1 week Ago
ALEX NANKIVELL RETURNS to the Munster team for tomorrow’s Champions Cup quarter-final meeting with Bordeaux-Bègles [KO 3pm Irish time, Premier Sports 1]. The centre missed last weekend’s round of 16 win in La Rochelle after being hit with a two-match suspension following his red card in Munster’s URC interpro defeat of Connacht. However the 28-year-old is free to play at the Stade Chaban-Delmas having won his appeal against that suspension this week.
The only other change to the starting XV sees Josh Wycherley named in the front row in place of the injured Jeremy Loughman. Former Munster out-half Joey Carbery misses out for Bordeaux, having been forced off early in the second half of last weekend’s round of 16 defeat of Ulster. As expected, Matthieu Jalibert is named at 10 while France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey also returns to the Bordeaux starting team, having been rested for last Sunday.
Thaakir Abrahams, Calvin Nash and Andrew Smith continue in the Munster back three as Nankivell partners Tom Farrell in midfield. Farrell makes his 21st appearance of the campaign having started all 20 games so far this season. Craig Casey and Jack Crowley, who signed a two-year contract extension this week, continue in the half-backs.
Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron and Oli Jager pack down in the front row with Jean Kleyn and captain Tadhg Beirne in the second row, while Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes form the Munster back row. On the bench, Niall Scannell, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern and Alex Kendellen provide the forward cover. Archer is set to make his 300th appearance for Munster – almost 16 years on from his senior debut against Edinburgh in October 2009.
Donnelly is set for his first Champions Cup appearance since the win over Wasps in December 2021. Conor Murray and Seán O’Brien are the backline replacements. : Nika Amashukeli [GEO].
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