Munster

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Ulster have a long list of injury doubts for Friday night's United Rugby Championship encounter against Irish rivals Munster at Kingspan Stadium.

Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Werner Kok, Nathan Doak and Aidan Morgan all picked up injuries in the Investec Champions Cup defeat by Bordeaux on Saturday.

Ulster said on Monday that the six players will be "monitored through training this week to ascertain their fitness to play in Friday's fixture".

Ben Carson and Stewart Moore, who were injured in Ulster's opening Champions Cup game against Toulouse, are "ongoing doubts" for the inter-provincial showdown.

However, there was some good news for Ulster with scrum-half John Cooney available for selection after resuming full team training.

Munster's weekend defeat by Castres also came at a cost with Craig Casey needing surgery after he sustained a meniscus injury.

Thaakir Abrahams dislocated his shoulder and will have scans to determine whether he requires surgery.

Dian Bleuler was removed after failing his head injury assessment and is following the return-to-play protocols while Diarmuid Barron passed his HIA and will be monitored following a shoulder injury.

Peter O'Mahony is a doubt with a calf contusion and Jean Kleyn is seeing a specialist for a thigh injury.

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Brian Gleeson has been handed his first Investec Champions Cup start for Munster as the Irish province make six changes to their starting team for Friday's Pool 3 game against Castres at Stade Pierre-Fabre.

The back row will be making his 11th appearance for Munster and his first start of the season.

The other changes from the side which began Saturday's 33-7 win over Stade Francais in round one see Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, captain Tadhg Beirne, John Hodnett and Mike Haley all come in.

Beirne is named in the the team after coming on as a replacement at Thomond Park last week.

Prop Dave Kilcoyne returns after long-term injury to take his place on the bench, alongside Oli Jager, whose last match was against the Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship in early October.

Castres lost 38-8 away to Northampton Saints in their first match of their campaign last weekend.

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Dian Bleuler, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tadhg Beirne (C); Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilcoyne, Oli Jager, Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Paddy Patterson, Rory Scannell, Jack O'Donoghue.

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Investec European Champions Cup: Munster v Stade Francais

Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick Date: Saturday, 7 December Kick-off: 17:30 GMT

Coverage: Team news, score updates and match report on the BBC Sport website

Evan O'Connell is set to make his first Investec Champions Cup appearance in Saturday's Pool 3 opener against Stade Francais at Thomond Park.

The 20-year-old, who is the nephew of former Munster, Ireland and Lions captain Paul O'Connell, will start at lock in Limerick.

The Irish hosts have made five changes to the side that defeated Lions in the United Rugby Championship last weekend.

Shane Daly comes in at full-back for what will be his 100th appearance for Munster.

Four Ireland players return from international duty with Calvin Nash, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Peter O'Mahony starting while Tadhg Beirne is among the replacements.

Diarmuid Barron will captain the side in the Champions Cup for the first time.

Short-term signing Dian Bleuler, Tom Farrell and Thaakir Abrahams will play their first game for Munster in the competition.

Bill Burns is on the bench and will also make his Champions Cup bow for Munster if he is introduced to the action.

Munster: Daly; Nash, Farrell, Nankivell, Abrahams; Crowley, Casey; Bleuler, Barron (capt), J Ryan; O'Connell, Wycherley; O'Mahony, Kendellen, Coombes.

Replacements: Scannell, K Ryan, Archer, Beirne, Hodnett, Patterson, Burns, O'Donoghue.

Stade Francais: Jonas; Laloi, Marchant, Boudehent, Ezeala; Henry, Motassi; Castets, Peyresblanques, Kodela; Azagoh, Pesenti; Huguet, Chapuis (capt), Tanga.

Replacements: Petriashvili, M Alo-Emile, P Alo-Emile, Turagacoke, Timo, Scelzo, Foursans-Bourdette, Carbonel.

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Loose-head prop Dian Bleuler will make his Munster debut against the Lions at Thomond Park on Saturday night.

The 25-year-old South African, who has United Rugby Championship [URC] experience with the Sharks, was signed to a short-term deal last week to ease the province's injury concerns in the front-row.

The game is the first competitive fixture for Munster since former head coach Graham Rowntree left the side after three straight defeats, with interim boss Ian Costello taking charge of a URC game for the first time.

He has given a league debut to Evan O'Connell, nephew of former Munster captain Paul O'Connell, in the second-row.

The 20-year-old came off the bench in Munster's exhibition defeat to an All Blacks XV this month.

Centre Alex Nankivell and wing Thaakir Abraham both make their returns from injury with Munster looking to improve on their 12th place in the standings.

Munster: Haley; McCarthy, Farrell, Nankivell, Abrahams; Burns, Coughlan; Bleuler, Barron, J Ryan; O’Connell, Wycherley; O’Donoghue, Kendellen, Coombes.

Replacements: Scannell, K Ryan, Archer, Quinn, Hodnett, Patterson, Butler, Daly.

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Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell has ruled himself out of taking over the vacant head coach position at Munster Rugby.

The former Munster captain won a pair of Heineken Cups and three league titles as a player at Thomond Park.

Former England prop Graham Rowntree left his position as Munster head coach in October after three consecutive United Rugby Championship [URC] defeats.

The 45-year-old O'Connell had been one of the names linked as his successor but said he will not be taking the position "in the short term" as he continues to prepare Ireland for their final Test match of the year against Australia on Saturday.

“No, I have no interest in it,” he said.

“Certainly in the short term, anyway. I just hope they get the right man.”

Two of Rowntree's assistants, Denis Leamy and Mike Prendergast, signed contact extensions until 2027 this week, but there has been no announcement on who will head up the ticket moving forward, while forwards coach Andi Kyriacou also left the province last week.

Head of rugby operations Ian Costello is currently acting as head coach on an interim basis, while Alex Codling has been brought in as forwards coach consultant until the end of season but will also remain in his current role as forwards coach for the Ireland women's team.

Munster host the Lions in URC action on Saturday evening.

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Munster forwards coach Andi Kyriacou has left the Irish province with immediate effect, the club has announced.

His departure, said to be for family reasons, comes after head coach Graham Rowntree's surprise exit in late October.

Former Munster hooker Kyriacou joined as an elite player development officer in 2021 and in his first season as forwards coach in 2022-23, the club secured the United Rugby Championship (URC) title.

After topping the United Rugby Championship (URC) table last season, Munster's hopes of retaining the title were ended by their play-offs semi-final home defeat by Glasgow.

They have suffered four losses in six URC games this season and currently sit 12th in the 16-team table.

"I would like to thank the players, management, and fans for the warm welcome throughout both my times at Munster," said Kyriacou.

"However, I have lived apart from my young family for several years now and we felt it timely to continue our rugby journey back in the UK."

Backs coach Mike Prendergast is among the contenders to succeed Rowntree as head coach, with the province's head of rugby operations Ian Costello currently in interim charge.

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Ireland international Peter O'Mahony has returned from injury to start for Munster against the All Blacks XV at Thomand Park on Saturday.

The 35-year-old flanker, who has also been named in the Ireland squad for next week’s meeting with New Zealand in Dublin, opted to miss the warm weather training camp in Portugal to stay home and regain match fitness with his club.

This will be O'Mahony's second appearance of the season after a hamstring injury against Ospreys at the start of the month kept him out of the last three games.

His inclusion is one of eight changes made by interim head coach Ian Costello from Saturday's 41-24 URC defeat by the Sharks.

That game proved to be Graham Rowntree's last in charge after five years with the province.

Diarmuid Barron captains the side, while Diarmuid Kilgallen will make his long-awaited Munster debut on the left wing after he missed the start of the season through injury.

With regular starters Craig Casey and Jack Crowley away with Ireland, Ethan Coughlan and Billy Burns start as the new half-back combination.

Scrum-half Paddy Patterson is in line for his first appearance since New Year's Day as he returns from a long-term knee injury after being named among the replacements.

Six academy players are included in the 23-man squad with Evan O'Connell poised for his first Munster appearance off the bench.

Munster: Mike Haley; Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; John Ryan, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern; Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Foxe, Evan O'Connell, Ruadhán Quinn, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Ben O'Connor.

All Blacks XV: George Bower, Brodie McAlister, George Dyer, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Fabian Holland, Oliver Haig, Du'Plessis Kirifi (capt), Devan Flanders, Finlay Christie, Harry Plummer, Kini Naholo, Quinn Tupaea, AJ Lam, Chay Fihaki, Shaun Stevenson.

Replacements: Bradley Slater, Xavier Numia, Marcel Renata, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Corey Kellow, Noah Hotham, Josh Jacomb, Ruben Love

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The Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] has confirmed that a provincial 'A' championship will return next month.

The competition will see second string sides from each of the four provinces meet each other home and away between November and May in an effort to give those not featuring regularly in the United Rugby Championship game-time through the season.

"We’re delighted to kickstart the men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition," said the IRFU's performance director David Humphreys.

"With the success of the Emerging Ireland tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.

"Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition."

Ulster will start their campaign by welcoming Connacht to Ballymacarn Park, the home of Ballynahinch RFC, on 22 November with Humphreys adding it is hoped the competition will benefit All-Ireland League clubs.

"It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local clubs," he said.

"It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the club game with an opportunity to impress.

"This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons."

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Munster were heavily beaten by the Sharks in Durban but took a point from the United Rugby Championship contest thanks to Tadhg Beirne's 81st minute try.

The 41-22 reverse means that Munster go into the international break with three consecutive defeats and having lost four of their six URC games this season.

The Sharks, boasting a large contingent of Rassie Erasmus' Springbok squad for November, had their four-try bonus wrapped up by the half-time interval.

Aphelele Fassi had opened the scoring for the hosts with less than a minute on the clock and he was followed across the whitewash by Makazole Mapimpi, Grant Williams and Andre Esterhuizen in the opening 37 minutes.

Overpowered in the scrum and struggling with the Sharks pace out wide, Munster did respond through Tom Ahern and Mike Haley before the break.

The four-try bonus will certainly have been the goal for Graham Rowntree's men after the turn but they would concede the first ten points of the second half thanks to a Jordan Hendrikse penalty and Vincent Tshituka's chargedown score.

Calvin Nash's try off a Billy Burns kick-pass brought Munster within a score of the consolation bonus-point and it was left to captain Beirne to provide it from close range in the last play of the game.

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Munster and Leinster have named strong teams boasting plenty of Ireland players for their United Rugby Championship matches against South African opposition on Saturday.

Munster have named Calvin Nash, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Tadhg Beirne to start against the Sharks in Durban (15:00 BST), while Leinster have included a host of their Test players for their top-of-the-table clash with the Lions at Aviva Stadium (17:15).

Munster boss Graham Rowntree makes four changes from last week's loss to the Stormers with Rory Scannell, Casey, Stephen Archer and John Hodnett all recalled.

Caelan Doris, who was this week named Ireland captain for next month's autumn internationals, skippers a Leinster side featuring Robbie Henshaw for the first time this season. Henshaw will be partnered in midfield by Hugh Cooney, who makes his first senior start.

With Ciaran Frawley not included after his injury against Connacht last weekend, Sam Prendergast - who was included in the Ireland squad this week - starts at fly-half for Leo Cullen's side.

Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Sean O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Foxe, Fineen Wycherley, Ruadhan Quinn, Ethan Coughlan, Billy Burns, Alex Kendellen.

Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Andrew Osborne; Hugh Cooney, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Luke McGrath; Michael Milne, Gus McCarthy, Rabah Slimani; RG Snyman, Ryan Baird; Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Andrew Porter, Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, James Culhane, Cormac Foley, Ross Byrne, Charlie Tector.