O'Shea and Edogbo set for European debuts as Munster plot Páirc victory

Head coach Clayton McMillan made it clear where his team’s motivation will come from on Leeside.

Charlie O'Shea during Munster training at Thomond Park. Pic: Paul Phelan/Sportsfile

Clayton McMillan will hand European debuts to fly-half Charlie O’Shea and flanker Seán Edogbo for Munster’s Champions Cup pool opener against Racing 92 at Cork’s Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday night.

The academy number 10 and first-year senior pro back-rower are two of six changes to the starting line-up from last weekend’s drawn URC game at Ulster while Munster are honouring the memory of former player, captain and head coach Anthony Foley to mark the 10-year anniversary of his death by retiring the number 8 jersey he wore with distinction for the occasion. 

The one-off tribute will see Brian Gleeson start with jersey number 24 as Munster welcome the team they were meant to play in Paris in 2016, only for Foley’s tragic death aged 42 on the eve of the match prompting a postponement. The number retirement will be one of a series of special tributes and commemorative activities on the day for the Munster legend.

Captain Tadhg Beirne, who made his first Munster appearance of the season in the 26-26 URC draw at Affidea Stadium last Saturday, continues to lead his team from the second row, alongside the incoming Tom Ahern. 

Tighthead prop Jack Aungier joins fellow new signing Marnus van der Merwe for a European Munster debut in the front row along with Jeremy Loughman at loosehead while Seán Edogbo is joined in an all-new back row by openside flanker John Hodnett and Gleeson.

The only change to backline sees Shay McCarthy included on the right wing as Shane Daly drops out of the matchday squad with head coach McMillan opting for 6:2 split between forwards and backs for his replacements with half-backs Ben O’Donovan and JJ Hanrahan covering jerseys nine to 15.

Replacement tighthead Kieran Brookes will also be making his first Champions Cup appearances for Munster and there will be further European debuts from the bench for hooker Max Clein and O’Donovan, who were both promoted from the academy to the senior squad this summer.

The head coach made it clear where his team’s motivation will come from on Leeside.

“The players are determined to put in a performance that Axel Foley would be proud of,” McMillan said. “He is spoken about every day in our building and we are thinking of him and his family more than ever this week, 10 years on from his shock passing.

“While it will be an emotional day, the players know that the best way to honour his incredible legacy is to play the game with the right mentality and produce a committed team performance that shows how much they care for the jersey and the province.

“It’s exciting to see young players Seán Edogbo and Charlie O’Shea start on their Champions Cup debuts in another step forward in their development.

“Max Clein and Ben O’Donovan are two young men who moved up from the Academy to the senior squad in the summer and are named in a Champions Cup squad for the first time and we have every confidence in them if called upon.

“Marnus van der Merwe, Jack Aungier and Kieran Brookes are seasoned campaigners who have already played at this level. They get to do so with Munster for the first time tomorrow night and we have been really pleased with their contributions since joining in the summer.“ 

MUNSTER (v Racing 92): Ben O’Connor; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; Charlie O’Shea, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Marnus van der Merwe, Jack Aungier; Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne - captain; Seán Edogbo, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Max Clein, Josh Wycherley, Kieran Brookes, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, Ben O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, Jack O’Donoghue.