Nankivell and Wycherley start for Munster's Champions Cup quarter-final clash with Bordeaux

Stephen Archer keeps his place among the replacements and is set to make his 300th appearance from off the bench.

TEAM NAMED: Alex Nankivell and Josh Wycherley come into the Munster starting XV for their Investec Champions Cup quarter-final clash against Bordeaux Bègles on Saturday at Stade Chaban-Delmas (3pm Iirish time). Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Alex Nankivell and Josh Wycherley come into the Munster side for Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final clash at Bordeaux-Begles but there is no place in the home line-up for Joey Carbery.

Munster make just two changes to the XV which started their epic, nail-biting 25-24 Round of 16 victory at La Rochelle last Saturday with Nankivell free to play after a successful appeal against the red card he was issued at Connacht a fortnight ago Josh Wycherley replaces the injured Jeremy Loughman for the Stade Chaban-Delmas knockout tie.

New Zealander Nankivell returns to the Munster line-up captained by Tadhg Beirne, having missed the win at La Rochelle last Saturday as part of the two-game suspension that was being enforced following an initial disciplinary hearing which found him guilty of a reckless tackle on Connacht skipper Cian Prendergast.

That ban was rescinded on appeal five days later, clearing a way for the former Chief to return to inside centre. It makes for a tough call on Sean O’Brien, who deputised at number 12 in France last weekend but now drops to the bench. Nankivell’s presence alongside regular midfield partner Tom Farrell does bring some extra assurance to an otherwise unchanged Munster backline, with the latter continuing his ever-present run in the team since his summer move from Connacht with this his 21st consecutive start.

Loosehead prop Wycherley impressed off the bench having replaced Loughman just 12 minutes into last Saturday’s Round of 16 win at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, holding his own at scrum-time against La Rochelle’s giant tighthead Uini Atonio and he will have a similarly big challenge on Saturday in his head to head with UBB’s 148-kilogram Tongan behemoth Ben Tameifuna.

As expected, Bordeaux restore Six Nations player of the championship Louis Bielle-Biarrey to their starting line-up on the right wing having missed the Round of 16 home win over Ulster on a weekend off. There are three others changes, all in the backline, from that 43-31 victory at Chaban-Delmas last Sunday when UBB outgunned the Irish province by six tries to five. Fly-half Carbery, who kicked all four first-half conversions for Bordeaux before being replaced on 46 minutes, is one of those to lose his place, jettisoned from the matchday 23 to miss out completely on a reunion with the squad he departed last summer.

France international 10 Matthieu Jalibert, who replaced Carbery last weekend is handed the number 10 jersey, but there is an enforced change at full-back with Romain Buros, a tryscorer last weekend, suffering a leg injury in that match. Buros has been replaced by French Under-20 star Jon Echegaray while the fourth change sees powerhouse centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg elevated from a try-scoring role off the bench to a start at number 12.

Both teams have named six forwards and two backs on their benches with Munster’s decision to include O’Brien as a replacement leaving them without a recognised a fly-half as Rory Scannell drops out of the 23.

The visiting bench also features veteran tighthead Stephen Archer, set for his 300th Munster appearance, while loosehead cover is provided by Mark Donnelly, who started for Cork Constitution in the AIL against Terenure last weekend and will be making his first European appearance since his senior debut against Wasps in December 2021.

UNION BORDEAUX-BÈGLES: J Echegaray; D Penaud, Y Moefana, R Janse van Rensburg, L Bielle-Biarrey; M Jalibert, M Lucu – captain; J Poirot, M Lamothe, B Tameifuna; C Cazeaux, A Coleman; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu Replacements: C Sa, M Perchaud, S Falatea, P Bochaton, M Gazotti, B Vergnes-Taillefer, Y Lesgourgues, P Uberti.

MUNSTER: T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, A Smith; J Crowley, C Casey; J Wycherley, D Barron, O Jager; J Kleyn, T Beirne - captain; P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.

Replacements: N Scannell, M Donnelly, S Archer, F Wycherley, T Ahern, C Murray, S O’Brien, A Kendellen.

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)