Craig Casey to make first Pro 14 start as Munster travel to Connacht

The Munster team to face Connacht in Galway on Saturday evening in the Guinness PRO14 has been named by Head Coach Johann van Graan.

There are ten changes to the team that faced Saracens last weekend with four Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players named in the squad.

Craig Casey makes his first PRO14 start at scrum-half having previously featured twice off the bench and Dave Kilcoyne returns from injury to start in the front row.

Academy winger Liam Coombes makes his fourth PRO14 appearance and starts alongside cousin Gavin Coombes for the first time in the PRO14.

CJ Stander retains his place and the captaincy with Chris Farrell, JJ Hanrahan, Jean Kleyn and Billy Holland also keeping their places in the starting XV.

Shane Daly is named at full-back with Calvin Nash and Liam Coombes on either flank.

Dan Goggin and Farrell pair up in the centres with Casey and Hanrahan in the half-backs.

Kilcoyne, Kevin O’Byrne and Stephen Archer start in the front row with the second-row partnership of Kleyn and Holland unchanged.

Gavin Coombes, Chris Cloete and Stander complete the side.

Academy players Diarmuid Barron, Keynan Knox and Ben Healy – who have all featured in the PRO14 already this season – are included among the replacements. Jeremy Loughman returns from injury to take his place on the bench.

Find out all you need to know ahead of the game here.

Munster: Shane Daly; Calvin Nash, Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin, Liam Coombes; JJ Hanrahan, Craig Casey; Dave Kilcoyne, Kevin O’Byrne, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Billy Holland; Gavin Coombes, Chris Cloete, CJ Stander (C).

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Jeremy Loughman, Keynan Knox, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Neil Cronin, Ben Healy, Sammy Arnold.