Munster make five changes for Stormers clash, Leinster set to blood two more Academy products

STRIDING OUT: Jean Kleyn will partner skipper Tadhg Beirne in the second row against the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday. Pic: Steve Haag/Inpho.

SHANE Daly returns from injury in a much-changed Munster side as Conor Murray is handed his first start of the season and a fit-again Billy Burns joins the replacements for Saturday’s URC round-five clash with the Stormers in Cape Town.

There are five changes and one positional move from the side beaten 26-12 by Leinster at Croke Park last Saturday with Daly and Murray coming into the starting XV alongside John Ryan, Tom Ahern and Alex Kendellen while Jack O’Donoghue switches from blindside flanker to No.8.

Daly injured an elbow in the second-round loss at Zebre Parma and missed both the Ospreys win in Cork and Leinster loss and replaces Seán O’Brien who moves from the left wing to the bench.

Veteran scrum-half Murray replaces the injured Craig Casey to start alongside fly-half Jack Crowley for his 197th Munster appearance as Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell continue their partnership at 12 and 13.

John Ryan rotates into the tighthead prop berth with Stepehen Archer dropping to the bench while a reconfigured back row sees Tom Ahern start on the blindside flank and Alex Kendellen return to Munster colours after captaining Emerging Ireland on their successful three-game tour to South Africa earlier this month.

Summer signing Burns is included on his return from a shoulder injury sustained on debut against Connacht in round one as hooker Eoghan Clarke in named for potentially his first appearance of the season with Diarmuid Barron going through the return to play protocols following a head injury in a short-lived spell off the bench at Croke Park.

Casey’s unavailability due to a knock sees Ethan Coughlan, another Emerging Ireland tourist, covering as Murray’s potential replacement in what would be his first Munster appearance of the season.

Stormers boss John Dobson has reacted to his team’s 38-7 loss at Edinburgh by making five changes from that starting XV, four of them in his forward pack, for the Capetonians’ first home game of the season.

Loosehead prop Sti Sithole and hooker Joseph Dweba return to the front row with lock Adre Smith joining JD Schickerling in the second row and Marcel Theunissen coming in at openside flanker.

The only change to the backline sees Suleiman Hartzenberg back on the right wing, while Springbok fly-half Herschel Jantjies is set to return after injury from the replacements bench.

“We were disappointed with the way our tour ended last week, so this is a great opportunity to respond with a big performance at home,” Dobson said. “There are some rotational changes and it is fantastic to welcome Herschel back into the mix.” 

Meanwhile Leo Cullen is set to cap two more Leinster up and comers as they go to Galway to face Connacht, with Rabah Slimani also set to make his first start since joining from Clermont Auvergne.

In all, there are seven changes to the starting XV from last Saturday's win over Munster.

There are two new faces among the replacements, with Academy duo Hugh Cooney and Stephen Smyth in line to make their debuts if they are introduced to the action. Fintan Gunne rounds out a total of five Academy players in the matchday squad as he hopes to make his third appearance of the season.

Connacht have made two changes for the tie at a sold-out Dexcom Stadium (7.35pm). Darragh Murray returns from Emerging Ireland to come into the second row, while David Hawkshaw starts in a rejigged back line. Mack Hansen misses out due to a minor hip injury, so Hawkshaw starts at outside centre with Piers O’Conor moving to full-back and Santiago Cordero shifting to the wing.

STORMERS: W Gelant; S Hartzenberg, R Nel, D du Plessis - captain, L Zas; D Willemse, P de Wet; S Sithole, J Dweba, N Fouche; A Smith, JD Schickerling; M Theunissen, B-J Dixon, K Morabe.

Replacements: A-H Venter, B Harris, S Sandi, R van Heerden, D Ewers, L Nel, H Jantjies, J Matthee.

MUNSTER (at Stormers): M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, S Daly; J Crowley, C Murray; J Loughman, N Scannell, J Ryan; J Kleyn, T Beirne (C); T Ahern, A Kendellen, J O’Donoghue.

Replacements: E Clarke, K Ryan, S Archer, F Wycherley, R Quinn, E Coughlan, B Burns, S O’Brien.

CONNACHT: P O’Conor; S Bolton, D Hawkshaw, B Aki, S Cordero, J Ioane, B Murphy; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Joyce D Murray; C Prendergast, S O’Brien, P Boyle.

Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, P Dooley J Aungier, N Murray, S Jansen, C Blade, C Forde, H Gavin.

LEINSTER (at Connacht): H Keenan; L Turner, G Ringrose, J Osborne, A Osborne, C Frawley, J Gibson-Park; J Boyle, G McCarthy, R Slimani; RG Snyman, J Ryan (capt), M Deegan, W Connors, J Culhane.

Replacements: S Smyth, A Porter, T Clarkson, B Deeny, S Penny, F Gunne, R Byrne, H Cooney.