Munster welcome back key men for Exeter Chiefs clash, but O'Mahony remains sidelined

While Frisch, Barron and Daly return, the game has come too early for O'Mahony.

KEY COG: Shane Daly during Munster rugby squad training at University of Limerick. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Munster welcome back Antoine Frisch, Shane Daly and Diarmuid Barron from injury for Sunday’s Champions Cup pool clash at Exeter Chiefs but Peter O’Mahony remains sidelined for the crucial away tie.

Frisch, Daly and Barron all missed the opening-round 17-17 home draw with Bayonne last Saturday, the failure to win at Thomond Park ramping up the pressure on Munster to get a win on the road at Sandy Park this weekend.

The trio are among six changes from the round-one starting line-up made by Graham Rowntree on Friday with new signing Oli Jager, another of Munster’s absentees from the Bayonne disappointment, also back from injury and named on the bench.

Yet former captain O’Mahony (shoulder) and academy lock Edwin Edogbo (neck) will miss the trip to Devon as they continue their respective returns to full fitness.

Daly returns at full-back with last week’s number 15 Calvin Nash returning to more familiar territory on the wing in a back three also featuring Sean O’Brien, the former Exeter centre signed during the summer who was removed for a Head Injury Assessment after 19 minutes last Saturday in Limerick.

Frisch comes in at outside centre with Alex Nankivell reverting to number 12 in place of Rory Scannell, who drops to the bench, while one further change to the backline sees Craig Casey return at scrum-half, swapping places with Conor Murray who moves to the bench from number nine.

Hooker Barron is back in the front row having missed last weekend but does not regain the captaincy he held for three games prior to the Champions Cup campaign as Tadhg Beirne once again leads Munster from the second row.

Beirne has a new partner there with Gavin Coombes moving from No.8 in the absence of injured quartet Edogbo, Fineen Wycherley, who was injured in training this week, Jean Kleyn and RG Snyman, as Tom Ahern continues at blindside flanker in a back row that retains John Hodnett on the openside and Jack O’Donoghue promoted from the bench to No.8.

Tighthead prop Jager, signed last month from the Crusaders, is in line for a Champions Cup debut off the bench with hooker Eoghan Clarke and loosehead Josh Wycherley the other front-row replacements. 

There is also a potential competition debut for 19-year-old academy back-rower Brian Gleeson with another back-rower Alex Kendellen the fifth and final forward replacement.

Murray, Rory Scannell and another 19-year-old academy player Ben O’Connor are the backline replacements as Rowntree fields a more experienced matchday squad than last Saturday.

Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter makes two changes, one in the pack and one in the backline, from the squad which snatched a 19-18 victory at Toulon last Saturday.

Back-rower Lewis Pearson moves from the bench to starting blindside flanker while there is a change on the wing where Olly Woodburn starts having come off the bench early Stade Felix Mayol last weekend following a failed HIA for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. 

Exeter’s late game-winning goal kicker Henry Slade continues at outside centre in a midfield partnership with summer signing and Wales World Cup player Joe Hawkins.

Former Leinster players Jack Dunne and Rory O’Loughlin are among the Exeter replacements.

MUNSTER: S Daly; C Nash, A Frisch, A Nankivell, S O’Brien; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, D Barron, S Archer; G Coombes, T Beirne - captain; T Ahern, J Hodnett, J O’Donoghue.

Replacements: E Clarke, J Wycherley, O Jager, B Gleeson, A Kendellen, C Murray, R Scannell, B O’Connor.

EXETER CHIEFS: T Wyatt; O Woodburn, H Slade, J Hawkins, B Hammersley; H Skinner, T Cairns; S Sio, D Frost, E Painter; R Tuima, D Jenkins - captain; L Pearson, J Vermeulen, G Fisilau.

Replacements: M Norey, N Abuladze, M Street, J Dunne, R Vintcent, S Townsend, O Devoto, R O’Loughlin.