Much The Same Again For Costello

By and large coach Ian Costello has managed to keep the same side from the Pirates game for tomorrow night’s British & Irish Cup Semi Final clash with Leinster at Dooradoyle (7.30).

His halves, JJ Hanrahan and Duncan Williams remain the same, so too his locks Ian Nagle and Dave Foley while the call up to the senior squad for John Ryan means a start in the he front row for Alan Cotter who replaced Ryan in that game in Penzance. In the back row Barry O’Mahony starts in place of Dave O'Callaghan.

Outside Williams and Hanrahan, there’s a change in the centre with Ivan Dineen in to partner Danny Barnes in place of Scott Deasy who is listed on a strong bench that includes Marcus Horan and Sean Dougall, who makes a return from a knee injury he sustained against Connacht in Musgrave Park.

Munster won the corresponding fixture, played at the RDS, last season and the prize on offer to the winner of the Dooradoyle contest is a trip to the Final against the winner of the Newcastle Falcons/Bedford Blues game, with the respective Munster and Leinster team managers more likely to have concentrated their hotel accommodation research on the north eastern English city.

Munster: S Scanlon; C Hircock, D Barnes, I Dineen, R O’Mahony; JJ Hanrahan, D Williams; J Cronin, S Henry Capt., A Cotter; D Foley, I Nagle; N Ronan, B O’Mahony, CJ Stander. Replacements: D Casey, M Horan, B Hayes, S Dougall, J Holland, S Deasy, C Bohane.