Nine Changes For Magners Semi

The Munster side announced today for the Magners League semi-final shows nine changes, two of those positional, from the side selected for the game against Connacht last time out.

The positional changes sees young Danny Barnes wear the 13 shirt this time around as opposed to the 12 he wore against Connacht while with Donncha O'Callaghan restored  to the second row Donnacha Ryan moves to the back row to the exclusion of Denis Leamy.

Although just six players retain their positions from that Connacht game, maybe more significantly, there's just one change in backs personnel and one change in the forward pack selected for tomorrow from the pack that eeked out victory in the Liberty Stadium three weeks ago. The upfront comes in the shape of skipper Paul O'Connell who was unavailable that night, Barnes the change in the backs.

Despite being runaway winners of the League proper, Munster could see all the hard work that has gone before end up with nothing to show but that's not how Damien Varley sees it. ” We knew the format setting out. We'd set our sights initially on a home semi final so as to give ourselves the best possible chance to win the title. We've achieved that.

We'll take this as a single game. It's a stepping stone to winning a trophy. 

” We're where we wanted to be, in with a shot at a final.”

Munster: F Jones; D Howlett, D Barnes, L Mafi, K Earls; R O'Gara, C Murray; M Horan, D Varley, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell capt; D Ryan, D Wallace, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry, W du Preez, S Archer, D Leamy, N Ronan, P Stringer, P Warwick, S Zebo.