2011/12 RaboDirect Pro 12 Match Preview: Leinster vs Munster
This weekend will see the eighth round of the 2011/12 season of the Celtic League played under the banner of the RaboDirect Pro 12, in which 12 teams will compete with each other in six matches.
However, the Leinster and Munster encounter can easily be termed as the match of the week for the competition as the two premier teams of the Irish professional Rugby Union will lock horn with each other.
The match will mark the return of several of international players returning to their respective teams after the end of the2011 Rugby World Cup tournament. Besides this, the match will decide
the new rankings of the teams on the table.
Leinster will host the Munster on Friday, November at Royal Dublin Society, Dublin.
Currently, Munster and Leinster are placed at the 2nd and 3rd place with 22 points each on the 2011/12 RaboDirect Pro 12 table. Both teams have won five of their seven
matches. However, Munster has a slightly better point difference and is placed above Leinster.
Leinster will field close to full strength squad. The return of 13 Ireland’s international players in the Leinster’s match day squad has boosted their match preparations. Among these players,
includes the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D'Arcy, Sean O'Brien, Cian Healy and Shane Jennings. All these players will play their first games of the season as they missed the earlier part of the season due to their national duty for the Irish national team
for 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC). Jamie Heaslip will make his first appearance of the 2011/12 season for Leinster in the Friday’s encounter.
However, Leinster will be without the services of their captain, Brian O’Driscoll. O’Driscoll has been given an extra week off following the end of their 2011 RWC campaign.
On the other hand, Munster has made few changes in their match day squad, in comparison to their squad for their last encounter against the Aironi. The changes include the return of Donncha
O'Callaghan, Niall Ronan, Denis Leamy and Lifeimi Mafi in the starting lineup.
Munster’s head coach, Tony McGahan has termed Friday’s encounter as the perfect test for their preparations for the Heineken Cup tournament. He added, “I don't think there are many greater
challenges in European rugby than playing the Heineken champions, the number one ranked side in a sellout at the national stadium, a venue they've had wonderful success at.”
Both teams have announced their squad for their upcoming encounter. The squads are given below
Leinster
Starting XV: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Isa Nacewa, 13 Fergus McFadden, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Luke Fitzgerald, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Isaac Boss, 1 Cian Healy, 2 Richardt Strauss, 3 Mike Ross, 4 Leo
Cullen, 5 Devin Toner, 6 Sean O'Brien, 7 Shane Jennings, 8 Jamie Heaslip
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Jamie Hagan, 19 Kevin McLaughlin, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Eoin O'Malley
Munster
Starting XV: 15 J Murphy, 14 D Howlett, 13 W Chambers, 12 L Mafi, 11 K Earls, 10 R O'Gara, 9 C Murray, 1 W du Preez, 2 D Varley, 3 BJ Botha, 4 D O'Callaghan, 5 P O'Connell capt, 6 D Ryan, 7
N Ronan, 8 D Leamy.
Replacements: 16 D Fogarty, 17 M Horan, 18 J Hayes, 19 P O'Mahony, 20 J Coughlan, 21 T O'Leary, 22 I Keatley, 23 D Barnes.
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