Perilously close to troubled waters, Munster know Sharks are circling in Durban
READY TO CLIMB: A view of Munster Rugby Squad Training in Cape Town, South Africa this week. Pic:INPHO/Steve Haag Sports
One day, Munster will start their season the right way, with a consistency of performance across the opening six matches that is reflected by more victories than losses.
For now, however, Graham Rowntree’s squad enter troubled waters with the Sharks on Saturday afternoon looking to end this opening block of the United Rugby Championship campaign with their heads just about above the surface.
A victory at King’s Park would send Munster home to Ireland ahead of the international window and a four-week break from league action with a level-par score of three wins and three defeats, and the history of Rowntree’s tenure as head coach would make that the best start under him in three seasons at the helm.
Those with keen memories will recall that despite worse starts, Munster have acquitted themselves admirably well in the months that followed, winning the title in 2022-23 and topping the regular-season standings after 18 rounds last time around.
Yet the province’s capacity for pulling rabbits out of hats is being sorely tested this time around, with a seriously concerning injury list and a high level of in-game inconsistency in four of their first five games.
Overcoming a home team loaded with quality in the form of a World Cup-winning front row, a record-breaking South Africa captain in Siya Kolisi and club skipper Eben Etzebeth would be a remarkable achievement for any side in this league. But for a Munster team in this kind of patchy form looking to rebound from back-to-back defeats in Dublin and Cape Town, it will need a remarkable uptick in standards to come away with a victory.
Aside from the reputation of Kolisi, Etzebeth, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch, Munster will also have to deal with a wonderfully instinctive and sharp half-back duo of Grant Williams and Jordan Hendrikse and an all-powerful midfield of former Harlequin Andre Esterhuizen and Lukhanyo Am. Throw in a back three including Makazole Mapimpi and full-back Aphelele Fassi and it represents quite the package for Munster to unwrap in Durban.
“They can play as well,” Rowntree said earlier this week with a degree of understatement. “Lots of threats. So we've got to get better as well. It's not all about the Sharks, but it's quite obvious, we can't give them access. And I keep saying about these South African teams, you can’t be giving them penalties around set-piece because they'll just maul us. So there's a lot of power to respect there, but I've seen us deal with it before.”
Munster have first-hand experience of being mauled off King’s Park by the Sharks, their 50-35 Champions Cup Round of 16 defeat in April 2023 a sobering moment in Rowntree’s maiden campaign that, while preceding that season’s run to the URC title, also provided a valuable lesson.
“You just can't switch off against power over here," he added. "You can't switch off if you have a poor engagement. People try and solve puzzles on their own but no, with respect to the set-piece, you have got to fix what you can, you have to drive on. We have a very honest group here and we’ve trained well.”
Even so, injuries have forced Munster’s hand once again with Rowntree naming a rejigged side for the stiff challenge ahead.
Injuries to left wing Shane Daly (leg), loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman (knee) and an ongoing hip issue for centre Alex Nankivell, as well as the absence of Conor Murray for personal reasons, mean there are four changes and two positional switches from the side which started last Saturday’s 34-19 to the Stormers in Cape Town.
Craig Casey replaces Murray at scrum-half having missed the Stormers game due to a knock, while Rory Scannell starts at inside centre for his first appearance since a serious ankle injury which required surgery ended his season last June. Stephen Archer comes in at tighthead as John Ryan switches sides to start at loosehead, with Munster missing four specialist looseheads due to injury.
John Hodnett moves in at openside flanker as Alex Kendellen is named as one of two back-row replacements alongside Ruadhan Quinn on a bench featuring six forwards and two backs. The other positional switch sees Seán O’Brien moves from inside centre to the left wing to cover Daly’s absence.
Academy tighthead Ronan Foxe is in line for a senior Munster debut from the bench while hooker Diarmuid Barron is also included after missing the Stormers defeat following a head knock at Leinster the previous week.
Sharks head coach John Plumtree makes three changes and a positional switch from the line-up which defeated reigning champions Glasgow Warriors 28-24 in Durban last Saturday. Former Munster and Leinster lock Jason Jenkins continues in a bench role alongside Pepsi Bhutelezi, representing little let-up in the challenge awaiting a Munster side in dire need of a rebound.
A Fassi; E Keyter, L Am, A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, G Williams; O Nche, B Mbonambi, V Koch; E Etzebeth – captain, E van Heerden; J Venter, V Tshituka, S Kolisi.
F Mbatha, N Mchunu, R Dreyer, J Jenkins, P Bhutelezi, Jaden Hendrikse, S Masuku, F Venter.
M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, R Scannell, S O’Brien; J Crowley, C Casey; J Ryan, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, T Beirne - captain; T Ahern, J Hodnett, J O’Donoghue.
D Barron, K Ryan, R Foxe, F Wycherley, R Quinn, E Coughlan, B Burns, A Kendellen.
Hollie Davison (Scotland).
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