Munster Rugby side to face Crusaders in 'Clash of Champions' named

THE Munster Rugby team has been named for Saturday’s clash against Crusaders at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, kick-off 5pm.

A capacity crowd of 40,885 will attend the fixture which will be live on TG4.

Alex Kendellen captains Munster for the first time with Academy trio Ethan Coughlan, Shay McCarthy and Ruadhán Quinn all starting.

It will be Quinn’s first start for Munster after becoming the province’s youngest player in the professional era at the age of 18 last season.

Hooker Eoghan Clarke also makes his first start for the province and Jack O’Sullivan starts for the first time this season at no.8.

Out-half Joey Carbery is in the starting XV for the first time since October after returning from a wrist injury last month.

Full-back Daly, Seán O’Brien and McCarthy make up the back three.

Christchurch native Alex Nankivell and Antoine Frisch continue their centre partnership with Coughlan and Carbery in the half-backs.

Josh Wycherley, Clarke and Stephen Archer pack down in the front row with Coombes and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.

Quinn, Kendellen and O’Sullivan complete the starting XV.

A 10-man replacements bench includes Academy players Mark Donnelly, Daniel Okeke and Tony Butler.

Colm Hogan is in line to make his Munster debut off the bench after joining the province in November.

19-year-old Cork Constitution lock/back-row forward Kamil Nowak is also in line for his Munster debut. Nowak, whose twin brother Dawid is also a Cork Constitution man, played underage rugby at Midleton RFC and schools rugby with CBC. He lined out for the Munster U19s in 2022.

Scott Buckley, Donnelly and John Ryan provide the front row cover with Nowak, Jack Daly and Okeke completing the forward cover.

Daly is set for his first cap since 2022 after missing all of last season and a number of months this year through injury with Okeke in line for his first appearance since his debut in 2021.

Tony Butler, Rory Scannell and Hogan are the backline replacements.

On the injury front, Tom Ahern is continuing the return to play protocols with Patrick Campbell also unavailable due to a shoulder injury.

Bring on the Northern Tour. Bring on Munster. Bring on the noise. It’s game time.

Read more: https://t.co/PtCWS1roGv pic.twitter.com/8rABm3JzCo

— Crusaders (@crusadersrugby) February 1, 2024

Oli Jager and Niall Scannell miss out due to minor knocks as Mike Haley continues his return from long-term injury.

Crusaders and former Munster Rugby head coach Rob Penney has also named his team for the game. In a powerful front-row, George Bower and George Bell are back, both injured for the majority of the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season, while Owen Franks, an All Blacks and Crusaders centurion, pulls on the jersey. 

Taha Kemara will line out at out-half in his first start for the Crusaders, while new recruits Tahlor Cahill (lock), Levi Aumua (outside centre) and Leigh Halfpenny (fullback) all take the field for kick off. 

MUNSTER RUGBY: Shane Daly; Seán O'Brien, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Shay McCarthy; Joey Carbery, Ethan Coughlan; Josh Wycherley, Eoghan Clarke, Stephen Archer; Gavin Coombes, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhán Quinn, Alex Kendellen (C), Jack O'Sullivan. Replacements: Scott Buckley, Mark Donnelly, John Ryan, Kamil Nowak, Jack Daly, Daniel Okeke, Neil Cronin, Tony Butler, Rory Scannell, Colm Hogan.