Jager unavailable to face former club Crusaders

INJURED: Oli Jager, who signed from the Super Rugby champions in Munster to return home to Ireland after seven years in New Zealand, had trained with the Irish Six Nations squad in Portugal but the tighthead prop was released back to the province on Wednesday, only to report back with a minor knock. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Oli Jager's hopes of facing his old club Crusaders have been dashed by injury ahead of Munster's historic, sell-out Pàirc Uì Chaoimh clash in Cork on Saturday.

Jager, who signed from the Super Rugby champions in Munster to return home to Ireland after seven years in New Zealand, had trained with the Irish Six Nations squad in Portugal but the tighthead prop was released back to the province on Wednesday, only to report back with a minor knock.

Head coach Graham Rowntree suffered another blow to his front-row selection plans when senior hooker Niall Scannell also picked up a knock.

Rowntree named his matchday squad last night, with back rower and Corkman Alex Kendellen named captain for game being played close to his family's business in Blackrock.

A trio of academy players also start with Ruadhan Quinn joining Kendellen and Jack O’Sullivan in the back row and scrum-half Ethan Coughlan and wing Shay McCarthy in a Munster backline that sees Shane Daly switch from the wing to full-back having started the URC champions' season at number 15.

O'Sullivan's selection at No.8 marks his first start of the season following injury while hooker Ethan Clarke makes his first start for the province since rejoining from Jersey Reds earlier this season.

Joey Carbery starts at out-half for the first time since October when he picked up a wrist injury at Benetton to partner Coughlan while Daly features in a back three with wings Seàn O'Brien and McCarthy. Maori All Black Alex Nankivell and Anotoine Frisch continue in midfield.

Clarke packs down in a front row with props Josh Wycherley and Stephen Archer in front of Fineen Wycherley and Gavin Coombes.

A 10-man bench includes three academy men in prop Mark Donnelly, back-rower Daniel Okeke and fly-half Tony Butler while Colm Hogan is in line to make his Munster debut off the bench after joining the province in November.

There is also a potential Munster debut for 19-year-old Cork Constitution lock Kamil Nowak with hooker Scott Buckley and veteran tighthead John Ryan completing the front row cover alongside Clarke.

Jack Daly has the chance to put an injury-plagued couple of seasons behind him as back-row cover in his first potential appearance since 2022 with Okeke having not appeared since a senior debut against Wasps in December 2021.

Former Munster boss Rob Penney returns to Cork for his first match since succeeding Scott Robertson as Crusaders head coach and has included All Blacks centurion Owen Franks in his side for a first pre-season outing.

Quinten Strange captains the side with George Bower and George Bell both returning from injury.

Mitch Drummond returns at scrum-half alongside debutant fly-half Taha Kemara with new recruits former Welsh international full-back Leigh Halfpenny among the new signings selected.

MUNSTER: S Daly; S O’Brien, A Frisch, A Nankivell, S McCarthy; J Carbery, E Coughlan; J Wycherley, E Clarke, S Archer; G Coombes, F Wycherley; R Quinn, A Kendellen (C), J O’Sullivan.

Replacements: S Buckley, M Donnelly, J Ryan, K Nowak, J Daly, Okeke, N Cronin, Tony Butler, Rory Scannell, C Hogan.

CRUSADERS: L Halfpenny, C Fihaki, L Aumua, D McLeod, M Springer, T Kemara, M Drummond, G Bower, G Bell, O Franks, Q Strange (c), T Cahill, D Gardiner, T Christie, C Grace 

Replacements: I Moananu, K Sykes-Martin, S Calder, J Hannah, C Lio-Willie, N Hotham, R Reihana, R Crotty, J Southall, H Murray

Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)