Munster’s proud record as ever-presents for the 27 years of the Champions Cup is on the line as they prepare to play the reigning URC champions, the Stormers, at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town today (kick-off 6.15pm local time/5.15pm Irish, live on RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports).
On the plus side, they sit fifth in the table and have their destiny in their own hands. Munster are virtually assured of a place in the top eight, and hence the play-offs, and a win would ensure qualification for next season’s Champions Cup.
However, with the winners of the Welsh Shield assured of one of the eight URC places in the Champions Cup, and with three teams (Connacht, the Bulls and the Sharks) all breathing down their necks, Munster could finish eighth and not only miss out the competition which means so much to them and which they’ve won twice, but also face a URC quarter-final away to Leinster.
Munster were in a similar pickle facing into the last two games in 2015-16 when wins over Edinburgh and Scarlets secured Heineken Cup qualification, albeit those games were in Cork and Limerick.
The situation is further complicated by the presence of both Benetton and the Scarlets in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, and were either of them to win the final in the Aviva Stadium on Friday, April 28th, then a top-six finish would be required to qualify for the Champions Cup.
Were Munster to lose today, and other results go against them, they would face what would effectively be a last-day shoot-out against the Sharks in Durban for that coveted seventh place.
Graham Rowntree has made five changes to the side that were beaten by the Sharks in Durban two weeks ago in the Champions Cup Round of 16.
In the absence of the injured David Kilcoyne, Jeremy Loughman has recovered from a thigh injury to make his first appearance since December in an all-changed front row alongside Diarmuid Barron and Stephen Archer.
Alex Kendellen also comes into the backrow while Conor Murray starts at scrumhalf (and no place for Joey Carbery in the matchday squad). RG Snyman makes his second start in-a-row and his first URC start since his Munster debut in August 2020 and Keith Earls, who last played on New Year’s Day, is recalled to the bench for what would be his 199th Munster game.
This game is the second of a double-header after Western Province play the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup, and the Stormers, who have won their last 20 games at the DHL Stadium, also need a win to keep hold of second place and with it a home quarter-final and possible semi-final.
“We are very keen on playing at home,” said John Dobson, the Stormers’ head coach.
“There’s a larger reason for that, other than winning, and that’s our whole duty to make Cape Town smile and connect with the people. So us offering a home semi-final is important.”
Dobson makes four changes, rotating Paul de Wet with Herschel Jantjies at scrumhalf, while up front lock Ruben van Heerden, Hacjivah Dayimani and Willie Engelbrecht are all recalled, and backrower Evan Roos is also set to make his return from injury off the bench.
“Munster are desperate,” added Dobson. “They want to win this game to pretty much make sure they qualify for Europe. For a giant club like Munster, with their European traditions and history, it is very important.”
Similar permutations apply to Connacht prior to their last home game of the regular season, and probably the most important as well, against Cardiff at the Sportsground tonight (kick-off 7.35pm, live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sport).
After an equally tough start to the campaign, Connacht went into the weekend in sixth place after five straight wins, four points behind Munster. Another win tonight would almost certainly secure a play-off place and leave them with a shot at Champions Cup qualification pending their visit to Glasgow next Saturday.
Captain Jack Carty, international Finlay Bealham, Denis Buckley, Jarrad Butler, Josh Murphy and Diarmuid Kilgallen have all overcome injuries to return to the starting XV.
Leinster, already assured of a top seeding for the play-offs, hand a debut to the Irish Under-20 Grand Slam-winning out-half Sam Prendergast against the Lions. He is one of nine academy players in their 23 for the first of a triple header on RTÉ and Premier Sport (kick-off 4pm local time/3pm Irish).
