Stade Francais v Munster: Champions Cup preview
By Tony Tighe
Last Updated: 09/01/16 5:59pm
Munster welcome Conor Murray and Keith Earls back from injury for Saturday's must-win Champions Cup tie at Stade Francais, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
Scrum-half Murray has recovered from the hip problem that ruled him out of the last two games, while Ireland team-mate Earls has been cleared to return following his neck injury against Leinster.
Both players come into the starting XV as Anthony Foley makes six changes to the team that snapped a five-game losing streak against Ulster last weekend.
Andrew Conway and Dave Foley have shaken off knocks to start at full-back and lock respectively, while Earls and Simon Zebo are named on the wings.
Tyler Bleyendaal misses out after reporting tightness in his quad during training on Wednesday so Rory Scannell continues alongside Francis Saili in midfield.
Munster are one of two teams to have beaten Stade Francais at the Stade Jean Bouin in the European Cup, a 16-14 quarter-final win in 2002.
Back-to-back defeats to Leicester mean Munster's hopes of reaching the knockout stages are hanging by a thread, but they have never lost three successive pool games in Europe.
Stade scored a last-gasp 18-17 victory over Toulouse last Sunday and the Top 14 champions make wholesale changes for Saturday's contest.
Will Genia is not named in the match-day 23, with former Leicester scrum-half Julien Dupuy handed the No 9 shirt after impressing as a replacement against Toulouse.
He partners Springbok Morné Steyn at half-back as Jules Plisson drops to the bench, while Fiji international Waisea Nayacalevu partners Paul Williams in midfield.
Stade have not conceded more than 20 points at home in their last 14 Champions Cup games and they have averaged more tries (5.3), metres made (528) and clean breaks (14) than any side this season.
Stade Francais: 15 Hugo Bonneval, 14 Julien Arias, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu, 12 Paul Williams, 11 Josaia Raisuqe, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Julien Dupuy; 1 Zak Taulafo, 2 Laurent Sempéré, 3 Paul Alo Emile, 4 Hugh Pyle, 5 Paul Gabrillagues, 6 Sekou Macalou, 7 Sylvain Nicolas, 8 Sergio Parisse (c).
Replacements: 16 Laurent Panis, 17 Heindrick Van Der Merwe, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Gerhard Mostert, 20 Jonathan Ross, 21 Julien Tomas, 22 Jules Plisson, 23 Jonathan Danty.
Munster: 15 Andrew Conway, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Francis Saili, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Dave Kilcoyne, 2 Mike Sherry, 3 BJ Botha, 4 Dave Foley, 5 Mark Chisholm, 6 Robin Copeland, 7 Tommy O'Donnell, 8 CJ Stander (c).
Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 John Ryan, 18 Mario Sagario, 19 Billy Holland, 20 Jack O'Donoghue, 21 Tomás O'Leary, 22 Denis Hurley, 23 Ronan O'Mahony.
Watch Stade Francais v Munster live on Sky Sports 1 HD on Saturday from 4.30pm. Catch the match for £6.99 on NOW TV. No contract.