YOU MIGHT well ask who are Cross Keys? The British and Irish Cup finalists sit sixth in the Welsh Premiership behind Llanelli, Aberavon, Pontypridd, Llandovery and Neath, writes Johnny Watterson.
While the Robert Nash-led team face a daunting task when they travel to Musgrave Park this evening, Nash has already said that going by the results of the competition, his side have little to fear. The fact Cornish Pirates won away from home against Munster and Cross Keys knocked the Pirates out of the competition may justify Welsh bravado, then again ...
That result against Munster hinged on a controversial 80th-minute penalty last November in Clonmel after Munster had dominated for long periods in difficult conditions. It was also Munster’s third outing of the year to the Pirates’ 15th.
“This is a great opportunity for us to go and take them on in their own back yard and we go there with nothing to lose,” said Nash.
Munster defeated a pretty decent looking Leinster team in the semi-final at the RDS on Good Friday to secure their place and coach Ian Costello makes four changes, one of those positional, from the side that won that match.
One other position is to be finalised, Costello must wait to see if semi-final try scorer Luke O’Dea, is fit enough to make the starting line.
If not, Ronan O’Mahony looks likely to be drafted in.
Costello opts for experience up front. Stephen Archer comes in for John Ryan in the frontrow, while a return to fitness sees Dave O’Callaghan preferred to Barry O’Mahony, who is named on the bench. The halves remain the same but Ivan Dineen moves from wing to inside centre at the expense of JJ Hanrahan, while Denis Hurley comes in to the left wing berth occupied by Dineen.
MUNSTER A: S Scanlon; AN Other, D Barnes, I Dineen, D Hurley; S Deasy, D Williams; D Kilcoyne, S Henry, S Archer; B Hayes, I Nagle; B Holland (capt), D O’Callaghan, P Butler. Replacements: D Fogarty, J Ryan, B O’Mahony, B O’Hara, G Hurley, D Cusack, JJ Hanrahan.
