Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has named his side for the trip to Sandy Park this weekend. Six changes have been made to the side that drew with Bayonne last weekend.
Shane Daly, Antoine Frisch, Craig Casey, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer, and Jack O’Donoghue are all drafted into the team.
Daly starts at full-back, with Nash and Seán O’Brien on either wing. In the midfield, Nankivell and Frisch get the nod.
Casey comes into the side at scrum-half to partner Jack Crowley, who starts at outhalf.
In the front row, Jeremy Loughman, Barron, and Archer pack down. Coombes and Captain Tadhg Beirne are in the engine room. The back row features Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, and Jack O’Donoghue.
📢 TEAM NEWS | Here is your Munster side to face Exeter Chiefs in the #InvestecChampionsCup on Sunday afternoon.
Click the pic for full details.#EXEvMUN #SUAF 🔴— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) December 15, 2023
Oli Jager is poised for his Champions Cup debut as one of the front-row replacements, and 19-year-old Brian Gleeson is set to make his debut as he is named on the bench.
On the injury front, Fineen Wycherley is unavailable after picking up a knock in training. Peter O’Mahony (shoulder) and Academy lock Edwin Edogbo (neck) also miss out.
Speaking ahead of the game, Jack Crowley said, "Every game when you put on the Munster jersey is a must-win, not just a must-win, you know what I mean. If you're a team with ambition, you go out every weekend with the mindset to win. You review it when you don't, and you look at how you can... and sometimes it mightn't work for you, but you try and figure it out. It's a long season, so we know we can trust what we have, and we'll find our tweaks and make them count."
The game starts at 1 p.m. and can be seen live on TNT Sports and ITV.
Starting lineup:
In the backs:
15. Shane Daly (Full-back) 14. Calvin Nash (Wing) 11. Seán O’Brien (Wing)
13.Antoine Frisch (Inside centre) 12. Alex Nankivell (Outside centre)
9. Craig Casey (Scrum-half) 10. Jack Crowley (Fly-half)
Forwards
1. Jeremy Loughman (Prop) 2. Diarmuid Barron (Hooker)3. Stephen Archer (Prop)
4. Gavin Coombes (Lock) 5. Tadhg Beirne (Captain, Lock)
6. Tom Ahern (Flanker) 7. John Hodnett (Flanker)8. Jack O’Donoghue (Number Eight)
