Two teams fighting for a GUINNESS PRO14 final series spot do battle at BT Murrayfield tonight as Munster, who currently sit second in Conference A, travel to Edinburgh, the third-placed side in Conference B.
GUINNESS PRO14: Friday, March 16
EDINBURGH (3rd, Con B) v MUNSTER (2nd, Con A), BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm (live TG4/BBC 2 Scotland)
Team News: Munster head coach Johann van Graan has made six changes to the team that defeated Glasgow Warriors at Irish Independent Park three weeks ago. Billy Holland captains the province on his 150th PRO14 appearance as JJ Hanrahan, Rory Scannell, Darren Sweetnam, Mike Sherry, Jack O’Donoghue and Conor Oliver are all drafted in.
Hooker Sherry makes his first PRO14 start since April 2016 after recovering from a long-term back injury, with fellow Ireland international Tommy O’Donnell named among the replacements and set to feature for the first time since sustaining a shoulder injury on New Year’s Day.
Simon Zebo lines out at full-back with Sweetnam on the right wing and Alex Wootton on the left flank. Scannell partners Sam Arnold in the centre with Hanrahan at out-half alongside scrum half James Hart.
James Cronin, one of the try scorers against Glasgow last time out in the Championship, keeps his starting place in the front row and is joined by hooker Sherry and tighthead Stephen Archer.
The second row of Jean Kleyn and skipper Holland remains in place, while there are two changes to the back row as O’Donoghue and Oliver come in to join forces with the Connacht-bound Robin Copeland.
Kevin O’Byrne, Dave Kilcoyne and Brian Scott make up the front row reserves and Darren O’Shea and the fit-again O’Donnell complete the forward cover. Academy scrum half Jack Stafford from Shannon, who is set to make his second senior appearance for Munster, is among the back-line options along with Bill Johnston and Dan Goggin.
Meanwhile, Scotland internationals Ben Toolis, who starts in the second row, and Simon Berghan, who is named among the replacements, both return to club action as Edinburgh look to continue their run of good form.
Dougie Fife is named at full-back after making his 100th appearance for the club in the 25-12 bonus point victory over the Dragons three weeks ago. The Scotland Sevens star is joined in the back-three by wingers Duhan van der Merwe and Jason Harries.
Chris Dean is partnered in midfield by Mark Bennett, who returns to the fray after missing the Dragons match. An unchanged half-back partnership sees Jaco van der Walt once again link up with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne.
Experienced hooker Neil Cochrane is joined by Murray McCallum and Samoan international Jordan Lay in the front row. Club captain Fraser McKenzie keeps his place in the second row, while Toolis returns to the starting XV after missing the last four fixtures due to Six Nations duty.
A powerful back row combination features Magnus Bradbury, John Hardie and Bill Mata, who is once again named at number 8 following his man-of-the-match performance against the Dragons at Ebbw Vale’s Eugene Cross Park.
EDINBURGH: Dougie Fife; Jason Harries, Mark Bennett, Chris Dean, Duhan van der Merwe; Jaco van der Walt, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne; Jordan Lay, Neil Cochrane, Murray McCallum, Fraser McKenzie (capt), Ben Toolis, Magnus Bradbury, John Hardie, Bill Mata.
Replacements: Cameron Fenton, Rory Sutherland, Simon Berghan, Lewis Carmichael, Cornell du Preez, Nathan Fowles, Duncan Weir, Junior Rasolea.
MUNSTER: Simon Zebo; Darren Sweetnam, Sam Arnold, Rory Scannell, Alex Wootton; JJ Hanrahan, James Hart; James Cronin, Mike Sherry, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland (capt), Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Oliver, Robin Copeland.
Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Dave Kilcoyne, Brian Scott, Darren O’Shea, Tommy O’Donnell, Jack Stafford, Bill Johnston, Dan Goggin
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Elgan Williams (Wales), Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Television Match Official: Jon Mason (Wales)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Edinburgh to win: 8/11; Draw: 14/1; Munster to win: 5/4
Pre-Match Quotes: Billy Holland (Munster) – “You don’t want to come in on Monday morning meeting Pete (O’Mahony) and the lads with the Grand Slam in their back pockets and we’re after losing over in Edinburgh. We have a big job for ourselves on Friday night and they have an enormous job for themselves on Saturday.
“Rassie (Erasmus) used to talk about the Irish team that beat the All Blacks and that there were many Munster guys involved. His point was that you have to take confidence from the fact that guys who are just ahead of you at your province are beating the best players in the world.
“So if we in Munster, Leinster, Ulster, Connacht have fellas who are just behind the best players in Europe…it’s a great place for Irish rugby to be in. At most we have 11 weeks left in the season and they will fly by. I believe momentum and winning are a habit and building that starts for us on Friday.
“It’s the top two inches are the most important part. From now until the end of May, I’m not going to get any fitter, faster, stronger…the mental side is the most important.”
Richard Cockerill (Edinburgh) – “Munster are a very good side. They should come here and they should win, but we’ll see. We’ll be well prepped and motivated for the game – as I’m sure they’ll be – and it’s another good test for us.
“Munster have probably got a good enough squad to beat us, but we’re playing well, we’re confident and we’ll go out there and try and improve on our last game – that’s where we are at the moment.
“We’ve got a hell of a run-in now until the end of the season to try and do something with the year. We’ve got some big games to try and win. We want to be in the play-offs and we’ve given ourselves a great opportunity to be in the mix.”
Top Scorers – 2017/18 GUINNESS PRO14: Edinburgh – Points: Sam Hidalgo-Clyne 61; Tries: Sam Hidalgo-Clyne 6; Munster – Points: Ian Keatley 85; Tries: Alex Wootton 7
2017/18 TEAM FORM: Edinburgh – Played 16, Won 11, Lost 5, 51 Points; W 20-10 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 35-18 v Dragons (home), L 20-17 v Benetton Rugby (home), L 28-8 v Scarlets (away), L 21-13 v Leinster (away), W 16-15 v Zebre (home), W 24-13 v Benetton Rugby (away), W 37-10 v Ospreys (home), L 33-13 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 48-21 v Southern Kings (away), W 18-17 v Glasgow Warriors (home), L 17-0 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 37-7 v Southern Kings (home), W 29-24 v Leinster (home), W 17-16 v Ulster (away), W 25-12 v Dragons (away); Munster – Played 16, Won 10, Lost 6, 53 Points; W 34-3 v Benetton Rugby (home), W 51-18 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), W 21-16 v Ospreys (away), L 37-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 39-16 v Cardiff Blues (home), L 23-17 v Leinster (away), L 20-16 v Connacht (away), W 49-6 v Dragons (home), W 36-19 v Zebre (away), W 36-10 v Ospreys (home), L 34-24 v Leinster (home), L 24-17 v Ulster (away), W 39-13 v Connacht (home), W 33-5 v Zebre (home), L 25-18 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 21-10 v Glasgow Warriors (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, September 5, 2014 – Munster 13 Edinburgh 14, Thomond Park
Saturday, April 11, 2015 – Edinburgh 3 Munster 34, BT Murrayfield
Saturday, November 7, 2015 – Edinburgh 14 Munster 16, BT Murrayfield
Friday, April 29, 2016 – Munster 27 Edinburgh 19, Irish Independent Park
Saturday, September 24, 2016 – Munster 28 Edinburgh 14, Thomond Park
Friday, February 3, 2017 – Edinburgh 9 Munster 10, Myreside
MATCH FACTS:
– Edinburgh have won all four GUINNESS PRO14 matches since the turn of the year, their only defeat since November being away to Glasgow Warriors on December 30
– Edinburgh have won all four matches they have taken to BT Murrayfield in all tournaments this season
– Munster’s only defeat in the last four rounds of the PRO14 was at Cardiff Blues on February 17
– The Munstermen have lost their last three away games in all competitions but have not lost four in-a-row on the road since 2012
– Munster have won their last five encounters with Edinburgh, while their only defeat to the Scotsmen in the PRO14 since 2011 was by a single point in 27 at Thomond Park in the opening game of the 2014/15 campaign
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