URC Rd 3: Munster v Ospreys, Virgin Media Park, Saturday, 7.35 – Live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sports 1
Munster may have only lost three of their 14 competitive games since January but you suspect there has been an edge to training this week after the dismal first ever loss to Zebre last weekend.
The Munster players and management have not shied away from acknowledging that the 42-33 defeat in Parma was unacceptable, not least as a plethora of basic errors lay at the base of it, and a response is expected when Ospreys visit Virgin Media Park on Saturday evening in the third round of the URC.
There is a cohort of Munster supporters who often only get to see them in action when they play in Cork and it has been almost five years since they witnessed them lose a competitive match there, when they went down 18-16 to Edinburgh.
The wider Munster fan base will also be keen to see a big response from a team who may have scored 10 tries in their opening two games but who have conceded 11. Six of those came in the shock 42-33 loss to Zebre, having conceded five against Connacht on the opening weekend at Thomond Park but managing to win 35-33.
The scheduled return of Irish internationals Jack Crowley, Peter O’Mahony and Tadhg Beirne would suggest a loss in this one, against an Ospreys side who have lost their last eight games in Ireland, would be every bit a shock as the loss in Italy last week. That said, Ospreys have won twice in nine visits to Cork.
It will be Beirne’s first time leading Munster out as permanent captain. Inevitably, he talked up Ospreys this week and while few would disagree with his assessment that they are probably the best of the Welsh sides, the bar has been set very high in the valleys in recent years.
Ospreys come to Cork fresh from a 37-24 win over the Stormers, but blew a winning hand away to the Dragons on the opening weekend when they conceded a couple of tries and went down 23-21. They have made five changes from last weekend, with summer signing from Scarlets Steffan Thomas coming in at loosehead for his cousin Gareth Thomas.
“They’ve certainly improved,” said Beirne. “I reckon they’re probably one of the strongest Welsh regions at the moment. I think that they’re strong across the park. I think if you look at the team, their team sheets, they’ve a lot of standout players, and they can play various ways.
“Defensively they’re very good and are particularly good over the ruck. They have a lot of players that can steal a lot of ball. We’re going to have to be on point with our ruck. They have a very good set-piece as well and I think it’s an area that at times got the better of us over the last few seasons. It’s definitely a big focus for us.”
Five of Munster’s eight changes are up front. Beirne comes in for Fineen Wycherley to partner Jean Kleyn, O’Mahony replaces Ruadhán Quinn who is undergoing a HIA, while Niall Scannell and Jeremy Loughman replace Diarmuid Barron and Josh Wycherley in the frontrow.
Crowley comes in for Tony Butler at outhalf but further back Munster are down to the bare bones through injury and the Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa.
Garryowen captain Bryan Fitzgerald, signed on a short-term deal, starts his first Munster game in the centre having scored on his debut off the bench last weekend. Summer signing from Connacht Tom Farrell switches to outside centre to accommodate him after Shane Daly was ruled out.
Shay McCarthy starts on the left wing after Thaakir Abrahams, like Daly, suffered a shoulder injury in Parma. Head coach Graham Rowntree has little option but to go with a 6:2 split on the bench, with Conor Murray and Butler providing backline cover.
MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, B Fitzgerald, S McCarthy; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, O Jager; J Kleyn, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, J O’Donoghue.
Replacements: D Barron, J Ryan, S Archer, F Wycherley, G Coombes, C Murray, T Butler, J Daly.
OSPREYS: M Nagy; I Hopkins, O Watkin, P Cokanasiga, R Conbeer; D Edwards, R Morgan-Williams; S Thomas, D Lake, T Botha; H Sutton, A Beard; J Ratti, J Morgan (capt), M Morris.
Replacements: S Parry, G Phillips, B Warren, L Jones, H Deaves, L Davies, J Walsh, K Williams.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland).
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