Munster Side For Edinburgh

Munster return to competitive action for the first time in over six weeks when they take on Edinburgh in the Magners League at Musgrave Park tomorrow evening (8pm)

The match day squad named today by coach Tony McGahan sees nine changes, two positional, from that selected for the postponed game against Scarlets back on January 10th.

Six of those changes are brought about by the non availability of the internationals, with the positional changes seeing Paul Warwick switch from full back to out-half, Denis Hurley moving to the last line with Ian Dowling coming onto the wing.

Last time around Wian Du Preez was in the front row in place of Marcus Horan, but a fit again Horan takes his place in an otherwise unchanged front row.

Mick O’Driscoll leads the side with Donnacha Ryan alongside while the one change in the back-row sees James Coughlan in for David Wallace at number 8 where he performed in Munster’s last outing against Ulster in Ravenhill.

There’s a decidedly youthful look to the Munster bench with Academy duo Mike Sherry and Scott Deasy included along with Development pair, Duncan Williams and Tommy O’Donnell.

Munster team manager Shaun Payne remains particularly wary of the challenge the Scots will present. “They travel with a very strong looking side and I think that indicates their intentions. It’s such a competitive League now, all the sides have improved over the years but perhaps particularly Edinburgh and Glasgow. Edinburgh are third in the table and I believe they’ll travel with a fair degree of confidence.

“But we’re looking forward to it. It’ll be good to get back playing again. We have one of the best surfaces to play on at Musgrave Park and full credit to ground staff there.It should be a cracking game.”

Munster: D Hurley; D Howlett, L Mafi, J de Villiers, I Dowling; P Warwick, P Stringer; M Horan, D Fogarty, T Buckley; D Ryan, M O’Driscoll capt; A Quinlan, N Ronan, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry, J Brugnaut, B Holland, T O’Donnell, D Williams, S Deasy, T Gleeson.

Meanwhile Edinburgh include four of those involved in the recent RBS Six Nations clash wih Wales – Jim Hamilton, Alan MacDonald, Allan Jacobsen and Mike Blair – for the trip to Cork with the side captained by 24 year old scrum half Greig Laidlaw who has just penned a new two year deal with the club. 

 Edinburgh: Ben Cairns; Mark Robertson,  Nick De Luca, John Houston, Tim Visser; David Blair, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Kyle Traynor, Andrew Kelly, Geoff Cross;  Jim Hamilton, Scott MacLeod;  Alan MacDonald, Roddy Grant, David Callam. Replacements: Ryan Grant, Allan Jacobsen, Craig Hamilton, Fraser McKenzie, Mike Blair, Rory Hutton, Simon Webster.