Graham Rowntree frontloads Munster team to blitz Ospreys and get job done early

Perhaps it was a little bit too close for comfort, because this week Graham Rowntree has opted to start with his most impactful team and try to manage the game home from there.

Gavin Coombes has been packing a lot of punch into his 35-minute cameos recently but he’ll be tasked with setting the tone from the off here, and you’d imagine he’ll relish the opportunity.

John Hodnett’s role has been to bring energy and pace off the bench; here, he’ll be tasked with dealing with the twin threats of Jac Morgan and Justin Tipuric, who are the most important players in the Ospreys’ line-up.

The Welsh side are in bonus territory, having squeezed into the play-offs last weekend, and they’ll see this as a free hit.

Munster, in contrast, come into the game as the reigning champions and table-toppers and that brings a weight of expectation.

They didn’t deliver a great performance under pressure last weekend, but they lived to tell the tale. You’d expect a more clinical outing this evening.

Jack Crowley’s performance was the ultimate mixed bag, yet his importance to his team has increased due to Joey Carbery’s injury. The Ireland No 10 rarely backs up a poor display with another.

The return of Antoine Frisch should help the home side find their groove early.

Rory Scannell and Seán O’Brien combined well in the absence of Alex Nankivell and Frisch last week but the France-bound centre brings an unpredictability to the midfield that opponents struggle to live with.

Add in Simon Zebo’s creativity from full-back and the excellent form of Craig Casey at scrum-half and there’s plenty of danger behind the scrum.

So, it’s up to the forwards to do their bit, and Rowntree will have spent a lot of time on the breakdown this week.

The Ospreys are a good set-piece team and they’ll have gleaned plenty from the way Ulster slowed down Munster’s ball by committing bodies last weekend.

They have the edge in the tight five, and with Diarmuid Barron back on the bench and John Ryan reminding everyone he was a handy loosehead before he switched across, they have a scrum to be reckoned with.

A second-row of Tadhg Beirne and RG Snyman is box-office, while Peter O’Mahony will want to have a greater influence after a quiet return last weekend.

The Welsh side have quality in their back-row and pace on the edge, and if Munster are off form they’ll stay in the game.

“There’s been parts of their season that haven’t always gone the way they would’ve liked, but [they] ended up on top,” coach Toby Booth said of Munster.

“That tells you they’ve got a tight group, with a lot of quality. They’re a team that know how to win and that makes them a dangerous opponent.”

At home and with this team, Munster should have more than enough to book their semi-final place.

Verdict: Munster

​Munster: S Zebo; C Nash, A Frisch, S O’Brien, S Daly; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, S Archer; RG Snyman, T Beirne (capt); P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes. Reps: D Barron, J Ryan, O Jager, J O’Donoghue, A Kendellen, C Murray, T Butler, M Haley.

Ospreys: M Nagy; L Morgan, O Watkin, K Williams, K Giles; O Williams, R Morgan-Williams; N Smith, D Lake, T Botha; J Ratti, H Sutton; J Morgan, J Tipuric (capt), M Morris. Reps: S Parry, G Thomas, R Henry, V Sekekete, M Morse, L Davies, L Scully, H Houston.

Ref: H Davidson (Scotland)

Munster v Ospreys, Live, RTÉ2/Premier Sports, 7.35