Rowntree seeks strength from Munster's second row adversity
COUNTING ON YOU: Munster Head coach Graham Rowntree and Edwin Edogbo, one of his few fully fit second row options. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Munster generally tend to respond well to a crisis and as they try to get a third win to finish this block of seven URC games on a high note, their supporters will hope that the response to a catastrophic depletion of their second row will be one of those occasions where they dig deep and find the resources to fashion a win.
The importance of winning this game against Ulster was always obvious after four successive away defeats in this campaign, so the timing of this second-row chaos could hardly be worse.
And if the immediacy of the issue was not enough to deal with, Rassie Erasmus voicing doubt over RG Snyman’s availability for South Africa’s defence of the World Cup next year in France did little to raise the mood this week in Munster.
The arrival of former Glasgow Warriors lock Kiran McDonald from financially-stricken Wasps will provide cover in the weeks and months ahead. But for this third derby encounter of the season — the first two were lost — Graham Rowntree and his management have at their disposal four young locks, three of whom have started one game each and the other, 18-year old Evan O’Connell, nephew of Paul, who will become their youngest player ever in the professional era if sprung from the bench, just weeks after another 18-year-old Ruadhan Quinn achieved that milestone.
The crisis has arisen after it emerged this week that Jean Kleyn and Tom Ahern are set to be out for several weeks. Kleyn has a rib injury while Ahern, who had been included in the Ireland A squad after impressing for Emerging Ireland in Bloemfontein, is due to meet a specialist about a shoulder injury which looks set to sideline him for some time.
Munster already knew that Fineen Wycherley was already out with a shoulder injury and the emerging 22-year old Paddy Kelly, who has yet to make his senior debut, was unavailable with a head injury.
That leaves Edwin Edogbo and Eoin O’Connor starting their second game each in a second row where they will come up against the experience of Ulster skipper Alan O’Connor and Wallaby Sam Carter. Cover on the bench will come from Cian Hurley, who has played one senior game, and teenager O’Connell.
The timing of the decimation in the lock division could hardly be worse as Munster, after home wins over Zebre and the Bulls and an encouraging display against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, try to rescue their season and prevent a whitewash of Irish derby defeats before the end of October.
Both teams make nine changes from last time out. Jack Crowley switches to out-half after impressing at full-back against Leinster, while Alex Kendellen returns to the back row following a concussion in the opening round loss away to Cardiff and John Ryan, back on loan following Wasps’ collapse, makes his 198th appearance in the front row. Simon Zebo has recovered from a calf injury and is on the bench for a game which attack coach Mike Prendergast hopes they can build on recent displays.
“We are not where we want to be yet but you can see glimpses of it in the Bulls game, what helped was winning collisions and our ruck was quite good as well,” said coach Mike Prendergast. “That goes a long way. You could see glimpses of it in the Leinster game as well, against a very good defensive side. It takes time but there is a big buy-in which is massively important.”
Ulster have their own issues to sort out. The superb 39-37 win over the Lions in Johannesburg was followed by last weekend’s game against the Sharks being called off after the Ulster squad was hit by gastroenteritis, amid increased speculation this week that the match points will be awarded to the Durban side.
The visitors, who will see replacement hooker John Andrew make his 100th appearance and Scottish prop Rory Sutherland his debut off the bench after being signed from England’s other financially-stricken club Worcester Warriors, have not won in Thomond Park since 2014 and head coach Dan McFarland is not getting blindsided by Munster woes.
“A team like Munster has certain qualities that don’t go away. They might not have played their best rugby in the first part of the season, but there are strands within their game that make them extremely competitive, and I expect nothing less at the weekend,” said McFarland, who is boosted by the availability of Duane Vermeulen in his back row after the World Cup winner was rested by the Springboks for their autumn tour.
M Haley; S Daly, M Fekitoa, R Scannell, P Campbell; J Crowley, P Patterson; D Kilcoyne, D Barron, J Ryan; E Edogbo, E O’Connor; J O’Donoghue (C), J Hodnett, A Kendellen.
N Scannell, J Wycherley, R Salanoa, E O’Connell, C Hurley, N Cronin, B Healy, S Zebo.
S Moore; B Moxham, J Hume, L Marshall, E McIlroy; B Burns, N Doak; A Warwick, T Stewart, M Moore; A O’Connor (c), S Carter; D McCann, S Reffell, D Vermeulen.
J Andrew, R Sutherland, G Milasinovich, C Izuchukwu, J Murphy, J Cooney, A Curtis, C Gilroy.
Frank Murphy (IRFU).
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