Michael Milne and Tom Farrell bolster Munster for Sharks challenge

Four Irish squad members return from Six Nations duty, with Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson named on the bench.

Thu, 19 Mar, 2026 - 12:53

Simon Lewis

Munster will welcome back Ireland internationals Michael Milne and Tom Farrell when they resume their United Rugby Championship campaign in South Africa this Saturday in Durban against last season’s quarter-final rivals the Sharks.

Four Irish squad members return from Six Nations duty, with Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson named on the bench, for the round 13 clash at Kings Park (3:00pm Irish time) as Munster revisit the scene of their controversial goal-kick shootout exit last May 31.

That was the last game under interim head coach Ian Costello, with Clayton McMillan having arrived from the Chiefs last summer as the permanent successor to Graham Rowntree. The New Zealander has had mixed success to date with Munster currently sixth in the URC table, six points behind league leaders Glasgow Warriors and nine clear of ninth place with six matches of the regular season remaining and a top-eight finish required to return to the play-offs.

McMillan on Thursday named a side showing six changes from the starting line-up that helped scored a hard-fought home victory over Zebre last time out, when tries from Shane Daly, Lee Barron and Alex Kendellen, all converted by fly-half JJ Hanrahan, secured a 21-7 win at Thomond Park.

Hanrahan remains at number 10 and captains Munster for the first time on his 155th appearance for the province but Milne starts at loosehead prop having come off the bench in last week’s Triple Crown-securing victory over Scotland in Dublin.

Tom Ahern (neck), Alex Nankivell (foot) and John Hodnett (hamstring) all return from injury to start, at lock, inside centre and openside flanker, while scrum-half Ethan Coughlan, hooker Diarmuid Barron and Academy flanker Seán Edogbo also come into the starting XV.

Outside centre Farrell was man of the match against Zebre on February 28 before appearing off the bench for Ireland in the round-four win over Wales and now resumes his midfield partnership with Nankivell as Dan Kelly moves to the bench.

Mike Haley, Calvin Nash and Shane Daly form an unchanged back three, Milne forms a front row with Diarmuid Barron and Michael Ala’alatoa, while Ahern partners Jean Kleyn in the second row. Gavin Coombes switches from openside to No.8 to accommodate Sean Edogbo at number six for his third senior start.

Ireland debutant against Italy in round two of the Six Nations Edwin Edogbo is named on the bench as covering lock, while training squad member Gleeson is named as back-row cover having started against Zebre at No.8. Fineen Wycherley and Hodnett complete the forward cover with scrum-half Paddy Patterson and Kelly the two backline replacements.

Munster arrived in South Africa a day later than scheduled due to a delayed flight out of London and the 28-player squad arrived in Durban for the start of their two-match tour on Wednesday. Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and a fit-again Jeremy Loughman are due to join the travelling party ahead of the second URC game at the Bulls in Pretoria but club captain Tadhg Beirne does not feature.

MUNSTER (v Sharks): Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; JJ Hanrahan - captain, Ethan Coughlan; Michael Milne, Diarmuid Barron, Michael Ala’alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Tom Ahern; Seán Edogbo, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, John Ryan, Edwin Edogbo, Fineen Wycherley, Paddy Patterson, Dan Kelly, Brian Gleeson.