Tony Butler to start as Munster make four changes for Zebre clash

Gavin Coombes is set to make his 100th appearance for Munster.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Munster’s Tony Butler will start at fly-half for the injured Billy Burns. Picture: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Tony Butler will start at fly-half for Munster at Zebre Parma on Saturday while Ireland wing Calvin Nash is set to make his seasonal debut in the URC round-two contest in Italy.

Munster boss Graham Rowntree has made four changes and two backline positional switches from the side which edged the league campaign-opening derby win 35-33 over Connacht at Thomond Park last Saturday.

With Billy Burns failing to overcome the shoulder injury he sustained on debut in the 10-try thriller last weekend, Butler is handed his fourth start in his 10th senior appearance having secured victory over Connacht with two clutch conversions after replacing the summer signing from Ulster for the last 26 minutes.

The 22-year-old will partner scrum-half Craig Casey, who started alongside Burns in round one. Nash returns a week ahead of schedule having started both of Ireland’s summer Tests against the Springboks, returning to the number 14 jersey on the right wing, the position from which he earned Munster’s Player of the Year award for last season. His inclusion sees former Sharks and Lyon winger Thaakir Abrahams switch across to the left wing in a back three with Mike Haley as last week’s starting 11 Shane Daly moves to outside centre.

Daly endured a tough reintroduction at 13 in pre-season in the Cork loss to Gloucester but returns there in a competitive setting for the first time since his rookie season agaisnt the Cheetahs in 2018, with last week’s incumbent moving inside to replace Alex Nankivell.

The two other changes come in the forward pack with front-row rotations at both prop positions, with Josh Wycherley swapping his bench role with Jeremy Loughman on the loosehead side and Oli Jager moving from replacement to starter at tighthead as John Ryan goes the other way.

With Josh Wycherley, Jager and Butler promoted from bench duty, and Munster still missing the majority of their senior Ireland summer tourists as well as the nine players preparing to depart on Saturday for the three-game Emerging Ireland tour in South Africa, Conor Murray is named as replacement scrum-half while back-rower Jack Daly replaces Alex Kendellen, who captain the Irish touring squad in Bloemfontein.

There is no recognised fly-half in reserve with head coach Rowntree naming centre Bryan Fitzgerald and wing Shay McCarthy as his two additional backline replacements. Murray has deputised at 10 on occasion and taken goal-kicking responsibilities for both Munster and Ireland in the past, while Butler’s last start came against Zebre in Cork last March when he played the full 80 minutes in a 45-29 URC victory.

With Ireland starting 10 Jack Crowley not due back under IRFU player management protocols until URC round three, uncapped academy man Dylan Hicks remained the only other fly-half available in Burns’ absence, though will not be required for the trip to northern Italy.

MUNSTER (v Zebre): M Haley; C Nash, S Daly, T Farrell, T Abrahams; T Butler, C Casey; J Wycherley, D Barron (c), O Jager; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; R Quinn, J Hodnett, G Coombes.

Replacements: N Scannell, J Loughman, J Ryan, J Daly, J O'Donoghue, C Murray, B Fitzgerald, S McCarthy.