Prendergast: 'Reality is there can’t be any slip-ups because of the way the league is after panning out'

NO ROOM FOR ERROR: The bunched nature of the 16-team table that there are just four points separating Benetton in fourth and Connacht in 10th but Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast recognises there is little room for error. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

The Munster management will go into tonight’s home match against Zebre Parma telling their players they are now in must-win territory for the rest of the URC regular season.

This evening’s round 11 clash is the first of eight games before the play-offs with the defending champions currently outside the top eight qualifying places in ninth. Such is the bunched nature of the 16-team table that there are just four points separating Benetton in fourth and Connacht in 10th but Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast recognises there is little room for error between now and the end of the 18-match league campaign if the province is to keep its bid for back-to-back titles alive to its conclusion in June.

There is no panic at this stage and recent friendly wins over Super Rugby champions Crusaders and at English Premiership club Harlequins either side of a 42-7 URC victory at Scarlets a fortnight ago have given Munster some momentum heading into tonight’s Virgin Media Park meeting with 13th-place Zebre in Cork.

Yet Prendergast said: “We need to win every game.

“That’s the pressure we want to put on ourselves. I know it’s cliché, it’s week by week but it’s so tight and we can’t afford (slip-ups) but you’ve got to get your performances and looking back over the last number of weeks the performances have been pleasing.

“We’re moving forward, a couple of young guys are getting opportunities and putting their hands up and a couple of guys coming back from injury, the likes of Joey Carbery and RG Snyman and Mike Haley and they’re good players, really important players and that competitiveness pushes the bar (higher).

“So, yeah, the reality is there can’t be any slip-ups because of the way the league is after panning out this year. It’s incredibly tight.” 

Carbery will be missing this evening from what is sure to be a high-tempo contest on the 4G pitch having sustained a knock in training, the fly-half berth being handed to 21-year-old academy fly-half Tony Butler for the third time this season to cap a week in which he, scrum-half and fellow Ennis RFC clubman Ethan Coughlan and prop Mark Donnelly had their moves up to the senior squad next season confirmed with professional deals.

The number 10 is one of four academy players included in the matchday 23 selected by head coach Graham Rowntree with back-rower Ruadhán Quinn also starting while Coughlan and Ben O’Connor, back from Ireland Under-20s camp, are among the replacements.

There are four changes from the team which beat Scarlets in Llanelli in round 10 a fortnight ago as Alex Kendellen continues to captain the side, as he did in last Friday’s non-cap friendly win at Harlequins.

Casey comes in at scrum-half for Conor Murray as the Ireland squad members rotate out of national camp on this rest weekend for the Six Nations while loosehead prop Josh Wycherley and tighthead John Ryan move into the starting front row either side of hooker Niall Scannell.

Ireland squad members Tom Ahern and Jeremy Loughman are also involved, Ahern continues his second-row partnership with RG Snyman in front of loose forward trio of Quinn, Kendellen and No.8 Gavin Coombes while Loughman covers loosehead from the bench.

Mike Haley, the opening try scorer in that 43-35 victory at Quins, makes his 99th start for Munster at full-back as he continues his comeback from a lengthy absence following hip surgery in an unchanged back three from the last league outing alongside wings Seán O’Brien and Shane Daly.

There is also continuity in midfield with Alex Nankivell and Antoine Frisch continuing their centre partnership outside of half-backs Casey and Butler.

Munster players will wear their club or school team socks in this URC Origin Round celebrating grassroots rugby.

The province has not been beaten by Zebre, with one win to their so far name this season, in 19 meetings yet despite Prendergast warning against underestimating the Italians this evening, it will be necessary to make it win number 20 - recording successive league wins for the first time this season – if the champions are to avoid running out of road on the journey to the play-offs.

MUNSTER: M Haley (Preston Grasshoppers); S O’Brien (Mullingar RFC), A Frisch (Paris Université Club), A Nankivell (Christchurch Boys High School), S Daly (Highfield RFC); T Butler (Ennis RFC), C Casey (Shannon RFC); J Wycherley (Bantry Bay RFC), N Scannell (PBC Cork), J Ryan (Muskerry RFC); T Ahern (Youghal RFC), RG Snyman (Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool); R Quinn (Ballina-Killaloe RFC), A Kendellen - captain (PBC Cork), G Coombes (Skibbereen RFC).

Replacements: E Clarke (CBC Monkstown), J Loughman (Athy RFC), S Archer (Cork Constitution FC), F Wycherley (Bantry Bay RFC), J O’Sullivan (Sunday’s Well RFC), E Coughlan (Ennis RFC), R Scannell (PBC Cork), B O’Connor (Highfield RFC).

ZEBRE PARMA: G Prisciantelli; S Gregory, L Morisi, D Mazza, S Gesi; T Eden, A Fusco; L Rizzoli, L Bigi, M Hasa; D Sisi, L Krumov; G Ferrari, B Stavile Bravin, J Licata – captain.

Replacements: G Ribaldi, S Taddei, R Genovese, D de Leeuw, D Ruggeri, T Dominguez, J Trulla, J Kaifa.

Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)