Harry Byrne’s late heroics in Leinster’s 25-24 win over La Rochelle last weekend have earned him a start at outhalf ahead of Sam Prendergast, who’ll take a place on the bench for the province’s Champions Cup trip to Bayonne on Saturday (kick-off 3.15pm Irish time).
Leo Cullen’s side is boosted by returns from injury for RG Snyman, starting alongside James Ryan in the secondrow, Garry Ringrose, who slots in alongside Robbie Henshaw in the centre, and fullback Jimmy O’Brien.
Why did the All Blacks drop a coaching bombshell?
Scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park partners Byrne in the halfback line, with Joshua Kenny and Tommy O’Brien on the wings to complete Leinster’s backs, Prendergast, Luke McGrath and Rieko Ioane their cover on the bench.
Tadhg Furlong also makes a starting return at tighthead, while Jack Boyle comes in at loosehead in place of injured Paddy McCarthy. Dan Sheehan falls to the bench from last weekend’s win, Rónan Kelleher promoted to starting hooker.
READ MORE
And there’s just one change in the backrow, Max Deegan coming in at the blindside in place of Jack Conan, joining Josh van der Flier on the openside and captain Caelan Doris at number eight.
Meanwhile, there was positive news out of Munster ahead of their Pool 2 fixture against Castres at Thomond Park on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm), Craig Casey judged fit to start despite picking up a shoulder knock last weekend against Toulon.
The scrumhalf had been a doubt after last Sunday’s narrow away defeat, but the injury proved less serious than initially feared.
Casey renews his halfback partnership with outhalf Jack Crowley, with Alex Nankivell and Tom Ahern retained from last weekend in the centre, while Thaakir Abrahams comes in for Calvin Nash, ruled out due to injury, to join Ben O’Connor on the wing, Shane Daly holding steady at fullback.
Captain Tadhg Beirne will make his 100th appearance for the southern province, starting in the backrow with try-scorer against Toulon Jack O’Donoghue and number eight Gavin Coombes.
Jean Kleyn and Niall Scannell return to start in the pack, the Springbok named in the secondrow with Fineen Wycherley, while Scannell has Jeremey Loughman and Michael Ala’alatoa on either shoulder up front.
Speaking of Casey’s speedy recover, Munster head coach Clayton McMillan said: “It didn’t look great after the game. He had his arm in a sling, it was obviously quite a bit of pain, but all the tests that he’s done have indicated that it’s not a huge amount of damage there.
“It’s just going to be a little bit sore and something that he’ll tolerate, and it won’t impact on his ability to play. So it’s huge for us.”
Asked about the news from his homeland New Zealand, where All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson stepped down on Thursday, McMillan said: “It’s not normally the New Zealand way to make such a big decision, but it’s one that’s been made, and my initial thoughts are actually just with Scott and his family.
“Nobody likes to see players or coaches have to go through that. So my thoughts are with him. To be perfectly honest, with all respect, I haven’t even given any thought to the question that you’ve just asked. We play Castres at Thomond Park, we need a win, and really, that’s where all my attention is going.”
In the Challenge Cup, Richie Murphy has named a well-rested side for their clash against Stade Francais (Sat, kick-off 1pm) to decide who tops Pool 3.
Having rested a number of first stringers for last weekend’s called-off game against the Cheetahs, Ulster welcome the return of captain Iain Henderson, Angus Bell, Stuart McCloskey and Nick Timoney to the starting fold. Jacob Stockdale has shaken off a knock picked up in their interpro win over Munster to line out at fullback, with Robert Baloucoune coming in on the wing.
And Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster has been aided by the returns of Jack Carty, Matthew Devine and Dave Heffernan, who are all set to start against Montauban (Sat, kick-off 8pm), while Jack Aungier and Sean Naughton are named on the bench.
The westerners are largely unaltered from last weekend’s defeat at Montpellier, Heffernan swapping in for Dylan Tierney-Martin in the pack, while outhalf Carty and scrumhalf Devine are the two changes in the backs.
Match day teams for Saturday
LEINSTER (v Bayonne): J O’Brien; T O’Brien, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Kenny; H Byrne, J Gibson-Park; J Boyle, R Kelleher, T Furlong; RG Snyman, J Ryan; M Deegan, J van der Flier, C Doris (capt). Replacements: D Sheehan, J Cahir, T Clarkson, J McCarthy, S Penny, L McGrath, S Prendergast, R Ioane.
MUNSTER (v Castres): S Daly; T Abrahams, T Farrell, A Nankivell, B O’Connor; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, M Ala’alatoa; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; T Beirne (capt), J O’Donoghue, G Coombes. Replacements: L Barron, M Milne, O Jager, E Edogbo, B Gleeson, E Coughlan, JJ Hanrahan, D Kelly.
ULSTER (v Stade Francais): J Stockdale; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak; A Bell, T Stewart, T O’Toole; I Henderson (capt), H Sheridan; D McCann, N Timoney, B Ward. Replacements: R Herring, E O’Sullivan, S Wilson, M Dalton, S Reffell, C McKee, J Flannery, J Postlethwaite.
CONNACHT (v Montauban): S Gilbert; S Jennings, H West, C Forde, F Treacy; J Carty, M Devine; B Bohan, D Heffernan, S Illo; D Murray, J Murphy; C Prendergast (capt), P Boyle, S Jansen. Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, D Buckley, J Aungier, J Joyce, S O’Brien, B Murphy, S Naughton, S Walsh.
