GUINNESS PRO14 Preview: Munster v Cardiff Blues

As they prepare to host Cardiff Blues in Limerick, Munster know they have ground to make up at the business end of Conference A after their unbeaten start came to a crashing halt against new leaders Glasgow Warriors.

GUINNESS PRO14: Saturday, September 30

MUNSTER (3rd, Con A) v CARDIFF BLUES (7th, Con A), Thomond Park, 1.30pm (live Sky Sports Action)

Team News: Munster’s 2017 Lions contingent of Conor Murray, captain Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander are among nine changes made by director of rugby Rassie Erasmus for today’s GUINNESS PRO14 match against Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park.

O’Mahony and Stander are among six changes to the pack with the international front row trio of Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and John Ryan all making their first starts of the season.

Robin Copeland is another player to make his first start of the 2017/18 campaign, doing so alongside Billy Holland in the second row. Tommy O’Donnell remains at openside flanker with O’Mahony and Stander returning at blindside and number 8 respectively.

Murray and Ian Keatley come in at half-back as does Jaco Taute in midfield. Partnering Rory Scannell, the powerful South African centre takes charge of the outside channel for the first time this season.

There is no change in the province’s back-three combination, the in-form Alex Wootton, Darren Sweetnam and Andrew Conway have, to date, started every game in the PRO14.

Named on the bench following a two-season spell at Northampton Saints, JJ Hanrahan is in line for his first Munster appearance since the 2015 PRO12 final against Glasgow Warriors in Belfast. Shannon lock Sean McCarthy is included in his first Munster matchday squad this season, while Mark Flanagan, a loan signing from Saracens, could make his debut for his new side off the bench.

Munster v Cardiff Blues tickets can be purchased online at munsterrugby.ie, from the Munster Rugby Ticket Offices in Thomond Park and Irish Independent Park or at the ground on matchday from 9am.

Meanwhile, Jack Roberts makes his competitive debut for Cardiff Blues as one of eight changes compared to the side that pipped Connacht 17-15 in a dramatic finish at the Sportsground last Saturday.

For this return trip to Ireland, four of the changes are in the back-line. Along with the inclusion of former Leicester Tiger Roberts at outside centre, Blaine Scully returns from injury to captain the side from the right wing and Tomos Willams and Jarrod Evans form an exciting half-back partnership.

Up front, Matthew Rees returns to start at hooker, James Down and George Earle pack down together in the second row and Olly Robinson, the son of former England head coach Andy Robinson, steps up from the bench following an impressive debut in Galway last week.

MUNSTER: Andrew Conway; Darren Sweetnam, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Alex Wootton; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Robin Copeland, Billy Holland, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Rhys Marshall, Liam O’Connor, Stephen Archer, Mark Flanagan, Sean McCarthy, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Chris Farrell.

CARDIFF BLUES: Rhun Williams; Blaine Scully (capt), Jack Roberts, Willis Halaholo, Tom James; Jarrod Evans, Tomos Williams; Brad Thyer, Matthew Rees, Taufa’ao Filise, George Earle, James Down, Josh Turnbull, Olly Robinson, Nick Williams.

Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Corey Domachowski, Keiron Assiratti, Seb Davies, Macauley Cook, Lloyd Williams, Steven Shingler, Matthew Morgan.

Referee: Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Sean Gallagher, Gary Conway (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Match Odds (Paddy Power): Munster to win: 1/14; Draw: 33/1; Cardiff Blues to win: 15/2

Pre-Match Quotes: Andrew Conway (Munster) – “I’m sure the Lions players are raring to go. When the team are winning you want to be involved and when they are losing you think you can help out and make the necessary impact. Conor, CJ and Pete will be mad to go, as will Keith Earls who has not played this season either.

“Their transition back into the side should be pretty seamless. Me, for example, this is my fifth season in Munster and I’m used to playing with all those guys. I know from chasing Conor’s box-kicks for quite a while where he’s looking to go.

“It’s an easy out to say that players coming back into the mix will affect the performance this weekend. Player rotation is part and parcel of professional sport, playing different guys for different games, keeping guys fresh and hungry – that can only benefit you and it’s what all the best sides do.

“Cardiff had a good win against us in Cork last year and that was a really tough game from what I remember. We lacked physicality, they worked harder and bullied us around the park. They know that they have come here and beaten us, plus they have just beaten Connacht in Galway and will have no fear of travelling to Thomond Park whatsoever.

“They’ll target nothing short of last year’s result in Cork and having seen how we pitched up last week they’ll be thinking, ”Let’s do something similar to Glasgow and be really physical, aggressive, play a bit of ball and see that Munster have’. That’s what they do and they do it really well. But for us, we’re excited to have the chance to right the wrongs of last weekend in Glasgow.”

Matt Sherratt (Cardiff Blues) – “Winning makes a massive difference. It’s a results-based business. People come into training a little bit more buoyant. We’ve not gone overboard because if Jarrod misses that conversion kick (against Connacht), it’s a different feeling.

“You have to stay processed, because it’s too long a season to get too massively high or massively low after a result. We weren’t the worst team in the Championship after Edinburgh and we’re not the best team in the championship after Connacht.

“We need to keep getting better every week, but having a win gives you a spring in your step and makes you look forward to the next game a little bit more. Munster are one of the leading teams in Europe away from home and they’re due to have their British & Irish Lions back playing.

“It’s a really competitive Championship this season and it doesn’t get any more competitive than Munster away. We can allude to last year when we went there (to Cork), certainly not as favourites but with a chance and came away with a win. We have to go there, be positive and try to build on the Connacht performance.”

Top Scorers – 2017/18 GUINNESS PRO14: Munster – Points: Alex Wootton 25; Tries: Alex Wootton 5; Cardiff Blues – Points: Steve Shingler 28; Tries: Willis Halaholo 2

2017/18 TEAM FORM: Munster – Played 4, Won 3, Lost 1, 14 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); Cardiff Blues – Played 4, Won 1, Lost 3, 5 Points; L 20-10 v Edinburgh (home), L 37-9 v Leinster (away), L 20-19 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 17-15 v Connacht (away)

RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:

Saturday, November 1, 2014 – Cardiff Blues 24 Munster 28, Cardiff Arms Park
Saturday, February 14, 2015 – Munster 33 Cardiff Blues 16, Irish Independent Park
Saturday, October 17, 2015 – Munster 35 Cardiff Blues 27, Irish Independent Park
Friday, March 18, 2016 – Cardiff Blues 37 Munster 28, Cardiff Arms Park
Friday, September 9, 2016 – Munster 23 Cardiff Blues 24, Irish Independent Park
Saturday, March 4, 2017 – Cardiff Blues 13 Munster 23, Cardiff Arms Park

MATCH FACTS:

– Munster’s 100% winning start to the GUINNESS PRO14 ended in Glasgow with a 37-10 reversal last Friday

– The Munstermen have lost only one home game in any tournament since Cardiff Blues visited Cork in September 2016: 30-21 to the Scarlets at Thomond Park in February 2017

– Cardiff gained their first victory of the new season with a 17-15 win over Connacht in Galway last Saturday

– The Welshmen have lost only one of their last four away games in the Championship: 37-9 in Leinster in round 2 this season

– Last season when the two sides met, each team won its respective away game

– The Blues have beaten Munster four times on Irish soil, but all those victories have been in Cork. Cardiff’s record at Thomond Park in all competitions since the region was formed in 2003 is played seven and lost seven