Casey back at 9 for Munster as Carty returns to captain Connacht

10/05/2024

Munster scrum-half Craig Casey.

MUNSTER HEAD COACH Graham Rowntree has brought Craig Casey back into the province’s number nine shirt for tomorrow’s crucial URC clash with Connacht at Thomond Park [KO 5.15pm, RTÉ].

Conor Murray had a fine tour of South Africa for Munster last month, starting both games at scrum-half as they beat the Bulls and Lions, but Casey has been restored as the starter for this meeting with Connacht.

The only other change to the Munster XV sees centre Alex Nankivell returning to partner Seán O’Brien in midfield as Antoine Frisch drops to the bench.

Munster will use Gavin Coombes off the bench again, the number eight having excelled in that impact role in South Africa, while tighthead prop Oli Jager also remains part of the bench.

Academy loosehead prop Mark Donnelly is among the replacements after Josh Wycherley was ruled out with a facial injury that means he will be unavailable for “a number of weeks,” according to Munster.

Meanwhile, Connacht boss Pete Wilkins has made five changes to the team that beat the Dragons two weekends ago, three of them enforced by injury.

With JJ Hanrahan’s season ended by an ACL injury, out-half Jack Carty returns from his own spell on the sidelines to captain the team against Munster.

Peter Dooley is named at looshead prop after Denis Buckley was ruled out, while Paul Boyle is included in the back row in place of the injured Cian Prendergast.

Oisín Dowling is named in the second row and the other change sees Byron Ralston included on the left wing. Powerful back row Sean Jansen returns among the replacements.

15. Simon Zebo

14. Calvin Nash

13. Alex Nankivell

12. Seán O’Brien

11. Shane Daly

10. Jack Crowley

9. Craig Casey

1. Jeremy Loughman

2. Niall Scannell

3. Stephen Archer

4. RG Snyman

5. Tadhg Beirne (captain)

6. Peter O’Mahony

7. Alex Kendellen

8. Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements:

16. Eoghan Clarke

17. Mark Donnelly

18. Oli Jager

19. Tom Ahern

20. Gavin Coombes

21. Conor Murray

22. Joey Carbery

23. Antoine Frisch

Connacht:

15. Tiernan O’Halloran

14. Shane Jennings

13. Tom Farrell

12. Bundee Aki

11. Byron Ralston

10. Jack Carty (captain)

9. Matthew Devine

1. Peter Dooley

2. Dave Heffernan

3. Finlay Bealham

4. Joe Joyce

5. Oisín Dowling

6. Shamus Hurley-Langton

7. Conor Oliver

8. Paul Boyle

Replacements:

16. Dylan Tierney-Martin

17. Jordan Duggan

18. Jack Aungier

19. Niall Murray

20. Sean Jansen

21. Caolin Blade

22. Cathal Forde

23. Jarrad Butler

Referee: Craig Evans [Wales].

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