Toulon v Munster
Venue: Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon.
Kick-off: 4.15pm local time/3.15pm Irish.
On TV: Live on TNT Sport.
This Gallic/Irish thing won’t go away. For the first time in the 29-year history of the Champions Cup all four Irish provinces will face French opposition on the same weekend. Indeed, the quartet of ties are staggered one after the other, just under three weeks out from the Six Nations opener between France and Ireland in Marseille on Friday, February 2nd, effectively a title decider for the last two years, but this time on opening night.
Yet it would be unfair to categorise this quartet of fixtures as aperitifs, for they are pivotal games in the provinces’ seasons in their own right, with the ramifications set to be significant.
While Leinster are red hot favourites to maintain their progress atop Pool 4 against Stade Francais in their marquee Aviva Stadium fixture (kick-off 5.30pm), Connacht and Munster sit outside the top four qualifying places in their pools and are underdogs away to Lyon (1pm Irish) and Toulon (3.15pm Irish), as are Ulster at home to Toulouse tonight (8pm).
As ever, the Red Army have taken various routes to the south coast of France and fittingly, some made their way to Toulon via Marseille, and they’ll have been reasonably encouraged by the Munster team announcement.
Peter O’Mahony (shoulder), Alex Nankivell (ankle) and Niall Scannell (groin) all return from injury, as does Joey Carbery, who is named on the bench for the first time since the URC round two draw away to Benetton and since recent confirmation of his departure at the end of the season.
In all, Graham Rowntree makes six changes from the New Year’s Day defeat by Connacht, with Craig Casey and Jack Crowley restored at half-back and John Ryan starting at tighthead prop. Two positional switches see Tom Ahern moves to the second row and Gavin Coombes revert to his more familiar number ‘8′, with Tadhg Beirne captaining the side.
It’s a stronger-looking side but with Oli Jager observing the return to play protocols, Munster are still missing sheer bulk and ballast when you consider their 14 absentees include four locks in Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Fineen Wycherley and Edwin Edogbo.
Furthermore, despite Carbery’s return, some of the callowness on the bench remains; an inevitable consequence of their injury woes and surely contributing to a recurring inability to see out games as strongly as they start them.
Munster have led in six of their last eight matches at half-time, scoring some wonderful tries along the way and outscoring opponents by a combined 99-49 in those first halves. Yet they have lost seven second halves, drawing the other, in scoring 34 points after half-time and conceding 105.
Before the opening salvos in Pool C, this meeting of three-time and two-time champions would have been circled as a potential Pool C summit meeting, yet instead they occupy the bottom two places. No less than Munster, Toulon have let slip two winning positions.
Toulon led 18-5 at home to Exeter, and the ‘5′ was an intercept try, while in both that game and away to Northampton, they led in the 78th minute. Even more so than Munster, they could and perhaps should have two wins. But the net effect has been to leave them as desperately in need of a win as Munster.
This is reflected in Pierre Mignoni’s selection. Despite nine players deemed hors de combat, notably their heartbeat at scrum-half Baptiste Serin and captain Charles Ollivon, who will also miss the Six Nations rendezvous, this looks as strong a side as possible.
Dave Ribbans is among six forwards restored to the pack after last week’s loss in Montpellier, while Duncan Paia’aua has been recalled to partner brilliant Fijian captain Waisea Nayacalevu in midfield, as has All Blacks’ left-winger Leicester Fainga’anuku, while Dan Biggar is back too.
Considering they have won five Champions Cups between them, these two have relatively little history against each other. They shared home pool wins in 2010-11, when Toulon advanced ahead of Munster, then Toulon won the 2014 semi-final in the Stade Velodrome en route to the second of their three-in-a-row, before Munster won the quarter-final in Thomond Park 20-19 six seasons ago with that wonder solo try by Andrew Conway and Ian Keatley’s conversion.
Interviewed in Midi Olympique this week, Argentinian backrower Facundo Isa said it is a defeat he will never forget, although he is Toulon’s only survivor from that day, whereas Munster have half a dozen in their ‘23′.
Drawing on his decade coaching in France, Mike Prendergast noted how Mignoni has brought aboard Sergio Parisse and Andrea Masi as assistants, adding: “You can see there’s more structure about them, especially in attack. Add on their physical power athletes. Add on more shape in what they do in terms of their attack and then add in X-factor players they’re after bringing in. They’ve world-class players spread out around the place.”
Citing the influence of Biggar and Melvyn Jaminet, Prendergast added: “They kick a huge amount, long and on and no better man to put a ball into ‘Chez Eux’ as they say, which means the opposition half, and they do that and they defend well off it. So they’re a very well-oiled team.”
Yet Toulon are not especially potent and labour a little for their points. But they are unbeaten at home in the Top 14 this season and while Munster can draw on their rich pedigree in Europe, that also makes them a prized scalp.
Munster’s scrum and lineout woes are also a concern. With Nika Amashukeli liable to be under ferocious pressure from the Felix Mayol crowd, if the Georgian referee is presented with the wrong pictures from early on it could be a long day for Munster under the forecast Mediterranean blue skies.
Toulon: Melvyn Jaminet; Jiuta Wainiqolo, Waisea Nayacalevu, Duncan Paia’aua, Leicester Fainga’anuku; Dan Biggar, Ben White; Dany Priso, Christopher Tolofua, Kieran Brookes, Matthias Halagahu, David Ribbans (capt), Cornell du Preez, Selevasio Tolofua, Facundo Isa. Replacements: Jack Singleton, Bruce Devaux, Beka Gigashvili, Brian Alainu’uese, Jules Coulon, Jules Danglot, Jérémy Sinzelle, Setariki Tuicuvu.
Munster: Simon Zebo; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne (capt), Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherley, Stephen Archer, Brian Gleeson, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Sean O’Brien.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
Forecast: Toulon to win.
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