1
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Guinness PRO14 match between Munster and Southern Kings at Independent Park.
ADVERTISEMENT
Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
Munster boss Johann van Graan hands a debut to first-year academy member John Hodnett.
The back row, a product of Clonakilty RFC, was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland under-20s last season and has featured regularly for UCC this year.
Billy Holland captains the side on his 226th Munster appearance. Mike Haley, Calvin Nash and Shane Daly make up the back three.
(Continue reading below…)
English Championship clubs fear RFU’s savage second-tier funding cut will affect many people’s livelihoods
Dan Goggin and Chris Farrell are named as the centre partnership with Neil Cronin and JJ Hanrahan in the half-backs.
It’s an all-international front row with James Cronin, Niall Scannell and John Ryan named in the starting XV. Fineen Wycherley and Holland start in the second row with Jack O’Donoghue, Hodnett and Arno Botha completing the side. Astle leads Kings against Munster.
ADVERTISEMENT
? Here is your Munster team to face Southern Kings at Irish Independent Park tomorrow night!
Match tickets still available here > > https://t.co/m59hbsCjNm#MUNvKIN #SUAF ? pic.twitter.com/6tcoGk4qQM
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) February 13, 2020
Edmund Ludick will make his Southern Kings as a starter in Cork while Luyolo Dapula will also make his first appearance off the bench.
The versatile 21-year-old Ludick replaces the injured Yaw Penxe on the wing, with Dapula, also 21, providing loose forward cover from the bench.
? TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT ?
Eddie Ludick & Luyolo Dapula set to make their debuts as Ruaan Lerm reaches 50-match milestone.
JC Astle resumes his duties as captain ahead of Munster clash.
The match will be televised on SuperSport 1. #MUNvKIN #KingsOnTour #Uyeza pic.twitter.com/9R2cCpCFFL— Isuzu Southern Kings (@SouthernKingsSA) February 13, 2020
ADVERTISEMENT
It will also be a special occasion for one of the Kings’ longest-serving players, Ruaan Lerm, who will run on for the 50th time in the club’s colours.
JC Astle, who resumes as captain this week, congratulated the trio on their imminent milestones. “We obviously have a very special night with Ruan earning his 50th cap for the franchise, and also Eddie and Dapula making their debuts,” he said.
“We were greeted by a bit of snow when we arrived in Cork on Tuesday, but it didn’t last long.. The boys are very excited for Friday night – our energies are high. We’ll be heading in with a lot of confidence.”
WATCH: RPA warns of a mass player revolt over Seven Nations plot
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
5 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments