Jack Crowley starts at out-half for Munster on Saturday.
Inpho
The Munster side has been named for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against Dragons at Thomond Park (5.15pm).
Find out all you need to know ahead of the game here and buy tickets here.
There are four changes to the side that defeated Edinburgh two weeks ago as Shane Daly, Jack Crowley, Josh Wycherley and John Ryan all come into the starting XV.
Craig Casey and Gavin Coombes both keep their places after being released from Ireland’s Six Nations camp for the clash.
Josh Wycherley makes his first start of the season on his 17th appearance for the province and starts in the same pack as brother Fineen for the second time.
Mike Haley starts at full-back with Daly and Simon Zebo on either flank.
Dan Goggin and Chris Farrell continue their centre partnership with Casey and Crowley in the half-backs.
Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron and John Ryan pack down in the front row with Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.
Captain Jack O’Donoghue, Chris Cloete and Coombes complete the side.
Greencore Munster Rugby Academy back-row forward Alex Kendellen, who turned 21 on Thursday, is among the replacements and in line to make his 10th Munster appearance.
Munster: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin, Simon Zebo; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), Chris Cloete, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jeremy Loughman, Stephen Archer, Alex Kendellen, John Hodnett, Neil Cronin, Ben Healy, Rory Scannell.
Video | Press Pass
Hear from Josh Wycherley and Forwards Coach Graham Rowntree ahead of the game.
Mike Haley and Gavin Coombes celebrate with try scorer Chris Farrell.
Inpho
Munster played some scintillating rugby to brush past Dragons in perfect conditions at Thomond Park on Saturday evening.
The victory saw Johann van Graan’s men make it eight wins in 11 URC games ahead of the upcoming two-match tour to South Africa.
Chris Farrell was named Player of the Match after an excellent team performance.
Shane Daly Post-Match Interview
Craig Casey scored twice with Jack O’Donoghue and Chris Cloete also touching down for a first-half bonus-point.
Simon Zebo, of course, got in on the act in the second half along with the excellent Farrell, Shane Daly, Cloete again and John Hodnett before captain O’Donoghue complete the scoring with Munster’s 10th.
Jack Crowley kicked five conversions with Ben Healy adding two conversions.
Munster looked to put the ball through the hands from the off with Casey a ball of energy.
It was the scrum-half who touched down for the first try on 10 minutes after a Munster maul was driven back initially but the pack regrouped and made good yards.
Casey went down the blindside and fended off Sam Davies on his way to the try line. Crowley landed the tricky conversion to make it 7-0.
Dragons responded well and Sam Davies kicked their first penalty on 15 minutes from close-range after Crowley was pinged for not rolling away.
A great take from Chris Farrell from the restart handed Munster the initiative and Crowley went to the corner again after a scrum penalty.
Casey was in for his second try on 22 minutes after diving over from a yard after Munster pounded away on the line with Jean Kleyn and Farrell carrying well in the build-up.
Crowley’s simple conversion made it 14-3 after 23 minutes.
The third try arrived directly from the restart after a brilliant move from inside the 22.
Farrell made the initial break to race clear of the Dragons defence before passing left for Mike Haley to take it on and his pass inside for Jack O’Donoghue was finished expertly by the speedy flanker.
Crowley made it 21-3 off the tee.
A John Ryan break provided the impetus for the next Munster break with Crowley and Farrell releasing Cloete to score in the left corner. Crowley’s touchline conversion made it 28-3 at the interval.
Munster continued the onslaught in the second half with Casey’s quick tap and pass allowing Zebo to canter in for the easiest of scores.
The hosts scored again directly off the restart as Haley did brilliantly to take the kick and break before sending Farrell through for another great score, Munster’s sixth try.
Offloads from Crowley, Gavin Coombes and Haley set up Shane Daly for the seventh try on 59 minutes before Casey whipped a great pass for Cloete to score his second try in the right corner.
That try made it 50-3 as the scores kept coming for Munster.
Another great try off a lineout saw Healy, Dan Goggin and Rory Scannell show great hands to release Hodnett for the ninth try with Healy converting.
Hodnett then turned provider as his offload released Daly whose pass inside for O’Donoghue gave Munster a record-equalling 10th try.
United Rugby Championship Round 13 Round-Up
Munster’s 10 tries equalled the province’s previous best in the competition against Southern Kings in 2020.
Chris Farrell was named Player of the Match.
Academy back-row Alex Kendellen featured off the bench to make his 10th appearance for Munster.
Munster: Mike Haley (Ben Healy, 59); Shane Daly, Chris Farrell (Rory Scannell, 56), Dan Goggin, Simon Zebo (Neil Cronin, 68); Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley (Jeremy Loughman, 56), Diarmuid Barron (Niall Scannell, 56), John Ryan (Stephen Archer, 56); Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley ( Alex Kendellen, h-t); Jack O’Donoghue (C), Chris Cloete (John Hodnett, 64), Gavin Coombes.
