Costello makes seven Munster changes for Cardiff clash as key quartet return 

Michael Milne will make his Munster debut on Friday night.

Munster full-back Mike Haley is set to make his return from injury. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Munster make seven changes to the side beaten at home by the Bulls last time out as they bid to save their season at Cardiff on Friday night.

Michael Milne is set for a debut at loosehead prop while Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Craig Casey and Gavin Coombes all return from injuries or illness for the must-win trip to the Arms Park against a team also vying for a top-eight finish and a place in the URC play-offs, beginning at the end of next month.

John Ryan at tighthead prop and second-row Fineen Wycherley have also given starting roles as Munster look to reboot after a damaging 16-13 Thomond Park loss to the Bulls last Saturday, a defeat which leaves the province in a precarious position with three rounds of the regular season remaining, placed seventh with just 10 points separating Benetton in fifth and the Lions in 14th.

Haley starts at full-back after recovering from the ankle injury he sustained in January, with Nash returning to the right wing following his ankle knock in Bordeaux a fortnight ago, and Thaakir Abrahams switching from number 15 to the left wing.

Tom Farrell and Alex Nankivell continue in the centres while fly-half Jack Crowley is reunited with scrum-half Casey after the number nine was withdrawn due to illness during the warm-up ahead of the Bulls game.

Milne, who joined Munster on loan for the rest of the season last week ahead of his permanent move from Leinster this summer, will pack down alongside hooker Niall Scannell and veteran tighthead Ryan, who steps up following injuries to both Oli Jager and Stephen Archer during the Bulls game.

Fineen Wycherley joins captain Tadhg Beirne in the second-row while Peter O’Mahony’s hamstring strain picked up in the warm-up for the Bulls fixture sees Jack O’Donoghue move from No.8 to blindside flanker in place of Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen retained on the openside and Coombes return at No.8 having also received an ankle knock in Bordeaux.

Academy tighthead prop Ronan Foxe and Academy flanker Ruadhán Quinn are among the replacements with hooker Diarmuid Barron added to the bench after recovering from a shoulder/arm injury. Mark Donnelly covers loosehead, with Jean Kleyn completing the forward cover and Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler and Seán O’Brien representing the backline replacements.

Ahern, Conor Murray and Josh Wycherley all picked up knocks against Bulls and join John Hodnett and Peter O’Mahony on the short-term injury list.

Cardiff, a point and one place in front of Munster on the URC table, boosted their play-off prospects with a 36-19 derby win over Ospreys at Principality Stadium last weekend and head coach Matt Sherratt had made three changes to that winning side, all in the forward pack.

Danny Southworth starts at loosehead prop with Corey Domachowski on the bench, while former Bath and England lock Josh McNally returns to the second row. 

In the back row, Thomas Young returns at openside flanker for his last appearance at the Arms Park before a summer move to the Dragons.

CARDIFF: C Winnett; J Adams, H Millard, B Thomas; G Hamer-Webb; C Sheedy, J Mulder; D Southworth, L Belcher - captain, K Assiratti; J McNally, T Williams; J Botham, T Young, T Faletau.

Replacements: E Lloyd, C Domachowski, R Litterick, R Thornton, A Lawrence, B Donnell, A Davies, T de Beer.

MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; J Crowley, C Casey; M Milne, N Scannell, J Ryan; F Wycherley, T Beirne - captain; J O’Donoghue, A Kendellen, G Coombes.

Replacements: D Barron, M Donnelly, R Foxe, J Kleyn, R Quinn, P Patterson, T Butler, S O’Brien.