Munster v Leinster - teams and prediction
PREVIEW: On Friday, the United Rugby Championship Round Nine kicks off with a massive battle between Irish giants Munster and Leinster.
Munster and Leinster will face each other at a sold-out Thomond Park.
Munster have endured a turbulent campaign. Just six rounds into the season, head coach Graham Rowntree made a shock departure, and the team also had to deal with a long injury list.
Scrumhalf Craig Casey, midfielder Alex Nankivell, lock Jean Kleyn, wing Thaakir Abrahams and prop David Kilcoyne are all on the sidelines.
But despite all the setbacks Munster have secured two wins since their defeat to the Sharks in Round Six.
And this Friday, a win for Munster could be the perfect result to turn around their season.
However, it is easier said than done as Leinster are yet to taste defeat this season.
Leinster's most recent defeat was 20-25 to the Bulls in Pretoria last season, while their only defeat in their last eight fixtures with Munster was 15-16 at Lansdowne Road in the 2023 semifinal.
Leo Cullen's men have been showing a different ruthless streak this season, which is courtesy of the former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.
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"There’s definitely a big change in mindset from what I can see," Munster defence coach Denis Leamy said when asked about Leinster’s style of play.
‘They are, how would I say - brilliantly boring. And I say that by giving them a lot of credit and admiration, but you know they kick the ball almost more than any other team in the league. They play territory more than any other team in the league.
‘They’re just brutal then when they get into your score zone. They have this power-based game now that is really, really strong and how you deny them access to that is the key thing. They back their defence, they back their kicking game.
‘They don’t try to do too much in terms of overplaying, and they just strangle it, put you down into the 22, and then there’s big powerful men running down on top of you. And they’re a handful."
There are seven changes to the Munster side that recorded a bonus-point victory away to Ulster last week.
Tadhg Beirne returns to captain Munster with Rory Scannell, Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan, Dian Bleuler, Oli Jager and Alex Kendellen also coming into the starting XV.
There is a positional switch for Tom Ahern as he moves to the back row,
Mike Haley, Calvin Nash and Shane Daly form an unchanged back three with Rory Scannell and last week’s Player of the Match Tom Farrell in midfield.
Coughlan and Burns start together in the half-backs.
Bleuler has completed the return-to-play protocols to make his fourth start at loosehead prop with Niall Scannell and Oli Jager completing the front row.
Fineen Wycherley and Beirne start in the engine room with Ahern, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes completing the starting XV.
Diarmuid Barron, Academy prop Kieran Ryan and John Ryan provide the front row back-up with Brian Gleeson and John Hodnett completing the forward cover.
Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler and Academy back Ben O’Connor are the backline replacements.
For Leinster captain Caelan Doris is back into the mix this week as Leo Cullen makes a number of changes from the squad that beat Connacht last weekend.
Jamie Osborne makes a welcome return from injury and starts at fullback, with Tommy O’Brien and Jimmy O’Brien onto the wings.
Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose form a familiar-looking partnership in the centre, with Luke McGrath and Sam Prendergast in the halfbacks.
In the pack, Jack Boyle, Rónan Kelleher and Rabah Slimani are the front row selected by Cullen, with Joe McCarthy and James Ryan back this week in the engine room. Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier – making his 150th appearance in the blue of Leinster – and Doris complete the starting XV for Cullen
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Prediction
@rugby365com: Leinster by seven points
Teams:
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Billy Burns, 9 Ethan Coughlan, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 Alex Kendellen, 6 Tom Ahren, 5 Tadgh Beirne, 4 Fineen Wycherley, 3 Oli Jager, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Dian Bleuler
Replacements: 16 Diarmuid Barron, 17 Kieran Ryan, 18 John Ryan, 19 Brian Gleeson, 20 John Hodnett, 21 Paddy Patterson, 22 Tony Butler, 23 Ben O'Connor
Leinster: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Tommy O'Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Jimmy O'Brien, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Luke McGrath, 8 Caelan Doris (captain), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Jack Boyle
Replacements: 16 Lee Barron, 17 Andrew Porter, 18 Cian Healy, 19 Brian Deeny, 20 Scott Penny, 21 Fintan Gunne, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Jordan Lamour
Date: Friday, December 27
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Kick-off: 19.35 (19.35 GMT)
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Keane Davison (Ireland) and Chris Lough (Ireland)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)