Rainbow Cup Rugby – Munster v Connacht Rugby – Starting teams, Kick-Off, Betting & TV coverage.
Kick-off & TV Coverage for Rainbow Cup
Kick-off 6pm Friday 14th May – Live in Eirsport
Betting
Munster 1/10 Connacht 8/1
Handicap Munster -17 10/11 Connacht +17 10/11
Team News
Munster Rugby
There are nine changes to the starting XV from last week’s 38-10 win over Ulster as Matt Gallagher, Damian de Allende, Ben Healy, Craig Casey, James Cronin, Rhys Marshall, Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland and CJ Stander all come into the side.
Gallagher makes his first start since injuring his shoulder against Zebre in November and is named at full-back having made his return to action off the bench in March.
Wingers Andrew Conway and Shane Daly are unchanged with de Allende joining Dan Goggin in the centres.
Academy out-half Ben Healy starts on his 17th appearance of the season with Casey at scrum-half.
Cronin, Marshall and John Ryan start in the front row with Billy Holland making his 246th Munster appearance in the second row alongside Jean Kleyn.
Gavin Coombes, captain Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander start in the back row.
Jack O’Donoghue, Joey Carbery and Keith Earls join the squad as replacements with Conor Murray in line to make his 150th Munster appearance off the bench.
Munster: Matt Gallagher; Andrew Conway, Dan Goggin, Damian de Allende, Shane Daly; Ben Healy, Craig Casey; James Cronin, Rhys Marshall, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland; Gavin Coombes, Peter O’Mahony (C), CJ Stander.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Tadhg Beirne, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Keith Earls.
Hear from Head Coach Johann van Graan and Craig Casey ahead of the game.
Connacht Rugby
Tom Daly will lead out Connacht for the first time after he was named as captain for Friday’s Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup interpro with Munster.
Daly has enjoyed a breakthrough season for the province, missing just one game and consistently stringing together some impressive performance from inside centre.
He continues his partnership with Academy centre Sean O’Brien, with former Munster men Alex Wootton and Sammy Arnold named on the wings. John Porch continues at full-back as does Conor Fitzgerald at #10, while Kieran Marmion is drafted into the scrum-half shirt.
There are six changes in the pack including a new look front-row of Paddy McAllister, Shane Delahunt and Dominic Robertson-McCoy. Ultan Dillane returns to partner Niall Murray in the second row, and there are also starts in the back row for Cian Prendergast and Abraham Papali’i alongside the retained Conor Oliver.
Commenting on the team selection, Head Coach Andy Friend says:
“Tom Daly’s performances this season have been a real plus for us. He consistently brings a huge level of intensity in both attack and defence, and a consistent run of games has allowed him to go from strength to strength. I know he’ll make an excellent captain tomorrow and lead by example again.
We’ve shaken things up a bit in our starting XV with players who deserve a start either through training performances or impacts off the bench. There’s bags of experience among the replacements as well with six centurions so I’m sure they’ll do a job when called upon.”
CONNACHT MATCHDAY 23 VS MUNSTER RUGBY
Friday 14th May, Thomond Park, kick-off 6.00pm
Name/Number/Caps
15. John Porch (38)
14. Sammy Arnold (13)
13. Sean O’Brien (Acad) (9)
12. Tom Daly (46) (C)
11. Alex Wootton (19)
10. Conor Fitzgerald (34)
9. Kieran Marmion (184)
1. Paddy McAllister (16)
2. Shane Delahunt (97)
3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (65)
4. Niall Murray (15)
5. Ultan Dillane (111)
6. Cian Prendergast (7)
7. Conor Oliver (19)
8. Abraham Papali’i (12)
Replacements
16. Dave Heffernan (142)
17. Denis Buckley (198)
18. Finlay Bealham (157)
19. Eoghan Masterson (109)
20. Sean Masterson (11)
21. Caolin Blade (129)
22. Jack Carty (156)
23. Peter Sullivan (14)
