Crowley alongside Carbery as Munster make four changes for Saints showdown

Keith Earls and Conor Murray are also back in for Sunday’s must-win European clash at Northampton.

ON POINT: Jack Crowley during a Munster Rugby squad training session at Thomond Park on Thursday. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Jack Crowley will start alongside Joey Carbery for the first time in an exciting 10-12 partnership as Munster also recall Keith Earls and Conor Murray for Sunday’s must-win European clash at Northampton Saints.

Munster travel to Franklin’s Gardens with a team showing four changes and a positional switch from the side Graham Rowntree selected ahead of last Sunday’s opening-round Heineken Champions Cup pool defeat at home to Toulouse.

Crowley, whose new two-year contract extension was announced this week, comes in at number 12 for Rory Scannell, mirroring the switch made last weekend during the second half of the 18-13 loss at Thomond Park and indicating a statement of attacking intent by starting with two in-form and creative fly-halves side by side.

Inside them at scrum-half, Conor Murraystarts  for his first game since pulling up with a groin injury playing his 100th Ireland Test against South Africa on November 4. Murray replaces Craig Casey, who drops to the bench alongside Rory Scannell and Shane Daly, who makes way for the return of Earls to the left wing following 12 weeks out with a thigh injury.

The other change comes in the back row where captain Peter O’Mahony moves from blindside to openside flanker as John Hodnett vacates the number seven jersey and takes a spot on the bench, with Jack O’Donoghue moving the other way after being handing the number six spot in a back row featuring Gavin Coombes at No.8.

Hooker Niall Scannell starts on his 150th Munster appearance in an unchanged front five while Dave Kilcoyne is named as loosehead prop replacement for what is likely to be his first appearance since October.

Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson, who was in the last Northampton back row to beat Munster in 2009, is able to recall some frontline talent himself with England and Lions forward Courtney Lawes, Scotland centre Rory Hutchinson, exciting young scrum-half Alex Mitchell and heavyweight No.8 Juarno Augustus all returning to the starting line-up. There are six changes in total to the Saints’ starting line-up beaten heavily last Saturday at La Rochelle, though Lewis Ludlam continues as captain in a back row alongside Lawes and Augustus.

Scrum-half Mitchell partners another exciting young half-back in out-half Fin Smith while Northampton have opted for a 6-2 split between forwards and backs on their bench as Munster revert from a 6-2 to a 5-3 division of replacements.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: G Furbank; J Ramm, M Proctor, R Hutchinson, T Freeman; F Smith, Alex Mitchell; A Waller, S Matavesi, E Painter; L Salakaia-Loto, D Ribbans; C Lawes, L Ludlam – captain, J Augustus Replacements: M Haywood, E Iyogun, A Petch, A Moon, A Scott-Young, A Hinkley, C Braley, F Dingwall.

MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, A Frisch, J Crowley, K Earls; J Carbery, C Murray; J Loughman, N Scannell, J Ryan; J Kleyn, T Beirne; J O’Donoghue, P O’Mahony – captain, G Coombes.

Replacements: D Barron, D Kilcoyne, R Salanoa, J Hodnett, A Kendellen, C Casey, R Scannell, S Daly.

Referee: Ludovic Cayre (France)