European Champions Cup: Munster v Bayonne, Thomond Park, Saturday, 5.30pm (Live on TNT Sports)
Munster head coach Graham Rowntree understands that occasionally head coaches live vicariously through the injury profile of their squads, so he has to adopt a philosophical mindset to the absence of frontline players, hooker Diarmuid Barron, secondrow Edwin Edogbo, prop Oli Jager and fullback Shane Daly, all out with minor niggles.
Patrick Campbell and Simon Zebo are on the cusp of a return to action and could be available next week. The upshot is that there are six changes to the starting side that beat Glasgow Warriors for this evening’s opening fixture in the Investec Champions Cup, with three academy players in the squad.
Shay McCarthy makes his European debut on the right wing, centre Alex Nankivell does likewise, Calvin Nash starts at fullback for the first time while Rory Scannell, Conor Murray, Scott Buckley, John Ryan and Fineen Wycherley also come into the side. It is Tom Ahern’s first start in a Champions Cup match.
Former Academy hooker Eoghan Clarke, who recently rejoined the province on a short-term contract, is among the replacements and is in line to make his Munster debut. Outhalf Tony Butler and fullback-cum-wing Ben O’Connor are two academy prospects also on the bench, the latter looking forward to a first foray into European rugby.
The recently retired Keith Earls and Andrew Conway will be presented at half-time to enable the Thomond Park faithful to acknowledge their outstanding respective contributions to Munster rugby.
It is a first Champions Cup match for Bayonne and they are without a number of internationals including outhalf Camille Lopez (France), Isaia Toeava (New Zealand), Federico Mori (Italy), Luke Morahan (Australia) and Uzair Cassiem (South Africa).
There is a League of Nations look to the French club’s side with hooker Facundo Bosch (Argentina), secondrows Manual Leindekar (Uruguay) and Konstantin Mikautadze (Georgia), props Tevita Tatafu (Tonga) and L Tagi (Fiji), scrumhalf Gela Aprasidze (Georgia) and centre Riko Buliruarua (Fifi) highlighting the cosmopolitan composition of the squad.
Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast pointed out the bona fides of the visitors. “They were in the ProD2 two years ago and got promoted last year. From my own experience of coaching in France, teams who get up out of ProD2 are looking to maintain and stay there; they (Bayonne) made the top six (in the French top 14),” Prendergast said.
“They have recruited very wisely over the past few years. You look at them in the league, they are 10th (in the top 14) but only four points off the top six. They have a good thing going there, a good coaching staff. I know a few of them. You have to be a good side to [make the top six in the French League] knowing how competitive a competition it is.”
Prendergast pointed to how difficult it can be in a World Cup year to reintegrate players at different stages while trying to guarantee a flow to team performances. It is a shared issue for all the teams across the various European leagues. “Teams are probably not finding their full flow. You can see some teams are getting there quicker than others,” Prendergast said.
“Probably over the last two or three weeks it is something that we are starting to get into our attack. I thought last week and it allowed us to play with quick ball, and that gave us opportunities. You can see the connections and combinations; our attack is starting to flow better.
“The good thing for us is that we are going into this game coming off the back of competitive matches in the last two weeks. You look at the top two teams we have played in Leinster and Glasgow, physical games especially last weekend against Glasgow. It is a big part of their game and I felt we were physically there.
“It allowed our game flow in terms of our breakdown. That is the challenge for this week. They (Bayonne) are big men and the collisions, the ruck speed is going to be huge and as we alluded to, they have a good set piece.”
All of which is true but Munster, even without that cohort of injured players, have a surfeit of talent and performance momentum to get their European campaign off to a perfect start with a bonus-point victory.
Munster: C Nash; S McCarthy, A Nankivell, R Scannell, S O’Brien; J Crowley, C Murray; J Loughman, S Buckley, J Ryan; F Wycherley, T Beirne (capt); T Ahern, J Hodnett, G Coombes. Replacements: E Clarke, J Wycherley, S Archer, J O’Donoghue, A Kendellen, C Casey, T Butler, B O’Connor.
Bayonne: C Tiberghien; B Pourailly, P Muscarditz, R Buliruarua, R Baget; T Dolhagaray, M Machenaud; M Perchaud, F Bosch, T Tatafu; D Marchois, K Mikautadze; P Huguet, B Heguy, R Bruni. Replacements: T Acquier, S Cormenier, L Tagi, A Iturria, R Bordeau, G Aprasidze, A Ebingartegary, T Spring.
Referee: L Pearce (England)
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