Munster Rugby side to face Ulster in URC on New Year's Day named

THE Munster Rugby team to face Ulster has been named ahead of the province's first game of 2023 at the Kingspan Stadium on New Year’s Day, 5.15pm, live TG4 and Premier Sports.

Jack O’Donoghue captains Munster with six personnel changes and two positional switches to the side that lost out to Leinster on St Stephen’s Day.

Mike Haley, Malakai Fekitoa and Paddy Patterson come into the backline with Shane Daly moving from full-back to wing and Jack Crowley moving from inside centre to out-half.

In the pack, Kiran McDonald makes his first URC start for Munster as Roman Salanoa and Alex Kendellen also come into the starting XV. All three featured as replacements last week.

Haley returns from injury to start at full-back with Daly and Keith Earls completing the back three.

Fekitoa and Antoine Frisch start in the centres for the first time as Fekitoa makes his first appearance since the win over South Africa A last month.

Patterson and Crowley team up in the half-backs for the first time since the clash against Ulster at Thomond Park in October.

Salanoa joins Dave Kilcoyne and Niall Scannell in the front row with Jean Kleyn and McDonald starting together in the second row for the first time.

O’Donoghue, Kendellen and Gavin Coombes complete the starting XV.

Stephen Archer (ankle) and Jack O’Sullivan (knee) return from injuries sustained in October and are included among the replacements.

Scott Buckley is in line for his first appearance since October and Ben Healy is set for his first appearance since the South Africa A victory.

Greencore Munster Rugby Academy duo Cian Hurley and Patrick Campbell are also included. Hurley last featured against South Africa A with Campbell a try-scorer off the bench against Leinster last week.

MUNSTER RUGBY: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Keith Earls; Jack Crowley, Paddy Patterson; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, Roman Salanoa; Jean Kleyn, Kiran McDonald; Jack O’Donoghue (C), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, Stephen Archer, Cian Hurley, Jack O’Sullivan, Conor Murray, Ben Healy, Patrick Campbell.