But Flannery and Wallace on the bench
Doug Howlett and Keith Earls return to Munster action as does John Hayes and Mick O’Driscoll for the Magners League semi-final clash with Leinster at the RDS tomorrow night (8pm). But there’s no place in the starting fifteen for David Wallace or Jerry Flannery. Tony McGahan has opted to spring either player from the bench should they be required and thus the votes of confidence go with Niall Ronan and Nick Williams to accompany Alan Quinlan in the back row and Varley at hooker.
Howlett’s been out of action since the Northampton quarter final game while Earls, Flannery and O’Driscoll missed last week’s trip to Cardiff through injury when Hayes was given a well earned rest.
Earls’ return means Lifeimi Mafi switches to the left wing while Denis Hurley makes way for Howlett on the right.
Up front Damien Varley continues at hooker as Jerry Flannery returns from injury and the inclusion of Niall Ronan and Nick Williams at seven and eight respectively provides Munster withe strong impact from the bench in the shape of James Coughlan and David Wallace should the need arise.
Munster:
P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, J de Villiers, L Mafi; R O’Gara, T O’Leary; M Horan, D Varley, J Hayes; D O’Callaghan, M O’Driscoll; A Quinlan, N Ronan, N Williams. Replacements: J Flannery, D Ryan, J Coughlan, D Wallace, P Stringer, D Hurley, S Deasy.
Leinster:
Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Isa Nacewa, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Cian Healy, John Fogarty, Stan Wright, Nathan Hines, Malcolm O’Kelly, Kevin McLaughlin, Shane Jennings , Jamie Heaslip
