Marnus van der Merwe is lined up to start for Munster in his second URC match for the club in Saturday’s visit to Thomond Park from the Bulls.
Van der Merwe, who last featured for the Springboks in last year’s rout of the All Blacks in Wellington, made his competitive debut off the bench in last week’s 26-20 defeat by the Glasgow Warriors.
Diarmuid Barron, Alex Nankivell and Jack O’Donoghue are all working through return-to-play protocols, while Mike Haley is out with a knee injury.
Barron’s absence leaves Munster stretched at hooker, with Lee Barron and Max Clein already sidelined and Van der Merwe set to start.
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Assistant coach Jared Payne said cover for that position remains undecided.
“There’s a couple of guys working their way back,” he was quoted by RTE Sport. “We’ll make a few decisions come Thursday.”
Scrumhalf Craig Casey and prop Jeremy Loughman return having sat out the round-one loss to Glasgow under a stand-down agreement following Ireland’s July Tests.
New signing Jack Aungier joins Tom Ahern, Shane Daly and Ruadhán Quinn in potentially making their season debuts after recovering full fitness.
Photo: @Munsterrugby/X
