Munster team named ahead of Southern Kings clash

Munster Head Coach Johann van Graan has named his side to face Southern Kings in Round 2 of the Guinness PRO14 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday (4pm local/3pm Irish time).

There are four changes to the side that defeated Dragons in the opening round in Thomond Park, with Liam O’Connor, Darren O’Shea, Alby Mathewson and Dan Goggin all coming into the starting line-up.

O’Connor joins Kevin O’Byrne and Stephen Archer in the front row, while O’Shea partners Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.

It’s as you were in the back row of Jack O’Donoghue, Tommy O’Donnell and Arno Botha, with O’Donnell taking over the captaincy duties this week.

Mathewson joins JJ Hanrahan in the half-back pairing, and with Rory Scannell switching to the 12 jerseys, Goggin comes in at outside centre in an otherwise unchanged backline.

Named in the replacements is Academy hooker Diarmuid Barron, and the province’s short-term signing, Jed Holloway, who is line to make his Guinness PRO14 debut.