Leinster Rugby vs Munster Rugby
United Rugby Championship
Aviva Stadium, Dublin,
Saturday, 21st May 2022, 19:15

TV: Live: Premier Sports, TG4

After a three year absence Leinster are back in the Heineken Champions Cup final.

After a slightly ropey start Leinster kicked into gear and blew Toulouse away with a superb display of attacking rugby. They impressed to the point where everyone in the media is virtually giving them the trophy already. But we all know how tough La Rochelle can be, especially with Ronan O'Gara plotting away. But more of that next week. This week, it's all about fulfilling a fixture!

It's Leinster versus Munster tomorrow evening but not really. It's more Leinster A v Munster but the Leinster players taking the field have earned starting such a big event. It was this group of players who won the vital points in the tour to South Africa that earned Leinster the right to rest virtually their entire starting squad for the final next week.

It's a dead rubber for Leinster but it's not for Munster as they desperately try to hold off the South African sides to retain second place in the table and have home advantage for the quarter and semi-finals. They're tied with the Sharks and Stormers on 56 points each with the same number of wins. The Stormers and Sharks are away to Scarlets and Ulster respectively and crucially for Munster both will have played before they kick off at the Aviva. So Munster will know exactly what they need to maintain second place.

Munster have been in decent enough form since Leinster beat them comprehensively in Thomond Park in April. They beat Exeter over two legs, had good wins over Ulster and Cardiff in the league and then pushed Toulouse to the limit in the quarter-final. Their efforts have taken their toll physically and they're missing some key men but Johann van Graan is still able to name a very strong team. Jack O'Donoghue will skipper the team from number eight with the in-form youngster Alex Kendellen at openside and Fineen Wycherley moves from the second row to blindside flanker. Another excellent prospect Thomas Ahern gets a start in the second row alongside Jean Kleyn. Stephen Archer was due to become Munster's second most capped player, but sickness rules him out so John Ryan comes in to start in his place alongside Josh Wycherley and Niall Scannell. Conor Murray and Joey Carbery are the half-backs and Dan Goggin comes in at inside centre alongside Chris Farrell. Mike Haley and Andrew Conway have recovered from knocks to start in the back three alongside Keith Earls who moves to the left wing.

For Leinster it's all change with only Ciaran Frawley, Joe McCarthy and interestingly Cian Healy retained from last week's squad. Ed Byrne skippers the team from loosehead prop and Sean Cronin (making possibly his final appearance before retiring in the summer) and Thomas Clarkson join him in the front row. McCarthy and Josh Murphy are the second rows, while Ryan Baird is named at blindside flanker alongside Scott Penny and Max Deegan in the back row. Cormac Foley starts at scrum-half with Harry Byrne in the number 10 shirt and Frawley and Jamie Osborne are the centres. Jordan Larmour returns from injury at full-back with Rob Russell and Rory O'Loughlin on the wings. Cian Healy is named on the bench as tighthead replacement which might be an indication towards Tadhg Furlong's fitness for next week. Scrum-half Ben Murphy will make his debut if sprung from the bench.

So it's a reasonably strong Leinster team with seven internationals in the starting line-up, but you'd still think Munster's greater need will get them over the line.

by Jim O'Connor, © 2022-05-20