Munster looking for improvement as they aim to defend URC title

RARING TO GO: Munster are looking to get off to a winning start when they kick of their URC campaign. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

New faces and a rejuvenated cast of familiar faces will combine at Thomond Park this evening as Munster bid to put a smile back on the faces of any rugby supporters in need of solace following Ireland’s World Cup exit.

The province’s BKT URC title defence gets underway against South Africa’s Sharks with attack coach Mike Prendergast seeking improvement from the side which ended a 12-year wait for silverware in Cape Town less than five months ago. Certainly an upgrade on last season’s opening couple of months, when Munster lost five of their first seven matches, would be top of the priority list as Graham Rowntree and his coaching staff embark on a second campaign at the controls.

Seven Irish internationals and South African duo RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn are absent for the next three to five weeks but after a first full pre-season in situ, the assistant coach is excited by the work put in and positivity shown by the likes of fly-half Joey Carbery, and enthused by the appetite he senses in newly arrived New Zealand centre Alex Nankivell, who is in line for a debut off the bench.

“He’s just off the flight but the one thing I can gather straight away is how hungry he is,” Prendergast said. “He’s really, really hungry to get stuck in, and having had a couple of conversations with him, his rugby IQ would be strong. He’ll fit in very quickly, I’d imagine.

“In terms of a package and profile he can do a bit of everything. He’ll get you gainline, he’s a sturdy guy. He’s direct but he’s got a really, really good understanding of finding space. He’s a good decision maker, really comfortable with the ball and can play a couple of different position. He plays on the wing, has played full-back, 12, 13 and in the modern game having a guy within the squad that can play in multiple positions it’s a very, very strong profile to have.

“But very comfortable with ball in hand. He’s a creator.” 

Creativity appears to be in ample supply at Munster’s High Performance Centre and no more so than in Carbery, who has overcome the disappointment of omission from the Ireland camp since the Six Nations to impress the coaches.

“Joey’s been training really, really well and I thought he had an excellent game against Connacht and in the other pre-season friendlies.

“It’s been tough for him but I love the attitude he came back in with for pre-season. He wants to get back up that ladder again and rightly so because he’s an incredibly talented player with huge experience.

“You look back at the games he’s played in and played really, really well for Munster and Ireland, I’m just delighted for him the way he’s come back and I’ve no doubt he’ll hit the ground running.

“Then Jack (Crowley) comes back in a number of weeks and you know what, you look at the best teams, the championship-winning teams, it’s squads. That’s the way the game has gone and that’s what we’re really trying to do here.

“The academy lads are training with us and that’s speeding up their development and you can see some of those players like Brian Gleeson, Ruadhan Quinn, Edwin Edogbo, Shay McCarthy on the wing, we’ve a goal to strengthen every position as much as we can.” 

Edogbo is one of five academy players in Munster’s season-opening matchday 23, starting at lock alongside a fit-again Thomas Ahern following a shoulder injury that has seen him sidelined since last October 22.

Scrum-half Ethan Coughlan starts for the first time in combination with Carbery while back-rower Gleeson, wing McCarthy and loosehead prop Kieran Ryan are the academy players handed their chance among the replacements.

At the other end of the scale, wing Andrew Conway starts on his 150th Munster appearance in his first competitive fixture since June 2022 after recovering from a knee injury while starting loosehead Josh Wycherley is set for his 50th Munster appearance in a side captained by Jack O’Donoghue from blindside flanker.

MUNSTER: S Daly; A Conway, A Frisch, R Scannell, C Nash; J Carbery, E Coughlan; J Wycherley, D Barron, S Archer; E Edogbo, F Wycherley; J O'Donoghue - captain, Alex Kendellen, G Coombes.

Replacements: S Buckley, K Ryan, J Ryan, T Ahern, B Gleeson, N Cronin, A Nankivell, S McCarthy 

SHARKS: B Chamberlain; W Kok, M Koster, F Venter - captain, M Potgieter; C Bosch, C Wright; N Mchunu, K van Vuuren, C Oosthuizen; E van Heerden, R Hugo; J Venter, P Buthelezi, G Cronje.

Replacements: D Jooste, D Bleuler, H Jacobs, V Tshituka, S Notshe, Z Mkhabela, R Janse van Rensburg, A Fassi.

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)