Munster make two changes for Champions Cup clash against ...
Munster have named their team for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup Round of 16 clash away to Northampton Saints (12.30pm, live on TNT Sports & ITV).
Tadhg Beirne captains the side with two changes to the team that beat Cardiff last week as RG Snyman recovers from an illness to start with Simon Zebo returning to the side on the wing.
Jeremy Loughman starts on what will be his 100th Munster appearance just over six years since making his debut for the province. An appeal hearing will take place on Friday afternoon regarding John Ryan’s suspension with the prop named among the replacements pending the outcome of the hearing.
On the injury front, Calvin Nash (leg) is unavailable.
For Northampton, while England scrum-half is fit enough Alex Mitchell makes a return to the matchday 23, Callum Braley, George Furbank, Rory Hutchinson and Callum Pearson will not feature on Sunday.
Mitchell has not been involved for Saints since suffering a wrist injury in England's Six Nations clash with France last month.
Ross Byrne has won the battle of the brothers and will start at out-half for Leinster in Saturday’s round of 16 Champions Cup game against Leicester Tigers at the Aviva Stadium.
The 28-year old missed three months of the season with a bicep injury during which time younger brother Harry banked some significant game time with starts against the likes of La Rochelle and Munster, and Friday against the Bulls.
The younger sibling also saw game time with Ireland during the Six Nations but Ross has been an established starter for the province for some time now having started a string of big games even when Johnny Sexton was on the roster.
The four-time champions entered the week with question marks over a number of key players. Some of those are fit enough to feature against the English visitors but others will be sitting it out.
Hugo Keenan (hip) starts at full-back, Robbie Henshaw (head) partners Jamie Osborne in the centre, Andrew Porter (shoulder) packs down in the front row while Ciaran Frawley (shoulder) is part of a 5-3 split on the bench.
Jimmy O’Brien (neck), Luke McGrath (head), Garry Ringrose (shoulder) and reserve scrum-half Cormac Foley (shoulder) will play not part. Neither will longer-term injury concerns James Ryan, Tommy O’Brien and Charlie Ngatai.
Leicester will travel without two key players in the forward duo of George Martin and Tommy Reffell.
Elsewhere Ulster Interim Head Coach Richie Murphy has selected his starting 15 to face Montpellier this Sunday at GGL Stadium (Kick-off is at 12.30pm).
Club captain and lock, Iain Henderson, returns to the starting line-up after missing last weekend’s BKT United Rugby Championship close defeat to the DHL Stormers in Cape Town.
Finally Connacht coach Pete Wilkins has made seven changes for Connacht's clash away to Pau on Sunday evening (kick-off is at 5.30pm).
Four of those are in the back-line with Bundee Aki returning at inside centre in place of Cathal Forde.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: J Ramm; T Freeman, F Dingwall, B Odendaal, O Sleightholme; F Smith, T James; E Iyogun, C Langdon, T Davison; A Moon, A Coles; C Lawes, L Ludlam, S Graham.
Replacements: S Matavesi, A Waller, P Hill, T Mayanavanua, A Scott-Young, J Augustus, A Mitchell, G Hendy.
MUNSTER: M Haley; S Zebo, A Frisch, A Nankivell, S Daly; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, S Archer; T Beirne, RG Snyman; P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements: E Clarke, J Wycherley, J Ryan, T Ahern, A Kendellen, C Murray, J Carbery, S O’Brien.
LEINSTER: H Keenan; J Larmour, R Henshaw, J Osborne, J Lowe; R Byrne, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong; R Molony, Joe McCarthy; R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Michael Ala’alatoa, Jason Jenkins, Jack Conan, Ben Murphy, Harry Byrne, Ciarán Frawley.
LEICESTER TIGERS: J Shillock; F Steward, D Kelly, S Kata, O Hassell-Collins; H Pollard, J Van Poortvliet; J Cronin, J Montoya, D Cole; H Wells, K Hatherall; H Liebenberg, O Crackwell, J Wiese.
Replacements: C Clare, F Van Wyk, W Hurd, F Carnduff, E Ilione, T Whiteley, P Cokansiga, M Brown.
ULSTER: S Moore; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, E McIlroy; N Doak, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor, I Henderson; M Rea, D McCann, N Timoney.
Replacements: T Stewart, A Warwick, S Wilson, H Sheridan, C Izuchukwu, J Flannery, J Stockdale, D Ewers.
CONNACHT: T O’Halloran; S Bolton, D Hawkshaw, B Aki, S Jennings; J Carty, C Blade; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Joyce, N Murray; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, J Butler.
Replacements: E de Buitléar, J Duggan, S Illo, D Murray, C Oliver, M Devine, JJ Hanrahan, T Farrell.
