Back 
1
URC quarter-final: Munster make four changes, Ulster just one
By Kim Ekin
Munster and Ulster have named their side’s for tomorrow inaugural United Rugby Championship Quarter-Final at Kingspan Stadium.
ADVERTISEMENT
Peter O’Mahony returns to captain Munster and is one of four personnel changes to the side that faced Leinster in the final regular game of the season.
Damian de Allende, Gavin Coombes, and Stephen Archer also start for the knock-out clash with Coombes making his first appearance since the beginning of April after overcoming an ankle injury.
De Allende resumes his midfield partnership with Chris Farrell and the half-back partnership of Conor Murray and Joey Carbery remains unchanged.
It is as you were for Keith Earls, Andrew Conway, and Mike Haley in the back three.
There’s a positional switch for Fineen Wycherley who returns to the second row to pack down with Jean Kleyn.
Meanwhile, Ulster’s John Cooney will make his 100th appearance for the men in white, starting at nine in a familiar half-back pairing with Billy Burns.
ADVERTISEMENT
Stuart McCloskey and James Hume will make up the midfield partnership while Stewart Moore is the only change to the starting XV that defeated Cell C Sharks two weeks ago, and he is named at full-back. Joining him in the back three are Ethan McIlroy and Rob Baloucoune.
MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray; Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley, Peter O’Mahony (C), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
REPLACEMENTS: Diarmuid Barron, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Jason Jenkins, Thomas Ahern, Craig Casey, Ben Healy, Chris Cloete.
ULSTER: (15 – 9)Stewart Moore, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney; (1-8) Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor, Iain Henderson (Capt.), Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen.
ADVERTISEMENT
REPLACEMENTS: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Gareth Milasinovich, Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Nathan Doak, Ian Madigan, Ben Moxham.
Comments
Join free and tell us what you really think!
Join Free
Latest Comments
If the goal is RWC success then what to do is easy, because you have little choice: Adopt conventional, tried and tested structures and tactics. The players already know them and can ramp up quickly. With the quality of players available the team could be well above mediocre, and can push for the extra inches. Unfortunately the opposition already know how to deal with this, so it is unlikely to result in outstanding results. With a funny shaped ball and some funny shaped decisions you still have a bit of a chance. Spectacular results would require a coach with the skill, experience and courage to think outside of the box, a few years of testing some good and bad ideas, a challenging tournament (eg 6N) to consolidate the structures and build continuity, and a few months to fine tune the team to peak at the RWC. Wait ... I thought we had that?
Go to commentsSometimes James Haskell gets things right ...
Go to comments