Leicester v Munster: Champions Cup Prevew
By Rob Mulhern
Last Updated: 20/12/15 5:14pm
Table toppers Leicester host Munster in Welford Road for the return Champions Cup tie following last weekend's 31-19 victory in Thomond Park.
Munster head coach Anthony Foley has made three changes to his side.
In the pack, Mike Sherry and John Ryan join James Cronin in the front-row while Mark Chisholm starts in the second row with Donnacha Ryan.
Fly-half Ian Keatley was booed by a section of the Munster support when replaced late on in the defeat to Tigers.
But this week his team-mates came out in support for their playmaker and Keatley is part of an unchanged backline featuring Andrew Conway, Keith Earls and Simon Zebo.
With BJ Botha continuing to follow return-to-play protocols following a concussion sustained last weekend, Uruguayan international Mario Sagario is named on the bench in his first Champions Cup match-day squad.
Leicester have lost just one of their last 29 European games at Welford Road, a defeat to Ulster in 2014.
For the Tigers, Peter Betham and Freddie Burns return with the former named alongside Matt Smith at centre while Burns replaces Owen Williams who suffered a jarred knee in the Thomond victory.
Tom Croft has returned from illness to take his place among the replacements.
Munster: 15 Andrew Conway, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Francis Saili, 12 Denis Hurley, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Conor Murray, 1 James Cronin, 2 Mike Sherry, 3 John Ryan, 4 Mark Chisholm, 5 Donnacha Ryan, 6 Robin Copeland, 7 Dave O'Callaghan, 8 CJ Stander (c).
Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Mario Sagario, 19 Dave Foley, 20 Jack O'Donoghue, 21 Tomás O'Leary, 22 Rory Scannell, 23 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
Leicester Tigers: 15 Telusa Veainu, 14 Adam Thompston, 13 Peter Betham, 12 Matt Smith, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Mike Fitzgerald, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Ed Slater (c), 7 Brendon O'Connor, 8 Lachlan McCaffrey.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Matias Aguero, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Dom Barrow, 20 Tom Croft, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Tommy Bell, 23 Seremaia Bai.