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Munster make five changes to their starting team to face Castres
By Kim Ekin
Munster have named a starting XV to take on Castres on Saturday in the Heineken Champions Cup that shows five changes to the team that secured a bonus-point win at Wasps last Sunday. Ben Healy starts at out-half in place of the injured Joey Carbery with Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn and Jack O’Donoghue all coming into the pack for Scott Buckley, James French, Eoin O'Connor and Daniel Okeke.
Academy full-back Patrick Campbell keeps his place in the starting XV with five players set for their European debuts off the bench. Hooker Diarmuid Barron, prop Keynan Knox, out-half Jack Crowley and academy back-rower Alex Kendellen are all primed for their Champions Cup bows.
Jason Jenkins is also named in a matchday squad for the first time and is set for his Munster debut after joining the province last summer. Dave Kilcoyne, Scannell and Ryan pack down in the front row with Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne in the engine room. Captain Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett and O’Donoghue complete the pack.
Conor Murray and Healy are in the half-backs with Damian de Allende and Chris Farrell continuing their centre partnership. The back three of Campbell, Keith Earls and Andrew Conway is unchanged.
Earls scored his 22nd Champions Cup try last week and is now one try away from equalling the Anthony Foley and Simon Zebo record of 23 Munster tries in the competition.
Munster's match on Saturday is just one of five games of the twelve scheduled round two games to get the green light to go ahead on a damaging weekend for the credibility of the premier club tournament in Europe.
MUNSTER (vs Castres, Saturday)
Patrick Campbell; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; Ben Healy, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (capt), John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue. Reps: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Keynan Knox, Jason Jenkins, Jack O’Sullivan, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Alex Kendellen.
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