O’Mahoney fit for Munster’s Pool decider

FLANKER Peter O’Mahony has recovered from an ankle injury in time to captain Munster in an unchanged lineup from last week’s defeat to Racing 92.

Fit-again hooker Niall Scannell has been named on the bench.

Munster are top of Pool 4 but need to win today to be assured of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Munster, Castres and Racing 92 all have realistic chances of advancing from the pool – but all three sides also run the risk of elimination.

A bonus-point victory for Munster would see them advance as pool winners and eliminate Castres, but an away win for the French club would mean they would qualify at Munster’s expense because of a better head-to-head record.

Racing 92, who are just a point behind Munster in the pool standings, travel to face Leicester knowing they need a win to have any chance of qualification.

Munster coach Johann van Graan said: “They have big forwards, a very good kicking game, a leftfooted fly-half. They don’t have a long kicking game, they put you under pressure with a good chase, a very good maul, you need to stop their maul.

“Defensively you just had to look at the Leicester game, they had a very good game; you just need to look at the way they defended, that’s a top-quality side that we are playing against.”

Centre Robert Ebersohn has returned to the Castres team and will take over the captaincy.