnam ruled out for six weeks and Erasmus has gone further by naming Keith Earls as a reserve.

Andrew Conway and Ronan O’Mahony have been designated the wing berths while James Cronin has been given the nod ahead of Dave Kilcoyne in a pack that will also feature Tommy O’Donnell, who has recovered enough from ankle problems.

Erasmus has highlighted Racing’s size and physicality and the impact of their bench this week so the presence of key men such as Earls, Kilcoyne and Francis Saili on his own lends itself to optimism today.

Racing have the advantage of playing without the burden of expectation. Add that to a fondness for offloading rugby and it could add up to a side playing with verve and abandon or one susceptible to error and disinterest. It is Munster’s job to point them in the desired direction.