Munster Side To Face Stormers In Cape Town

The Munster team has been named for Saturday’s URC round five clash against DHL Stormers in Cape Town (5pm Irish time/6pm local).

There are five personnel changes and one positional switch to the side that faced Leinster last week.

Shane Daly, Conor Murray, John Ryan, Tom Ahern and Alex Kendellen all come into the starting XV with Jack O’Donoghue shifting from flanker to no.8.

Daly returns from an elbow injury to start on the left wing with Mike Haley at full-back and Calvin Nash on the right wing.

Murray starts with Jack Crowley in the half-backs on his 197th Munster appearance as Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell continue their centre partnership.

Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell and Ryan pack down in the front row with Jean Kleyn and captain Tadhg Beirne in the engine room.

Ahern and Kendellen join Jack O’Donoghue in the back row for their first starts of the season. Ahern returned from an ankle injury last week with Kendellen captaining Emerging Ireland on their recent tour to South Africa.

Academy players Kieran Ryan and Ruadhán Quinn are among the replacements with Billy Burns also included on his return from a shoulder injury.

Hooker Eoghan Clarke, Kieran Ryan and Stephen Archer provide the front row back-up with Clarke in line for his first appearance of the season.

Fineen Wycherley and Quinn complete the forward cover.

Ethan Coughlan, Burns and Seán O’Brien are the backline replacements with Coughlan in line for his first Munster appearance of the season having toured with Emerging Ireland.

On the injury front, Craig Casey was unavailable due to a knock.

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (C); Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Kieran Ryan, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Ruadhán Quinn, Ethan Coughlan, Billy Burns, Seán O’Brien.