Crowley and Murray start but no O'Mahony in Munster team to play Saracens
Conor Murray, right, and Jack Crowley during Munster training this week. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Jack Crowley and Conor Murray return to boost Munster for their must-win Champions Cup home pool clash with Saracens on Saturday evening Interim head coach Ian Costello has made three changes from the side beaten 28-7 by URC derby rivals Leinster at Thomond Park last time out on December 27 with fly-half Crowley rested for that game under IRFU player management guidelines. Scrum-half Murray returns from an elbow injury which has sidelined him since the end of Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series and brings experience in what will be his 198th Munster appearance to the number nine berth in the extended absence of Craig Casey. Fellow international Casey sustained a serious knee injury in the Champions Cup round two loss at Castres on December 13. The other change sees back-rower Jack O’Donoghue included at blindside flanker with Peter O’Mahony still not recovered from the calf contusion he sustained at Stade Pierre Fabre a month ago.
That 16-14 defeat, with a losing bonus point, leaves Munster in third place in Pool 3, three points behind Saturday’s unbeaten visitors, and four adrift of leaders Northampton Saints, to whom the province must travel for their final fixture of the group stage seven days later.
Castres, though, are breathing down Munster necks, two points further back ahead of their Saturday night match at home to the Bulls and a home win over Saracens will be vital to hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.
Crowley’s return at No.10 pushes Billy Burns to the bench as one of two backline replacements alongside scrum-half Paddy Patterson as Ethan Coughlan and Tony Butler, who started at nine and on the bench respectively against Leinster, drop out of the matchday squad.
The switch to six forward replacements also sees Ben O’Connor sacrificed as outside back cover with Tom Ahern moving from starting flanker to the bench alongside back-five pack members John Hodnett and Brian Gleeson.
An unchanged starting front row of Dian Bleuler, Niall Scannell and Oli Jager is backed up by hooker Diarmuid Barron, with John Ryan covering loosehead and fellow veteran Stephen Archer at tighthead replacement. Fineen Wycherley and captain Tadhg Beirne remain intact as the second-row starters with O’Donoghue joining Alex Kendell at openside and No.8 Gavin Coombes in the back row.
The outside back unit is also unchanged from last time with Rory Scannell partnering Tom Farrell in the centres and a settled back three of wings Calvin Nash and Shane Daly with Mike Haley continuing at full-back.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall will send a powerful side back to Limerick for the first time since December 2019, when the two clubs each won the home fixture of their pool double header, the English Premiership giants losing 10-3 at Thomond Park before winning 15-6 a week later in north London.
Maro Itoje captains the side and leads a powerful pack featuring fellow England regulars Jamie George and Ben Earl, in-form No.8 Tom Willis, Argentina flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez and Italy tighthead Marco Riccioni. The backline is equally potent with veteran Lions stars Liam Williams and full-back Eliot Daly forming a back three with Pumas wing Lucio Cinti outside a centre partnership of Nick Tompkins and Alex Lozowski.
It is a sided tasked with securing a home draw for the Round of 16 in April but McCall will be taking nothing for granted, despite Munster’s patchy form this season.
“We are going to one of the great European grounds. It is going to be a great experience for this new group,” the Saracens boss said.
“If you think Munster at home are vulnerable you are probably pretty stupid. People have short memories. They won the URC two years ago, they were top of the log in the URC after the regular season last season.
“We have been to Thomond Park a couple of times since I have been at Saracens and we haven’t won there but it is a great, great place to go. Some of our players who have been there have talked to some of the players who have not been there about what to expect but hopefully what to enjoy as well.
“It is a good test for us. It will be a beneficial experience come what may but we do also have an opportunity and let’s see if we can take it.”
Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Dian Bleuler, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (C); Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan, Stephen Archer, Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Paddy Patterson, Billy Burns, Brian Gleeson.
E Daly; L Williams, A Lozowski, N Tompkins, L Cinti; F Burke, I van Zyl; P Brantingham, J George, M Riccioni; M Itoje – captain, H Wilson; J M Gonzalez, B Earl, T Willis.
T Dan, E Mawi, A Clarey, M Eke, N Michelow, G Simpson, O Hartley, T Elliott.
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