Rugby

Munster’s B&I Cup winning contingent given their chance

Billy Holland is only player to retain his place in the pack and captains the side in Italy

Munster squad training at UL, Limerick, earlier this week. Photograph: Inpho

Fri Apr 28 2017 - 11:53

Second worst versus second best, the Munster understudies will almost certainly be guided by Tyler Bleyendaal onto the pedestal of a home semi-final (possibly against Ulster). The same Bleyendaal who failed to produce the sort of semi-final performances we have grown accustomed to from the Munster number 10. Still time for atonement.

Duncan Williams, another put under enormous strain by Saracens, is also retained at scrumhalf as Angus Lloyd gets a place on the bench (still no word on Conor Murray) while CJ Stander is another interesting name on the reserves list considering the damaging ankle he carried from ruck to punishing ruck and on into heavy contact last Saturday.

Donnacha Ryan also travels in the dying weeks of his storied Munster career.

Francis Saili and Jaco Taute make up the midfield pairing as Rory Scannell suffered a concussion, as did Peter O'Mahony, as a group of players are rested.

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Robin Copeland doesn’t make it as he suffered a shoulder injury helping Munster A win the British and Irish Cup and they may have also lost Jean Deysel (ribs) so this provides an opportunity for Jack O’Donoghue.

Ian McKinley starts at 10 for Treviso.

TREVISO: D Odiete; A Esposito, T Benvenuti, A Sgarbi, L Sperandio; I McKinley, E Gori; F Zani, L Bigi, S Ferrari; M Fuser, D Budd (capt); F Minto, A Steyn, R Barbieri.

Replacements: D Giazzon, A Porolli, T Pasquali, JF Montauriol, M Lazzaroni, G Bronzini, T Tebaldi, A Pratichetti

MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Darren Sweetnam, Francis Saili, Jaco Taute, Ronan O'Mahony; Tyler Bleyendaal, Duncan Williams; James Cronin, Rhys Marshall, Stephen Archer; Darren O'Shea, Billy Holland Capt.; Dave O'Callaghan, Conor Oliver, Jack O'Donoghue.

Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Brian Scott, Rory Burke, Donnacha Ryan, CJ Stander, Angus Lloyd, Ian Keatley, Alex Wootton.

Treviso v Munster, Saturday April 29th at Stadio Monigo, 7.05pm (6.05pm Irish time).

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