Munster starting team unchanged but bench tweaked for URC quarter-final

Munster face the Sharks in Durban on Saturday. 

IF IT AIN'T BROKE: Munster have stuck with the starting team which picked up bonus point wins against Ulster and Benetton. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Munster will have an unchanged starting line-up for the third game in a row for Saturday’s URC quarter-final at Durban’s Kings Park while the Sharks have brought back a dual World Cup-winning duo of Springboks to boost their ranks.

Sharks head coach John Plumtree’s team selection on Friday underlined the size of the challenge facing Munster, making five changes from the side which edged the Scarlets 12-3 at home in the final round of the regular season a fortnight ago, and including Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and Lukhanyo Am.

Munster, though, stick with the XV which booked their play-off spot by landing home bonus-point wins over Ulster and Benetton in the final two games of the league campaign to finish sixth in the URC standings.

Interim head coach Ian Costello has tweaked his bench, however, with a fit-again Diarmuid Barron replacing loanee Lee Barron, an impressive try scorer off the bench against Benetton two weeks ago, as replacement hooker. There is a switch from a six forwards, two backs split from the previous two outings to a 5:3, meaning Fineen Wycherley is the forward to miss out while veteran scrum-half Conor Murray is joined by two fresh backline replacements in the form of Mike Haley and Rory Scannell, who is set to make his 200th appearances for Munster as Sean O’Brien is stood down as the lone outside back cover.

Among the quintet of Sharks changes, Kolisi will start at No.8, while Am is set to make his 100th appearance for the franchise in the centres alongside Andre Esterhuizen.

Jordan Hendrikse is handed the fly-half role alongside brother Jaden Hendrikse at scrum-half while there are two more changes to the forward pack with former Munster and Leinster lock Jason Jenkins, a one-cap Springbok, coming off the bench to start in the second row while James Venter moves in at blindside flanker in a team captained by Eben Etzebeth.

SHARKS: A Fassi; E Hooker, L Am, A Esterhuizen, M Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Jaden Hendrikse; O Nche, B Mbonambi, V Koch; E Etzebeth – captain, J Jenkins; J Venter, V Tshituka, S Kolisi.

Replacements: F Mbatha, N Mchunu, H Jacobs, E van Heerden, P Buthelezi, B Davids, F Venter, Y Penxe 

MUNSTER: T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, D Kilgallen; J Crowley, C Casey; M Milne, N Scannell, S Archer; J Kleyn, T Beirne - captain; P O'Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Rory Scannell, Mike Haley.