STINGING THE BLUES

Johann: Narrow defeats have left Cardiff smarting so we are wary of a backlash

Cardiff Blues Munster Cardiff Arms Park 7.35pm

v MUNSTER coach Johann van Graan is fearful of a backlash from a Cardiff Blues side who have been pipped in each of their Pro14 games so far.

Van Graan is bringing his squad to the Arms Park in Cardiff tonight, a happy hunting ground where Munster have been victorious in four of their last six visits. But with Cardiff getting caught at the death in their opening match 33-32 to Leinster and then being edged twice in Italy – 27-25 by Benetton and 26-24 by Zebre – van Graan (inset) knows they will be fired up to get their first win of the campaign this evening.

He said: “They have lost in the dying seconds of all three of their games and they are a quality side so we will have to be at our best to beat them away.”

The South African has made six changes to the side which hammered Ospreys 49-13 last weekend.

He has had to plan without Irish winger Keith Earls and hooker Rhys Marshall, both of whom picked up injuries during the week.

CJ Stander returns for his first action of the season in a strong back row completed by skipper Peter O’mahony and openside Chris Cloete.

Mike Sherry takes over at hooker and the return of lock Jean Kleyn completes the three changes to the pack. There are three changes in the backline as well, with JJ Hanrahan starting at full-back, while

Jaco Taute makes his first start in a year after coming off the bench against

Ospreys.

He will partner

Rory

Scannell in a new front row, with

Duncan

Williams linking up again with

Joey Carbery at halfback.

Replacement scrum-half Jack Stafford is one of three academy players included on the bench, with hooker Diarmuid Barron hoping to get a run out for his senior debut.

This will be Munster’s third game in four this season on an artificial surface but van Graan said they are getting accustomed to that at this stage, while he himself is benefitting from the knowledge picked up since he arrived ten months ago.

He said: “The nice thing about the second season is that you now know what to expect and I think we are playing our first five or six games on 4G pitches so we have just got to adapt to that and adapt to the pace of it.”