O'Mahony fit to lead much-changed Munster as Edogbo set for first start against Bulls
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Edwin Edogbo makes his first start for Munster this weekend.
Peter O’Mahony has been passed fit to lead Munster in their first game of the season at Thomond Park but head coach Graham Rowntree has rung the changes for Saturday night’s clash with the Bulls in a bid to kickstart the Reds’ season.
The Munster boss has made six changes to the side which slumped to a third defeat of the BKT United Rugby Championship campaign at Connacht last Friday and included seven players in his matchday 23 who missed the last three games while on Emerging Ireland tour duty.
O’Mahony’s availability following a shoulder injury sustained in the 20-11 loss in Galway will come as a huge relief. The captain has been a shining light in a misfiring side that has won only once in its first four URC matches of 2022-23 and he will continue at openside flanker alongside No.8 Gavin Coombes and Ireland Test team-mate Tadhg Beirne, who switches from lock to the back row at blindside flanker.
Beirne’s positional switch ushers in a first senior start for academy second row Edwin Edogbo, who has impressed in three appearances off the bench this season following his debut at Dragons in round two. The former Cobh Pirate who now represents UCC will partner Jean Kleyn behind a front row of Jeremy Loughman, who replaces Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and Stephen Archer.
Munster’s backline sees Joey Carbery switch from full-back last week to fly-half as Ben Healy is rested for the weekend with Emerging Ireland standout Jack Crowley named as cover on a bench that features six forwards and two backs.
Carbery partners Craig Casey as scrum-half with Conor Murray moving to the bench as Munster christen their new hybrid pitch on Saturday following a summer installation.
The vacancy at 15 is filled by another academy player in Patrick Campbell, who moves from the left wing to full-back as Shane Daly is handed his 50th Munster cap while Calvin Nash is named on the right wing. The centre partnership of Dan Goggin and Malakai Fekitoa remains unchanged for the fourth match in succession.
Nash and Daly are Emerging Ireland players to start for Munster following their return to training on Thursday after helping to complete a three-game sweep of South African Currie Cup sides in Bloemfontein while the Munster replacements include fellow tourists Crowley, hooker Diarmuid Barron, tighthead prop Roman Salanoa, lock Tom Ahern, and flanker John Hodnett.
Bulls director of rugby Jake White has also made six changes to the line-up that started last weekend’s 35-21 loss at Glasgow, their first defeat of the new season.
Former Ulster back-rower Marcell Coetzee captains the side from blindside flanker as White restores Johan Goosen to fly-half having protected the Springbok from a run on Glasgow’s artificial 4G surface last weekend as he continues his comeback from a serious knee injury.
P Campbell; C Nash, M Fekitoa, D Goggin, S Daly; J Carbery, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, E Edogbo; T Beirne, P O’Mahony - captain, G Coombes.
D Barron, D Kilcoyne, R Salanoa, T Ahern, J O’Donoghue, C Murray, J Crowley, J Hodnett.
K-L Arendse; C Hendricks, L Mapoe, H Vorster, W Simelane; J Goosen, E Papier; S Matanzima, J-H Wessels, M Smith; W Steenkamp, R Nortje; M Coetzee – captain, WJ Steenkamp, E Louw.
B Du Plessis, D Smith, J van Rooyen, R Vermaak, M Van Staden, Z Burger, C Smith, D Kriel.
M Adamson (Scotland)
M Lowry; R Baloucoune, L Marshall, S McCloskey, R Lyttle; B Burns, J Cooney; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, G Milasinovich; A O’Connor - captain, S Carter; D McCann, M Rea, D Vermeulen.
J Andrew, C Reid, T O’Toole, C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, N Doak, S Moore, E McIlroy.
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