Monahan to face Munster

Gloucester have added Meath man Shane Monahan to their Heineken Cup squad for Saturday’s meeting with Munster.

Monahan, who two seasons ago scored 11 tries for Rotherham Titans in the Championship, was subsequently signed by Gloucester.

The Mornington man had played with Leinster Academy and Connacht but the 26-year-old failed to nail down a full-time contract.

This former St Colmcille's GAA player, who learned his rugby trade at Boyne RFC, has started 10 games for them as a winger or centre. He replaces Fijian back row Akapusi Qera who signed for Toulouse on New Year’s Day in their Heineken Cup squad. 

Monahan was part of the same Ireland U20s Six Nations Grand Slam winning side as Keith Earls and Cian Healy. 

 

Devin Toner will feature for Leinster in their Heineken Cup clash with Castres on Sunday at Stade Pierre-Antoine, kick-off 1.45pm.

Toner retains his place in the pack and it is the same front five as selected in the December defeat to Northampton, with Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin and Mike Ross in the front row and Toner and Mike McCarthy packing down behind.

In the back row Jamie Heaslip will captain the side from eight, with the aforementioned Murphy and McLaughlin beside him.

After a strong performance off the bench last weekend against Connacht in the PRO12, Jimmy Gopperth starts alongside scrum-half Eoin Reddan as Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll are once again selected in the centre.

In the back row, Rhys Ruddock has failed to recover from the calf injury suffered in the second half of the game in the Sportsground and as a result Kevin McLaughlin comes back in after a recent lay off with a thumb injury to take his place at six. The other change sees Jordi Murphy retained at seven, with Shane Jennings on the bench.

Otherwise there is a familiar feel to the Leinster line up with Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald as the back three, Fitzgerald having recovered from the illness that ruled him out of last weekend's game at short notice.

In the pack, it is the same front five as selected in the December defeat to Northampton, with Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin and Mike Ross in the front row, with Devin Toner and Mike McCarthy packing down behind.

In the back row Jamie Heaslip will captain the side from eight, with the aforementioned Murphy and McLaughlin beside him.

 

Fergal Lynch