Champions Cup: Munster v Stade Francais,
Thomond Park, Saturday, 5.30pm,
Live on RTÉ 2 and Premier Sports 1
It is Munster’s reaction to adversity rather than the misfortune itself that will determine how this Champions Cup match will play out.
That’s not to blithely ignore the state of chassis. Ian Costello has stepped up on an interim basis to fill the vacuum left by Graham Rowntree and Andi Kyriacou and will be able to harvest the vast knowledge and pedigree of 66-year-old New Zealander Chris Boyd, once of the Hurricanes and Northampton Saints, whose teams played brilliant attacking rugby.
There is no evidence that Boyd — he arrived in Limerick during the week — possesses a magic wand, so instead progress will have to be conventional and incremental, facilitated in part, by the gradual easing of a litany of injuries. That won’t necessarily be today or next week but the queue for the treatment table might soon be getting a tad shorter.
The province confirmed this week that prop Oli Jager and World Cup winning secondrow Jean Kleyn are nearing a return while fullback Mike Haley and wing Liam Coombes will be available for their trip to Castres next Friday. Of more pressing concern is today’s game and positively jump-starting their European campaign.
Calvin Nash, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Peter O’Mahony return from their November exploits with Ireland to start, while another, club captain Tadhg Beirne, is named among the replacements. Conor Murray is not available because of injury.
Casey and Crowley excelled when introduced during the final quarter of Ireland’s win over the Wallabies and the Munster supporters and coaching group will be hoping for more of the same. Given a decent platform, it’s a reasonable expectation.
Watching Munster’s interprovincial defeat to Leinster at Lakelands recently, Thomas Ahern, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhán Quinn and Brian Gleeson produced eye-catching displays. Of the quartet only O’Connell gets a nod here, the former Ireland under-20 captain set for his European debut. Ahern and Gleeson in particular possess points of difference to conventional options among the pack.
Short-term signing South African prop Dian Bleuler, centre Tom Farrell and wing Thaakir Abrahams start on their respective first Champions Cup appearances for Munster.
Farrell has settled quickly since moving from Connacht and along with the consistent excellence of Alex Nankivell forms a potent midfield partnership, while Abrahams’s pace — he once ran 10.8 seconds for the 100m — and fast feet should be regularly employed. Shane Daly’s versatility ensures he is named at fullback on the occasion of his 100th cap.
There aren’t many certainties in life but to suggest one, when Gavin Coombes goes well, so do Munster. Alex Kendellen and O’Mahony, also positive in his cameo against the Aussies, join the number eight in a backrow for which there is hefty competition, which in some ways explains why Costello has gone for a six-two split on a bench that includes Beirne, John Hodnett and Jack O’Donoghue.
Stade Francais turned to Paul Gustard in October to swap defence for the head coach’s role after a difficult start to the season. The Parisian club have won just four of 11 matches, all at home, beating Racing 92 (40-24), Clermont Auvergne (36-6), Montpellier (29-20) and Vannes (34-31), and have shipped some hefty hammerings on the road. They are 12th in the French Top 14, albeit one of four clubs on 19 points.
The composition of the Stade team suggests that they’re not burdened by expectation, based on those who didn’t travel. Marquee players, French internationals current and past, fullback Léo Bárre, secondrow Paul Gabrillagues, the supremely athletic flanker Sekou Macalou and wing Lester Etien, who won two caps for France during the summer on their tour to Argentina, have not travelled.
The same applies to their Georgian contingent, Fijian wing Peniasi Dakuwaqa, ex-All Black scrumhalf Brad Weber and former under-20 Six Nations and World Cup winner Julien Delbouis. The lavishly gifted outhalf Louis Carbonel, who has started nine of 11 matches in the league, is named among the replacements.
Munster won’t take anything for granted, as this time last year Champions Cup debutants Bayonne, ostensibly with a second-string side, left Limerick with a share of the spoils, albeit that there should be no need for scaremongering or ghost stories. They’re 17-point favourites with the bookies.
The home side, despite the injuries, have the quality to start the European campaign on a positive footing and as long as they are diligent and accurate in their patterns, it should be reflected on the scoreboard.
MUNSTER: S Daly; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; J Crowley, C Casey; D Bleuler, D Barron (capt), J Ryan; E O’Connell, F Wycherley; P O’Mahony, A Kendellen, G Coombes.
Replacements: N Scannell, K Ryan, S Archer, T Beirne, J Hodnett, P Patterson, B Burns, J O’Donoghue.
STADE FRANCAIS: J Jonas; C Laloi, J Marchant, P Boudehent, S Ezeala; Z Henry, T Motassi; C Castets, L Peyresblanques, F Gomez Kodela; P-H Azagoh, B Pesenti; P Huguet, R Chapuis (capt), Y Tanga.
Replacements: L Petriashvili, M Alo-Emile, P Alo-Emile, S Turagacoke, A Timo, J Martin Scelzo, L Foursans-Bourdette, L Carbonel.
Referee: L Pearce (England).
