Rugby

Munster stick with same team for return leg at Leicester

Leicester v Munster, European Champions Cup Round four - Kick-off at 3.15pm

CJ Stander will be hoping for a repeat performance after last weekend’s impressive victory. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Fri Dec 16 2016 - 12:06

Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has named an unchanged starting team for his team's Champions Cup clash against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on Saturday.

There is one change on the replacements bench as loosehead prop James Cronin, who scored two tries on his return from injury for Munster A last week, takes the place of Thomas du Toit.

Munster were 38-0 winners over the same opposition when the teams met last Saturday at Thomond Park.

Last week's man of the match CJ Stander is set to make his 20th appearance in the Champions Cup having made a round-high 18 carries last time round.

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Darren Sweetnam keeps his place on the right wing - the former Cork hurler has started all 13 of Munster's games so far this season.

A daunting task awaits for the Irish province however - since the back-to-back fixtures were introduced in 1999 Leicester have never lost both games.

Nonetheless, Munster are the only side to beat Leicester more than once at Welford Road in Europe. Having done so in the 2003 quarter-final and in 2006 (pool match).

MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Darren Sweetnam, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland; Peter O'Mahony - capt., Tommy O'Donnell, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Rhys Marshall, James Cronin, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Jack O’Donoghue, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Andrew Conway.

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