Friday, December 16, 2016

Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus has named an unchanged starting XV for Munster’s Champions Cup clash against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road tomorrow.

An outstanding team performance saw Munster inflict a heavy defeat on Leicester in Thomond Park last Saturday and, as expected, Erasmus has stuck with the same starting side.

Last week’s Man of the Match CJ Stander is set to make his 20th appearance in the Champions Cup having made a round-high 18 carries last time round.

Darren Sweetnam keeps his place on the right wing and has started all 13 of Munster’s games so far this season.

A daunting task awaits Munster – since the back-to-back fixtures were introduced in 1999, Leicester have never lost both games.

However, Munster are the only side to beat Leicester more than once at Welford Road in Europe – in 2003 (quarter-final) and in 2006 (pool match).

There is one change on the replacements bench as loosehead prop James Cronin, who scored two tries on his return from injury for Munster A last week, takes the place of Thomas du Toit.

Leicester Tigers v Munster at Welford Road, Saturday December – kick-off 3.15pm.

Munster team: Simon Zebo; Darren Sweetnam, Jaco Taute, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland; Peter O’Mahony – capt., Tommy O’Donnell, CJ Stander.

Replacements: Rhys Marshall, James Cronin, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Jack O’Donoghue, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Andrew Conway.

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