RABO DIRECT PRO12: Munster V Aironi: Tonight, kick-off – 8.30pm Musgrave Park, Cork Live on TG4:EVIDENTLY, Tony McGahan has had his fill of the World Cup. Tonight's team selection certainly indicates an immediate determination to move on.
Munster are coming off the back of their worst season in over a decade. There is a growing perception that they are an ailing force on the European club scene, having failed to qualify from their pool and then folding against Harlequins in Thomond Park.
McGahan spoke yesterday about “hitting the ground running” against the Italians. That means Paul O’Connell returns along with Ronan O’Gara and Keith Earls.
Earls stays on the wing as the new centre pairing of Will Chambers and Danny Barnes get some time alongside O’Gara in midfield. Add Doug Howlett and Johne Murphy to this and the Munster backline has some genuine cutting edge to it.
Just as McGahan wants them.
“I think you’ll have seen South African, English and other countries’ players come back and playing as soon as they were out of the quarter-finals,” he said. “The Irish players had two weeks’ rest. We’re already at least a week and a bit behind so we need to look at all the possibilities and people who are going to be best for us short term and long term in this four week block that we have.”
There is clear intent that he wants the team systems firmly in place before going to Dublin next Friday. Leinster are doing it differently by not using their internationals until that game.
McGahan doesn’t feel such a luxury is affordable.
Donncha O’Callaghan is the most notable reserve as Donnacha Ryan joins O’Connell in the secondrow. That means Denis Leamy is at blindside with Peter O’Mahony, captain during the World Cup, covering openside ahead of Niall Ronan in the continued absence of the injured David Wallace.
They have their South African props in place too as old stagers Marcus Horan and John Hayes provide cover.
Scrumhalf, however, is the most convoluted area. Peter Stringer and Duncan Williams are discarded since the home defeat to the Ospreys on October 8th as Conor Murray appears to have returned from New Zealand as the country’s first-choice number nine.
That said, a fit-again Tomás O’Leary hovers ominously in his shadow.
Four of the Italian side that featured in the 36-6 defeat to Ireland on October 2nd have returned to the Aironi side. Andrea Masi switches from his usual fullback slot to outside centre, while Luciano Orquera is at outhalf.
Fabio Ongaro and Marco Bortolami are up front but expect Salvatore Perugini and Quintin Geldenhuys to add their raw aggression to matters come the second half.
That shouldn’t be enough to deny Munster getting enough clean ball into Murray’s hands. If so, the Kiwi and Australian combination of Barnes and Chambers should be allowed pick their angles of attack at pace. And that means Earls, Howlett and Murphy should profit with tries. A good few too if, as McGahan intends, the red men hit the ground running, and running hard.
MUNSTER:J Murphy; D Howlett, W Chambers, D Barnes, K Earls; R OGara, C Murray; W du Preez, D Varley, BJ Botha; D Ryan, P OConnell (capt); D Leamy, P OMahony, J Coughlan. Replacements: D Fogarty, M Horan, J Hayes, D OCallaghan, N Ronan, T OLeary, S Deasy, L Mafi.
AIRONI RUGBY:R Trevisan; S Sinoti, A Masi, G Pavan, G Venditti; L Orquera, T Keats; M Aguero, F Ongaro, F Staibano; M Bortolami (capt), N Cattina; S Favaro, J Furno, J Sole. Replacements: R Santamaria, S Perugini, L Redolfini, Q Geldenhuys, F Ferrarini, T Tebaldi, N Olivier, G Toniolatti.
Referee: P Allan (SRU).
Verdict: Munster with bonus.
