Munster

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Bundee Aki has returned to the Ireland squad for Friday's Six Nations game against Wales in Dublin (20:10 GMT), while Leinster pair Jimmy O'Brien and Robbie Henshaw are also back in contention.

Aki was handed a four-match ban in January for "verbal abuse and disrespect" towards match officials in Connacht's United Rugby Championship (URC) loss to Leinster in January.

That kept the 35-year-old out of his province's URC game against Leinster and Ireland's first three games in the Six Nations, but is now back with the squad.

O'Brien has also linked up with the squad and Henshaw is expected to return early this week after they both played the full 80 minutes in Leinster's 8-7 URC defeat by Cardiff on Friday.

Both were left out of Andy Farrell's initial 37-man squad for the Six Nations because of injury, but their return will bolster Ireland's options with James Lowe ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a groin injury.

Fly-half Harry Byrne suffered a concussion in Leinster's defeat on Friday and is out, while Cormac Izuchukwu continues his graduated return to play protocols and will join the squad alongside the other nine players who have also returned to camp.

Farrell will name his team on Wednesday afternoon.

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Munster have confirmed senior coach Mike Prendergast will depart the club at the end of the season.

The Limerick native will leave after four years with his home province amid speculation he is to team up with former Munster head coach Johann van Graan at Premiership champions Bath as attack coach.

Prendergarst, a former Munster player, returned to his home province in 2022 following a 10-year coaching spell in France with Racing 92, Stade Français, Oyonnax and Grenoble.

In his first season back at Munster, the Irish province won the United Rugby Championship - their first league title for 12 seasons - and last season they reached the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup.

While admitting it was a "very difficult decision" to leave Clayton McMillan's coaching ticket, Prendergast is hopeful he can enjoy further success to go out on a high.

"I've been in lots of different environments coaching and playing over the years but Munster will always hold a special place in my heart and it has been a really enjoyable four years," said Prendergast, who has also worked at international level with Ireland.

"Working with the players and coaches has been an absolute pleasure but I believe now is the right time for a new challenge.

"I will be giving it my all to ensure that the club can be as successful as it can be as we approach the business end of the season.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ian, Clayton, the coaches, players and Munster fans for all of their support."

Munster head coach McMillan said he is "sorry" to lose Prendergast from his coaching team, but wished him well.

"Since arriving in Ireland last summer, I've had the opportunity to work closely with Mike and it's clear why he is so highly regarded," he said.

"He is a brilliant coach with a sharp rugby mind and an ability to connect with players in a way that brings the best out of them.

"His contribution to our coaching group and to the wider environment will be a loss. While we are sorry to see him move on, I have no doubt he will thrive in whatever challenge comes next."

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Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe will join Munster ahead of the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship season.

The 29-year-old South African international has agreed a two-year deal with the Irish province.

Van der Merwe made his South Africa debut in July and helped the Springboks win the Rugby Championship title as he featured in the wins New Zealand and Australia.

He previously played for the Pumas and Cheetahs before he joined Scarlets in 2024, where he made an instant impact.

Van der Merwe was named in the URC's Elite XV in his debut season and was named Scarlets' supporters' player of the year.

"I'm excited and honoured to be joining such a prestigious club, with such a proud rugby history," van der Merwe said.

"I want to finish the season strong with the Scarlets, before tackling this new challenge with Munster."

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Ireland Under-20s fly-half Tom Wood is set for his senior debut when Munster travel to Glasgow in the United Rugby Championship on Friday night (19:45 GMT).

The 19-year-old, who is the son of former Ireland captain Keith Wood, has been named on the bench with Jack Crowley among the Ireland internationals missing to prepare for the Six Nations and JJ Hanrahan injured.

Hanrahan had been set to start Munster's win over the Dragons last week but pulled out late, with Tony Butler instead starting at Musgrave Park.

Butler has kept the 10 jersey for the trip to Scotstown and will again form the half-back pairing with Ethan Coughlan.

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan has made four changes to the side that beat Dragons.

Centre Alex Nankivell will miss three to four weeks with a foot injury, meaning Diarmuid Kilgallen comes on to the wing with Shane Daly switching to midfield.

Props Josh Wycherley and Oli Jager take the places of Jeremy Loughman and Michael Alaalatoa respectively, while lock Evan O'Connell replaces South African World Cup winner Jean Kleyn in the second row.

Munster go into the game fifth in the URC, five points behind league leaders Glasgow.

Munster Rugby: M Haley; T Abrahams, S Daly, D Kelly, D Kilgallen; T Butler, E Coughlan; J Wycherley, D Barron (C), O Jager, E O'Connell, F Wycherley, S Edogbo, R Quinn, B Gleeson.

Replacements: L Barron, M Donnelly, J Ryan, G Coombes, J O'Donoghue, P Patterson, T Wood, S O'Brien.

Joel Bell
BBC Sport NI

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Munster have made eight personnel changes to their starting line-up for Friday's United Rugby Championship game against the Dragons at Musgrave Park as they aim to bounce back from last week's disappointing defeat by Castres which saw them eliminated from the Champions Cup after the pool stages.

Clayton McMillan's side dropped down to the Challenge Cup after the narrow two-point home loss to the French side.

Sean Edogbo, 21, is set to make his first competitive start this weekend as he is joined in a new-look back three by Ruadhán Quinn and Brian Gleeson, who recently signed a two-year contract extension.

Edogbo follows in the footsteps of his brother Edwin as the second player from Cobh Pirates to play for Munster in the professional era, with Edwin subsequently called into the Ireland squad for the Six Nations this week.

Captain Diarmuid Barron is named in the front row, joined by Jeremy Loughman and Michael Ala'alatoa, as Mike Haley, Dan Kelly, JJ Hanrahan and Ethan Coughlan all come into the back-line.

Daly moves to the wing, with Haley and Thaakir Abrahams completing the back three. Alex Nankivell and Kelly form the midfield pairing with Coughlan and Hanrahan the half-backs.

The second row partnership of Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley remains unchanged.

Munster sit sixth in the URC table, level on points with neighbouring province Leinster, while Dragons, who are 13th, come into this match off the back of a win over Newcastle in the European Challenge Cup.

Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley and Oli Jager provide the front row back-up among the replacements, while 21-year-old second row Evan O'Connell is in line for his first appearance since November off the bench.

Gavin Coombes completes the back-row cover, as Paddy Patterson, who has completed the return-to-play protocols, Tony Butler and Diarmuid Kilgallen are the replacement options among the backs.

Munster Rugby: Mike Haley; Thaakir Abrahams, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; JJ Hanrahan, Ethan Coughlan; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron (C), Michael Ala'alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Seán Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Lee Barron, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Evan O'Connell, Gavin Coombes, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Diarmuid Kilgallen.

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Ulster's European Challenge Cup last-16 tie against Ospreys at the Affidea Stadium in Belfast is to take place on Saturday 4 April, with a 20:00 BST kick-off.

Munster will travel to face Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park in the same competition on the same day, with that match starting at 12:30.

In the last 16 of the Champions Cup, Leinster, the sole remaining Irish province, will be at home to Edinburgh on Sunday 5 April at 17:30.

Connacht will host the Sharks on Friday 3 April in the Challenge Cup, that game starting at 20:00.

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Ulster's Zac Ward is one of eight Ulster players names in Cullie Tucker's Ireland XV squad that will face England 'A' at Thomond Park on Friday, 6 February (19.15 GMT).

Ward, who featured in the Ireland XV against Spain in November, missed out on a place in Andy Farrell's 37-man squad for the Six Nations, but the winger will have the chance to impress in Limerick after a good run of form on the wing for his province.

Joining Ward in the 27-man squad are fellow Ulster backs Jack Murphy, Jude Postlethwaite and the three-time capped James Hume.

In the forwards, Ulster are represented by Sam Crean, Charlie Irvine, Scott Wilson and the in-form Bryn Ward - younger sibling of Zac - who picked up back-to-back man-of-the-match awards in the northern province's recent on-field wins against Munster and Stade Francais.

Leinster's four-time capped back row Max Deegan has been names as captain, with further capped Test internationals selected in the forwards including Leinster's Gus McCarthy, Munster's Oli Jager and Connacht duo Paul Boyle and Darragh Murphy.

Munster's Shane Daly and Connacht's Ben Murphy provide further Test match experience in the backs.

Ireland XV squad

Forwards (16): Diarmuid Barron (Munster), Billy Bohan (Connacht), Paul Boyle (Connacht), Sam Crean (Ulster), Max Deegan (Leinster, captain), Brian Gleeson (Munster), Sam Illo (Connacht), Charlie Irvine (Ulster), Oli Jager (Munster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Diarmuid Mangan (Leinster), Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Darragh Murray (Connacht), Stephen Smyth (Leinster), Bryn Ward (Ulster), Scott Wilson (Ulster)

Backs (11): Shane Daly (Munster), Matthew Devine (Connacht), Cathal Forde (Connacht), Fintan Gunne (Leinster), James Hume (Ulster), Dan Kelly (Munster), Joshua Kenny (Leinster), Ben Murphy (Connacht), Jack Murphy (Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster), Zac Ward (Ulster).

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Craig Casey has recovered from a shoulder injury to start for Munster in Saturday's Investec Champions Cup game with Castres.

The Ireland scrum-half was forced off in the second half of Sunday's loss to Toulon but has been passed fit to start in Limerick.

Head coach Clayton McMillan has made three changes from that defeat as Thaakir Abrahams, Niall Scannell and Jean Kleyn come into the side.

Ireland forward Tadhg Beirne will win his 100th Munster cap in the final European Pool game.

Munster are fourth in Pool Two and will likely need a victory to secure their place in the knockout stages, while Castres are bottom but can leapfrog the Irish province with victory at Thomond Park.

Abrahams joins Shane Daly and Ben O'Connor in the back three while Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell have retained their places at centre as Jack Crowley will partner Casey at half-back.

The front row comprises of Jeremy Loughman, the returning Scannell and Michael Ala'alatoa, and Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley pack down in the second row.

Centurion Beirne will captain the side from the back row alongside Jack O'Donoghue and Gavin Coombes.

Prop Oli Jager is named on the bench and is set to make his first appearance since sustaining a head injury in October.

Munster: S Daly; T Abrahams; T Farrell, A Nankivell; B O'Connor; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, M Ala'alatoa; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; T Beirne (C), J O'Donoghue, G Coombes.

Replacements: L Barron, M Milne, O Jager, E Edogbo, B Gleeson, E Coughlan, JJ Hanrahan, D Kelly.

Snyman, Ringrose and O'Brien return for Leinster

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Leinster will welcome back a trio of internationals for their final Pool Three match in Bayonne.

South African second row RG Snyman and Ireland backs Garry Ringrose and Jimmy O'Brien will all make their first appearances since December.

Ireland second row James Ryan will make his 50th European appearance for the Irish province.

Leo Cullen's side have already qualified for the knockout stages while Bayonne are bottom of the Pool and without a point.

O'Brien will join Tommy O'Brien and Joshua Kenny in the back three while Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw will form a familiar centre partnership.

Harry Byrne has been rewarded for his match-winning kick against La Rochelle and starts at fly-half alongside Jamison Gibson-Park.

Prop Tadhg Furlong begins in the front row with Ronan Kelleher and Jack Boyle, while Synman and Ryan will partner at lock.

The back row comprises of Max Deegan, Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris. Leinster have also named a strong bench which includes Dan Sheehan, Joe McCarthy, Sam Prendergast and All Black Rieko Ioane.

Leinster: J O'Brien; T O'Brien; G Ringrose, R Henshaw; J Kenny; H Byrne, J Gibson-Park; J Boyle, R Kelleher, T Furlong; RG Snyman, J Ryan; M Deegan, J van der Flier, C Doris (capt).

Replacements: D Sheehan, J Cahir, T Clarkson, J McCarthy, S Penny, L McGrath, S Prendergast, R Ioane.

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Ireland scrum-half Craig Casey's shoulder injury will be assessed ahead of Munster's Investec Champions Cup game with Castres.

Casey, 26, was forced off in the second half of the defeat by Toulon on Sunday and head coach Clayton McMillan said post-match that the injury looked "reasonably serious".

However, the injury does not appear to be as bad as first feared and he could feature in Munster's final pool match in Limerick on Saturday (17:30 GMT).

Ireland's Six Nations campaign begins in France on 5 February and the news will be welcome to head coach Andy Farrell after Casey had established himself as deputy to Jamison Gibson-Park.

Meanwhile, Connacht prop Finlay Bealham is expected to be unavailable for "a couple of weeks" after he injured his knee in the United Rugby Championship defeat by Leinster.

There is also concern for Leinster prop Paddy McCarthy, who sustained a "significant foot injury" in the dramatic European win over La Rochelle, and Andrew Porter will be assessed for an ongoing calf concern.

There is better news as prop Tadhg Furlong is set to return in Leinster's final pool match in Bayonne on Saturday (15:15 GMT), and backs Garry Ringrose and Jimmy O'Brien will be available while full-back Hugo Keenan has returned to training but will not play in France.

Versatile back Ciaran Frawley was also forced off in the win over La Rochelle with a foot injury and he will be assessed ahead of the game in Bayonne.