Six changes to Munster line-up against Bulls as Emerging Ireland players return

Graham Rowntree has made six changes to the Munster starting line-up and pitched seven of the young players who recently toured South Africa with Emerging Ireland straight into their match-day 23 for Saturday night’s round 5 United Rugby Championship clash against Vodacom Bulls at Thomond Park (7.35pm, TG4, Premier Sports & URC.tv).

As expected Shane Daly, a try scorer in last Sunday’s win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, and Calvin Nash come into the back three, where Patrick Campbell switches to fullback in one of three significant positional switches. It will be Daly’s 50th appearance for Munster.

Craig Casey is restored at scrumhalf, with Joey Carbery reverting to his more familiar position of outhalf after starting his first game for Munster at fullback in last weekend’s loss to Connacht. Jeremy Loughman and Stephen Archer are both promoted to the frontrow, and the other change in personnel sees the 19-year-old academy lock Edwin Edogbo named for his first start, with Tadhg Beirne shifting to the backrow, where Peter O’Mahony has been passed fit to lead the side for this crunch game.

Five more players who featured in last Sunday’s win over the Cheetahs Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa, Man of the Match Tom Ahern, John Hodnett and Jack Crowley are named among the replacements, which has a 6-2 split.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

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Jake White has made six changes to the Bulls side which suffered their first defeat of the season away to Glasgow last weekend. White has given Simphiwe Matanzima a start at loose head prop, with Johan Goosen (outhalf) and Harold Vorster (inside centre) returning to the match day squad. Last week, Goosen missed out as a precautionary measure to protect the player from 4G surface at Scotstoun.

Mornay Smith slots in at tight head prop, openside flanker WJ Steenkamp will get his first run of this season’s European tour and Embrose Papier (scrumhalf) swaps jersey’s with Zak Burger, who is on the bench.

The game is Munster’s first match at Thomond Park this season. A scheduled upgrade of the playing surface at Thomond Park was completed over the summer as a hybrid pitch with reinforced turf technology, similar to the Aviva Stadium, was installed.

Munster: Patrick Campbell; Calvin Nash, Malakai Fekitoa, Dan Goggin, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Edwin Edogbo; Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (C), Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilcoyne, Roman Salanoa, Tom Ahern, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, John Hodnett.

Bulls: Kurt-lee Arendse, Cornel Hendricks, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Wandisile Simelane, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Simphiwe Matanzima, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Mornay Smith, Walt Steenkamp, Run Nortje, Marcell Coetzee (CAPT), WJ Steenkamp, Elrigh Louw

Replacements: Bismarck Du Plessis, Dylan Smith, Jacques van Rooyen, Ruan Vermaak, Marco Van Staden, Zak Burger, Chris Smith, David Kriel.

Referee: Mike Adamson, (SRU)

Akin to Rowntree, Dan McFarland has also recalled seven of Ulster’s contingent who were on the Emerging Ireland tour, and all of whom remained in South Africa this week for the province’s first of two matches there against the Lions on Saturday in Airline Park, Johannesburg (kick-off 2pm local time, 1pm Irish, live on Premier Sports and URC.tv).

Robert Baloucoune is restored on the right wing in one of six changes to the starting line-up from last week’s 47-17 win over the Ospreys.

Billy Burns is restored at outhalf, as is the fit-again Rob Herring at hooker, while Gareth Milasinovich, Dave McCann and Marcus Rea also come into the pack.

In addition to Baloucoune, six more Emerging Ireland tourists are restored to the bench, Callum Reid, Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore and Ethan McIlroy

The Lions welcome back their experienced Springboks lock Willem “The Bone Collector” Alberts after a lengthy time on the sidelines. The three other changes from last week’s win in Edinburgh see Jaco Visagie and Emmanuel Tshituka start at hooker and blindside flanker, while speedster Edwill van der Merwe returns on the wing after serving his return to play protocols.

Lions: Andries Coetzee, Edwill van der Merwe, Henco van Wyk, Marius Louw, Quan Horn, Gianni Lombard, Sanele Nohamba, JP Smith, Jaco Visagie, Ruan Dreyer, Willem Alberts, Reinhard Nothnagel (CAPT), Emmanuel Tshituka, Ruan Venter, Francke Horn

Replacements: PJ Botha, Sti Sithole, Ruan Smith, Pieter Jansen van Vuren, Sibusiso Sangweni, Morne van den Berg, Jordan Hendrikse, Zander du Plessis

Ulster: Michael Lowry, Rob Baloucoune, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Rob Lyttle, Billy Burns, John Cooney, Eric O’Sullivan, Rob Herring, Gareth Milasinovich, Alan O’Connor (CAPT), Sam Carter, Dave McCann, Marcus Rea, Duane Vermeulen

Replacements: John Andrew, Callum Reid, Tom O’Toole, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Ethan McIlroy.