Rugby

Munster and Ulster name teams for Saturday’s match

Munster make seven changes; Jack McGrath makes first start of season for Ulster

Munster have named Simon Zebo on the wing for Saturday’s match against Ulster. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho

Fri Jan 7 2022 - 13:24

There are seven changes to the Munster side that faced Connacht in Galway last week for Saturday's United Rugby Championship clash against Ulster at Thomond Park (kick-off 7.35pm).

Captain Peter O’Mahony, Seán French, Simon Zebo, Jack Crowley, Thomas Ahern and John Hodnett also come into the starting XV. Mike Haley starts at fullback with French and Zebo on either flank.

Rory Scannell, making his 150th appearance for the province, and Chris Farrell, who has signed a new two-year contract, form the centre partnership with Craig Casey and Crowley in the halfbacks.

Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and Stephen Archer pack down in the frontrow with Ahern and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room. O’Mahony, Hodnett and Gavin Coombes complete the starting XV.

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French, who has featured for Cork Constitution in the AIL this season, makes his first Munster appearance of the campaign with Zebo and Rory Scannell making their first appearances since October. Josh Wycherley, John Ryan and Tadhg Beirne come into the squad as replacements. Damian de Allende was unavailable for selection having picked up an abdominal injury during the week.

For Ulster, James Hume will make his 50th appearance as he has been named to start in the centre alongside Ben Moxham, who makes his first start this season. Mike Lowry is selected at fullback with Ethan McIlroy and Craig Gilroy on the wings. John Cooney and Billy Burns are the starting halfbacks to complete the back line.

Jack McGrath will make his first start of the season at loosehead prop, with Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole completing the frontrow at hooker and tighthead respectively. Alan O’Connor will captain the side and starts in the secondrow alongside Sam Carter. Greg Jones is named at blindside flanker, with Nick Timoney and Duane Vermeulen selected at openside and number eight.

John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Ross Kane, Kieran Treadwell and Marcus Rea provide the forward options on the bench, while Nathan Doak, Angus Curtis and Rob Lyttle are selected as the back line replacements.

MUNSTER: M Haley; S French, C Farrell, R Scannell, S Zebo; J Crowley, C Casey; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, S Archer; T Ahern, F Wycherley; P O'Mahony (capt), J Hodnett, G Coombes. Replacements: D Barron, J Wycherley, J Ryan, T Beirne, J O'Donoghue, N Cronin, B Healy, S Daly.

ULSTER: M Lowry; C Gilroy, B Moxham, J Hume, E McIlroy; B Burns, J Cooney; J McGrath, R Herring, T O'Toole; A O'Connor (capt), S Carter; G Jones, N Timoney, D Vermeulen. Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, R Kane, K Treadwell, M Rea, N Doak, A Curtis, R Lyttle.

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