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Team Named | Munster Side To Face Wasps

December 10, 2021 11:55 am By The Editor

Keith Earls and Patrick Campbell start in the back three.

Keith Earls and Patrick Campbell start in the back three. Munster Rugby

The Munster side has been named for Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup clash against Wasps at the Coventry Building Society Arena (3.15pm, live on BT Sport & beIN Sports).

Find out all you need to know ahead of the game here.

12 players are set to make their senior Munster debuts with eight members of the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy included.

There are five debutants in the starting XV – Academy quartet Patrick Campbell, Scott Buckley, Eoin O’Connor and Daniel Okeke, and senior prop James French.

John Hodnett has recovered from a short-term ankle injury to make his first start in 13 months, and his Champions Cup debut, having missed the majority of last season with an achilles injury.

There are first starts of the season in red for Conor Murray, Damian de Allende and Chris Farrell with the latter making his 50th Munster appearance after returning from an abdomen injury.

Campbell starts at full-back with Andrew Conway and Keith Earls on either flank.

De Allende and Farrell team up in the centres with Murray and Joey Carbery in the half-backs.

Dave Kilcoyne packs down in the front row with Buckley and French.

Tadhg Beirne starts alongside O’Connor in the second row as captain Peter O’Mahony, Hodnett and Okeke complete the side.

Roman Salanoa is among the replacements having recovered from a knee injury and could make his European debut while seven other players are in line to make their Munster debuts off the bench.

Summer addition Declan Moore and Academy quartet Mark Donnelly, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler and Jonathan Wren are all included.

Also named are Cork Constitution’s John Forde, a product of PBC and member of the Provincial Talent Squad, and Young Munster’s Conor Moloney, a member of the National Talent Squad.

Moloney came up through the ranks at Ennis RFC in the same team as Coughlan and Butler with the trio lining out for the Ennis RFC U18s as recently as last year.

Munster: Patrick Campbell; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Scott Buckley, James French; Eoin O’Connor, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (C), John Hodnett, Daniel Okeke.

Replacements: Declan Moore, Mark Donnelly, Roman Salanoa, John Forde, Conor Moloney, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Jonathan Wren.

Upcoming Home Games

Saturday, December 18

Champions Cup: Munster v Castres Olympique, Thomond Park, 8pm; Buy tickets hereOver 18,300 sold

Sunday, December 26

URC: Munster v Leinster, Thomond Park, 7.35pm; Buy tickets hereFewer than 1,300 remaining 

Saturday, January 8

URC: Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park, 7.35pm; Buy tickets hereFamily packs of four tickets available for just €40

Sunday, January 23

Champions Cup: Munster v Wasps, Thomond Park, 3.15pm; Buy tickets here

Press Pass | Munster v Wasps

Munster - Match Page - Lineups - Preview

Report | Epic Bonus-Point Win For Munster In Coventry

December 12, 2021 6:08 pm By The Editor

Epic Bonus-Point Win

Patrick Campbell scores a try on his Munster debut. INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Munster’s opening game of the Heineken Champions Cup had everything in it as the men in red not only survived an action-packed afternoon of rugby but produced a fantastic bonus point 32-14 win against Wasps in Coventry.

Munster face Castres on Saturday in round two at Thomond Park with tickets available here.

Twelve players made their Munster senior debuts and a well-oiled machine of experienced players and young guns did everything asked of them when producing the goods against a 14-man Wasps.

A fantastic travelling support got behind Munster throughout and gave the team a real boost in what was a breathless encounter.

A blistering start saw Peter O’Mahony produce a superb try saving tackle to deny Wasps a try in the corner in the opening two minutes.

Munster led by three after 6 minutes with Joey Carbery kicking the first points of the game after Wasps were pinged for offside.

The hosts had an opportunity to reply two minutes later with Munster not rolling away, but Jimmy Gopperth’s attempt struck the upright.

An outstanding defensive effort was needed to stop Wasps as they attacked off their lineout maul and Tadhg Beirne showed great skill to cause huge disruption.

Wasps identified the scrum as an area to target with five Champions Cup debutants in the Munster pack, however the tempo never let up for the opening quarter as both sides challenged to get a foothold in the game.

John Hodnett, making his Champions Cup debut, certainly wasn’t fazed by the occasion applying the pressure at the breakdown winning turnover ball at crucial times.

The home side were reduced to 14-men when captain Brad Shields was issued with a red card on 25′ for a high challenge on Dave Kilcoyne.

Carbery missed the penalty as the ball hit the post but he made up for it two minutes later when converting his third penalty attempt.

With the much-changed make-up of both sides the game at times was chaotic.

The frenzied nature didn’t let up when an open passage of play saw red shirts and black shirts offload and move the ball at pace.  The end-to-end play finished with Wasps scoring the first try after the half hour mark with number 8 Alfie Barbeary getting over the whitewash.

Gopperth added the conversion to give the home side the one-point lead, 7-6.

A period of sustained pressure followed for Munster and with a free play penalty advantage awarded Conor Murray chipped over the Wasps  defence and Keith Earls was on hand to capitalise as he touched down on the loose ball to score his 60th try for the province.

Joey kicked the conversion and with five minutes left in the half Munster led 13-7. Wasps hooker Dan Frost was yellow-carded late in the first half after a great block from Eoin O’Connor put pressure on the hosts.

All in all, it was a thoroughly entertaining and wild half of rugby.

Nineteen-year-old Patrick Campbell made the dream debut when scoring Munster’s second try early in the second half.  The young fullback took advantage with Munster having an overlap out wide and took his moment when opting to split the Wasps defence himself and touch down for the five points.

Joey’s kick once again found the upright and the conversion didn’t go over so it remained 18-7.

The momentum continued for Munster with Andrew Conway getting over for the third try after he ran in unopposed after Wasps spilled the ball after launching a counter-attack.

Carbery’s conversion made it 25-7 as Frost returned shortly afterwards.

The next score was crucial and it went to Munster as a brilliantly worked lineout move saw Beirne play the inside pass for Buckley to score the bonus-point try under the posts. Carbery converted to give Munster a 32-7 advantage.

Wasps hit back when Michael Le Bourgeois picked a good line to score from close range to reduce Munster’s lead but a Carbery penalty made it 35-14 after 67 minutes.

The Munster bench, including seven debutants, were all introduced in the final quarter and acquitted themselves very well. Joey Carbery departed late on with an injury and will be assessed by the medical team.

Champions Cup Round 1 Round-Up

12 players made their Munster debuts in the clash.

Greencore Munster Rugby Academy hooker Scott Buckley was named Heineken Star of the Match.

John Hodnett made his first start in 13 months after recovering from an achilles injury.

Chris Farrell made his first appearance of the season with Conor Murray and Damian de Allende making their first Munster starts of the campaign.

Patrick Campbell and Buckley scored their first Munster tries on their debuts for the province.

Joey Carbery departed in the second half and will be assessed by the medical team.

Munster: Patrick Campbell (J Wren 72’); Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery (T Butler 72’, Conor Murray (E Coughlan 76); Dave Kilcoyne (M Donnelly 64’), Scott Buckley (D Moore 70’), James French (R Salanoa 57’); Eoin O’Connor (J Forde 70’), Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (C), John Hodnett (C Moloney 70), Daniel Okeke.

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