By Munster standards, when Graham Rowntree’s selection for Saturday’s crunch Champions Cup game against Northampton at Thomond Park (kick-off 3.15pm, live on RTÉ 2 and BT Sport) landed at noon on Friday it was a relative earthquake.
Not only were Calvin Nash, Craig Casey and Roman Salanoa named as the only three changes from the starting line-up in Munster’s sleeves-rolled-up 17-6 win at a sodden Franklin’s Gardens on World Cup final day a month ago, but there was no place for Keith Earls, Conor Murray and Stephen Archer in the matchday squad for Saturday afternoon’s return meeting.
Instead, Rowntree has opted for Liam Coombes, Paddy Patterson and John Ryan on the bench. So, not alone will the 24-year-old, Hawaii-born Salanoa make his first Champions Cup start in what is just his fifth start overall for the province, but Coombes is also in line for his tournament debut while Patterson is set for his second appearance in the competition.
Salanoa has started Munster’s last two wins over Ulster and the Lions, as has Patterson, a try scorer in each game, while Coombes sealed the bonus point last week with a fine solo try on his return from injury when beating five players.
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Nevertheless, it is something of a gamble by Rowntree should Northampton – for whom Courtney Lawes is one of four changes – stay the course and ensure a tight endgame given Earls, Murray and Archer have 623 Munster caps between them, including a combined 198 in the Champions Cup.
In making nine changes, Rowntree also recalls Joey Carbery, Jack Crowley, Antoine Frisch, Peter O’Mahony, Tadhg Beirne, Dave Kilcoyne and Niall Scannell, with Gavin Coombes reverting to number eight.
Munster stand sixth in Pool B, among a cluster of six teams on five points, and a win would constitute a significant step toward a place in the Last 16, albeit they have a tough final assignment in Toulouse next Sunday.
The latter, champions for a fifth time two seasons ago, are in a foot race with reigning champions La Rochelle to top this pool. They host Ulster at another sold-out Stade Marcel Deflandre on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 5.30pm Irish time) and Ultan Dillane is one of Ronan O’Gara’s seven changes to the team which finally ended La Rochelle’s eight-match losing sequence against their bête noire when beating an admittedly understrength Toulouse 30-7 at home last Saturday night.
While Jonathan Danty and Will Skelton are injured, O’Gara has still named key men such as classy outhalf Antoine Hastoy and captain Grégory Alldritt while having the fit-again Tawera Kerr Barlow and Raymond Rhule among the replacements.
For his part, Dan McFarland has made eight changes from last week’s 31-29 loss away to Benetton, their fifth defeat in their last six games, with Ian Madigan returning for his first appearance since October and just his second outing of the season at outhalf.
Madigan will be partnered by Nathan Doak, and Rob Lyttle replaces the hamstrung Robert Baloucoune, while Luke Marshall and Stewart Moore are named in midfield as Stuart McCloskey and James Hume are also ruled out.
Scottish international Rory Sutherland, recently signed from Worcester, comes in at loosehead, and Alan O’Connor returns to the secondrow, with Iain Henderson shifting to blindside flanker alongside the recalled Duane Vermeulen.
Academy forward Harry Sheridan is primed to make his first senior appearance off the bench, with Michael McDonald also set to make his European debut. Their Last 16 qualification hopes hanging by a thread, this looks a daunting assignment for Ulster.
The prognosis looks altogether more straightforward for Leinster, who need to beat Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday and at least match Exeter’s result away to the Bulls to maintain pole position in Pool A and a prospective home route to the final in the Aviva.
Leo Cullen has recalled eight frontliners from the side which beat the Ospreys, with Garry Ringrose reinstated as captain, Ross Byrne and Jamison Gibson-Park back at halfback, and Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris restored to the pack.
However, true to his word after sending an understrength team to the RDS when beaten 57-0 a month ago, George Skivington has named a strong side for the return meeting, with scrumhalf Ben Meehan the only survivor from that starting line-up. Skivington makes just two changes, one injury enforced, from the side that came within a last-ditch Owen Farrell drop goal of beating Premiership pacesetters Saracens a week ago.
Mack Hansen is named at fullback for the first time as Connacht make seven changes for Saturday afternoon’s Challenge Cup game against Brive at the Sportsground (kick-off 5.30pm), when a win would guarantee them a place in the knockout stages. Abraham Papali’i starts for Brive on his return to the Sportsground after a chequered two seasons with Connacht.
