RUGBY:COACH TONY McGahan has made four changes to the side that thumped Toulon in the Heineken Cup as Magners League leaders Munster seek a fifth victory in six matches in the latter tournament. Scott Deasy gets an opportunity at fullback having come on as a replacement for Paul Warwick last weekend.
John Hayes, Donnacha Ryan and James Coughlan have been promoted from last week’s bench, with Tony Buckley and Donncha O’Callaghan heading in the opposite direction. Team captain Denis Leamy is rested, as is Niall Ronan.
Jerry Flannery’s calf problem means Mike Sherry fills the role of replacement hooker. Peter O’Mahony, Darragh Hurley and Ivan Dineen are the other changes to the match-day squad.
Benetton Treviso coach Franco Smith has opted for wholesale changes from the team easily beaten away by Perpignan; Ezio Galon, Fabio Semenzato and Kristopher Burton come in behind the scrum, with just prop Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet and Enrico Pavanello – he moves from flanker to secondrow – retained in the pack.
If this match were taking place at Stadio Communale di Monigo then Munster would face a far more difficult assignment as Treviso are unbeaten there in the Magners League this season, having accounted for the Scarlets, Leinster and the Dragons.
The Italian side, though, have lost on their two road trips, in Swansea and Cardiff.
There was a great deal to admire in the manner in which Munster deconstructed the Toulon challenge, initially in the set-pieces and on the fringes of the contact areas and then in the wider channels. Mick O’Driscoll provided shrewd direction out of touch, and the entire pack worked hard at scrum time.
Doug Howlett is back to his best while Johne Murphy’s consistent excellence may bring further honours.
Treviso are less one dimensional than recent seasons but away from their home ground aren’t imbued with the same spirit.
MUNSTER: S Deasy; D Howlett, K Earls, J Murphy, Denis Hurley; R O’Gara, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, J Hayes; M O’Driscoll, D Ryan; A Quinlan, D Wallace, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry, Darragh Hurley, T Buckley, D O’Callaghan, P O’Mahony, D Williams, P Warwick, I Dineen.
BENETTON TREVISO: B Williams; L Nitoglia, E Galon, A Vilk, B De Jager; K Burton, F Semenzato; F Sbaraglini, L Ghirladino (capt), IF Rouyet; E Pavenello, V Bernabo; F Minto, B Vermaak, R Barbieri. Replacements: E Ceccato, A Allori, P Di Santo, A Pavanello, M Filippucci, T Benvenuti, T Botes, S Picone.
Referee: David Jones (Wales)
Verdict: Munster to win.
