Surprise return of Craig Casey hands Munster a Castres boost

Munster go in search of the bonus-point victory required to guarantee progress to the knockout stages of the European competition.

Munster's Craig Casey tries a box kick against Toulon. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Ireland scrum-half Craig Casey has passed fit to face Castres in Munster’s must-win Champions Cup pool finale at Thomond Park on Saturday (5:30pm).

The surprise selection at number nine is a huge boost for head coach Clayton McMillan as his team goes in search of the bonus-point victory required to guarantee progress to the knockout stages of the European competition and gives Munster an outside chance of earning a money-spinning home Round of 16 draw.

McMillan has made three changes from the starting line-up which earned a losing bonus point in a 27-25defeat at Toulon last Sunday, a game in which Casey left the field at Stade Felix Mayol with his arm in a makeshift sling following what was described by the Munster boss as a serious shoulder injury. 

Assistant coach Denis Leamy on Tuesday confirmed it was an AC joint issue but said the scrum-half had only a 50-50 chance of facing Castres, with Ethan Coughlan on standby for a first Champions Cup start and academy nine Jake O’Riordan being teed up for a European debut in what would have been just his third senior appearance.

Instead, Coughlan retains the place among the replacements he took when Paddy Patterson was injured during the warm-up in Toulon with Casey starting alongside fly-half Jack Crowley.

Captain Tadhg Beirne is set to lead Munster on his 100th appearance at blindside flanker with Jean Kleyn returning from a calf injury which kept him out last weekend to replace Edwin Edogbo at lock following his midweek announcement that he will be joining Gloucester at the end of the season.

Also coming into the side are Thaakir Abrahams on the right wing for Calvin Nash, who misses out with a shoulder/head injury, and hooker Niall Scannell, who replaces knee injury victim Diarmuid Barron.

Shane Daly at full-back, Abrahams and academy star Ben O’Connor form the back three with Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell continuing their centre partnership.

Scannell joins last Sunday’s starting props Jeremy Loughman and Michael Ala’alatoa in the front row with Kleyn partnering Fineen Wycherley in the second row ahead of an unchanged back row of Beirne, Jack O’Donoghue and Gavin Coombes.

Lee Barron comes onto the bench as replacement hooker with loosehead prop Michael Milne and tighthead Oli Jager also providing the front row cover with the latter in line for a first appearance since October 10, when he sustained a head injury against Edinburgh.

Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson provide some powerful forward cover with Coughlan, JJ Hanrahan and Dan Kelly continuing as the backline replacements.

MUNSTER (v Castres): Shane Daly; Thaakir Abrahams, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Ben O’Connor; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Michael Ala’alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Tadhg Beirne - captain, Jack O’Donoghue, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Oli Jager, Edwin Edogbo, Brian Gleeson, Ethan Coughlan, JJ Hanrahan, Dan Kelly.