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Ciarán Frawley makes his Connacht debut at outhalf against Benetton, while Leinster head coach Leo Cullen selects four backs for the bench in the clash with the Sharks. Ulster welcomes back several Ireland internationals for their away fixture against Glasgow, with key changes across the forwards and backs.
Ciarán Frawley will make his Connacht debut at outhalf against Benetton in the URC on Friday having missed last week’s opening game against the Stormers.
Captain Cian Prendergast starts in the back row, with player of the year Sean Jansen at number eight. Lock Darragh Murray is named in the second row, while props Billy Bohan and Sam Illo, set to make his 50th appearance for Connacht, are among the replacements. There are two further changes from the side that started last week’s defeat to the Stormers. Hooker Matthew Victory is handed his first start, Caolin Blade is named at scrumhalf.
The rest of the backline is unchanged, with Mack Hansen and Finn Treacy retained on the wings. For Leinster , head coach Leo Cullen has made five changes for Saturday’s game against the Sharks at Kings Park . There is the rather novel selection of four backs on the bench, with centre/winger Ciarán Mangan named in the number 20 jersey. Scrumhalf Oliver Coffey, outhalf Sam Prendergast and winger/fullback Hugo McLaughlin are listed as the backline cover.
Robbie Henshaw is named at inside centre in the only change to the backline, replacing Charlie Tector, with the Ireland international also covering the backrow positions. Andrew Porter switches back to loosehead from tighthead, hooker Rónan Kelleher will captain the team, while Thomas Clarkson completes the front row. Academy prospect Alan Spicer joins Conor O’Tighearnaigh in the second row with Ryan Baird switching to the back row, where Josh van der Flier starts his first match of the season.
Ulster welcome the return of Ireland internationals Tom Stewart, Cormac Izuchukwu, Bryn Ward and Jacob Stockdale for their trip away to Glasgow on Saturday , while Nathan Doak is among the replacements. Academy forward James McKillop gets the nod as blindside flanker, while David McCann will start on the openside. Scrumhalf Matthew Devine makes his first start after an eye-catching performance off the bench last week, and Ethan McIlroy lines out in the centre.
Head coach Richie Murphy has named a strong 6-2 bench, boosted by the return of Doak and South African number eight Juarno Augustus. And ahead of the Bulls’ visito on Saturday Munster head coach Clayton McMillan has made 11 changes to the side beaten by Glasgow last time out. New signing Jack Aungier is named at tighthead for his Munster debut, with first-year academy outhalf Charlie O’Shea and Marnus van der Merwe making their first starts.
Returning internationals Craig Casey and Jeremy Loughman are also included, with Casey captaining the side and Loughman among the replacements. Aungier, Shane Daly and Tom Ahern are all named in the starting XV after missing out last week due to injury, with Shay McCarthy, Dan Kelly, Seán Edogbo, John Hodnett and Brian Gleeson also coming into the side.
Teams CONNACHT: S Gilbert, F Treacy, J Devine, C Forde, M Hansen, C Frawley, C Blade, F van Wyk, M Victory, F Bealham, D Murray, J Murphy, C Prendergast , S O’Brien, S Jansen. Replacements: E de Buitlear, B Bohan, S Illo, N Murray, P Boyle, C Reilly, J Ioane, S Jennings.
LEINSTER: T Lawlor, T O’Brien, H Cooney, R Henshaw, A Osborne; C Gabriel, F Gunne; A Porter, R Kelleher , T Clarkson; C O’Tighearnaigh, A Spicer; R Baird, J van der Flier, J Ericson. Replacements: G McCarthy, A Usanov, N Smyth, B Deeney, C Mangan, O Coffey, S Prendergast, H McLaughlin.
ULSTER: J Stockdale, C Mullins, E McIlroy, J Benson, Z Ward, J Murphy, M Devine, E O’Sullivan, T Stewart , K Knox, C Izuchukwu, E Snyman, J McKillop, D McCann, B Ward. Replacements: H Walker, T McAllister, E Bello, B Donnell, J McNabney, N Doak, J Flannery, J Augustus.
MUNSTER: S Daly, D Kilgallen, S O’Brien, D Kelly, S McCarthy, C O’Shea, C Casey , M Milne, M van der Merwe, J Aungier, T Ahern, F Wycherley, S Edogbo, J Hodnett, B Gleeson. Replacements: K Brookes, J Loughman, R Foxe, E O’Connell, G Coombes, B O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, A Kendellen.
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