Ex-Leinster wing Rob Russell to make debut for Munster

Joey Carbery will wear the No.10 jersey again for Leinster this weekend as provinces face URC action without their Ireland internationals

WING MAN: Rob Ruseel is to make his Munster debut against the Sharks. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Former Leinster wing Rob Russell has been selected to make his debut for Munster against the Sharks in Thomond Park on Saturday evening.

Russell, like former Munster out-half Tony Butler, had been drafted in recently to help combat a significant injury list. The 27-year old Dubliner scored 18 tries in 35 games for his native province and played for Gloucester last season.

Academy centre Gordon Wood will be making his first start for the club having appeared three times off the bench, including last weekend when Munster fell six points short of Leinster in the Aviva Stadium.

Clayton McMillan is rarely shy in mixing up his selections and Ben O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, Evan O’Connell, Seán Edogbo and Brian Gleeson are others who come into the XV for the visit of the South Africans.

There is encouraging news in the sight of Edwin Edogbo and Lee Barron on the bench for the first time this term after injury issues with the hosts opting for a 6-2 bench split. Jake O’Riordan and Charlie O’Shea make up the only backline reserves.

The Sharks have had to contend with a mounting injury list but they have won their last two games on the road, in Lyon and in Cardiff, and Springbok back Ethan Hooker will make his 50th appearance for the club in Limerick.

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Joey Carbery will again start at out-half for Leinster as they go to Galway on Friday night. Leinster, denied so many players who are in Ireland camp, are to give debuts to two academy players in Connor Fahy and Alex Mullan.

Jordan Larmour returns from injury to make his first appearance of the term.

PASS MASTER: Joey Carbery starts again for Leinster, Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Stuart Lancaster has a record eight players involved with Andy Farrell’s squad and he has made 12 changes to his side for the visit of his former team to the Dexcom Stadium Roscommon native Niall Murray is due to make his 100th appearance for his home province, off the bench, with Finlay Bealham, Paul Boyle and Cathal Forde the only players retained from the big URC win over Zebre.

Connacht will have the familiar sprinkling of former Leinster players, Will Connors, Josh Murphy among them. It will be a first start for Connor since his summer switch from Dublin west of the Shannon.

“Tomorrow is a big day for a few reasons, but above all else it’s a great opportunity to finish the block on a high,” said Lancaster. “We know what’s at stake and the challenge ahead of us, but I can see the progress we’re making each week, and having 12,000 Connacht fans behind us will be a big boost too.

“We’ve 13 players unavailable between internationals and injury, but we’ve put a big emphasise on building squad depth particularly for occasions like this. For a few players it’ll be their first experience of an interpro, but I know they will give their all in what I am sure will be another amazing atmosphere.” 

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Ulster, still without a win this season, and with nine players on Ireland duties, have been boosted by the return of two experienced senior players in Rob Herring and James Hume. Both are in line for their first appearances of the season after recovering from injuries.

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MUNSTER: B O’Connor; S McCarthy, G Wood, A Nankivell, R Russell; JJ Hanrahan, B O’Donovan; J Wycherley, M van der Merwe, K Brookes; E O’Connell, F Wycherley; S Edogbo, J O’Donoghue (C), B Gleeson.

Replacements: L Barron, J Loughman, M Ala’alatoa, E Edogbo, G Coombes, J O’Riordan, C O’Shea, A Kendellen.

SHARKS: Z Siyaya, E van der Merwe, S Hartzenberg, E Hooker, J Williams, G Lombard, J Hendrikse; Ox Nche, E Bester, Hanro Jacobs, J Jenkins, E van Heerden, M Romao, M Tshituka, N Hatton.

Replacements: E Mnebelele, C Dawson, T du Toit, S Lewies, V Tshituka, I van Zyl, S Masuku, L Bester.

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CONNACHT: J Ioane; S Bolton, J Devine, C Forde, D Ryan; S Naughton, C Blade; F van Wyk, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Murphy, D O’Connor; S O’Brien, W Connors, P Boyle.

Replacements: M Victory, J Cahir, F Barrett, N Murray, S Hurley-Langton, C Reilly, F Treacy, S Gilbert.

LEINSTER: T Lawlor; JJ Kenny, C Fahy, C Tector, J Larmour; J Carbery, F Gunne; A Usanov, G McCarthy, N Smyth; B Deeny, A Spicer; M Deegan, S Penny, J Culhane.

Replacements: S Smyth, P Dooley, A Mullan, C O’Tighearnaigh, A Soroka, C Foley, C Gabriel, C Mangan.

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ULSTER: E McIlroy; M Lowry, J Hume, B Carson, Z Ward; J Murphy, M Devine; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, K Knox; B Donnell, E Snyman; C Izuchukwu, D McCann, J Augustus.

Replacements: H Walker, T McAllister, S Wilson, H Sheridan, M Moloney, C McKee, J Flannery, C Mullins.