Jack Crowley blow as Munster make five changes for crucial Connacht derby

MISSING: Jack Crowley misses the trip t Galway. Pic: by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Munster will be without Jack Crowley for their must-win derby clash at Connacht on Saturday after the Ireland fly-half failed to shake off a leg injury.

Injury-hit Munster have made five changes to the side that beat Ulster two weeks ago as they prepare to travel to Galway for their penultimate URC league game of the season at Dexcom Stadium.

The 41-14 win at Thomond Park in Round 16 cemented Munster’s place in the all-important top eight of the table but with nine teams stilly vying for those slots in the end of season play-off draw, the victory came at a big cost with loss of six frontline players for the run-in to the knockout rounds.

Crowley had been flagged as a potential returnee having been withdrawn with a leg knock before kick off last time out and the Ireland star was classed as “available” for selection when Munster issued a squad update on Tuesday. 

Instead the fly-half joins a quintet of in-game injury victims from the Ulster game with lock and captain Tadhg Beirne (knee), fellow second row Jean Kleyn (bicep), prop Oli Jager (head), centre Tom Farrell (shoulder) and wing Calvin Nash (hamstring) also ruled out as a result.

Head coach Clayton McMilllan can welcome back fit-again Mike Haley at full-back following his recovery from a groin issue, in a back three alongside Andrew Smith on the left wing and Shane Daley who switches from number 15 to the right wing to cover for Nash’s absence.

Lock Fineen Wycherley also returns from a knee injury to start alongside Edwin Edogbo in the second row while Michael Ala’alatoa slots in at tighthead to fill the vacuum created by Jager’s injury.

Dan Kelly comes in at outside centre in the other change as the replacement for Farrell while Crowley’s omission means another start at number 10 for JJ Hanrahan between inside centre Alex Nankivell and scrum-half Craig Casey, who assumes the captaincy with Beirne unavailable.

An unchanged back row sees John Hodnett continue at openside flanker following his four tries against Ulster while Alex Kendellen remains as a back-row replacement following a hat-trick in the same game and will make his 100th appearance at the age of 25 having made his Munster debut as an Academy player in March 2021.

Brian Gleeson serves as a second back-row covering player on a six-two bench with Ben O’Donovan and Seán O’Brien the backline replacements.

MUNSTER (v Connacht): Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Andrew Smith; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey - captain; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Michael Ala'alatoa; Edwin Edogbo, Fineen Wycherley; Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, Conor Bartley, Jack O'Donoghue, Brian Gleeson, Ben O'Donovan, Seán O'Brien, Alex Kendellen.