Good news for Ireland as Earls and Henderson named to start for Munster and Ulster

KEITH EARLS AND Iain Henderson have both been named to start in this weekend’s Champions Cup games as they continue their return from injury lay-off’s.

Both players were yesterday named by Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt in his 46-man squad ahead of the defence of the Six Nations Championship.

Earls will get game time on Sunday in Thomond Park against Sale Sharks. He came on during last week’s defeat to Saracens and has now been named in the centre for his first start since returning from injury.

Munster have made three changes for Sunday’s game with Felix Jones and CJ Stander both missing out through injury while Pat Howard drops to the bench.

Earls gets the nod to start alongside Denis Hurley in the centre, Ronan O’Mahony makes his first start in Europe after his debut last weekend and Dave O’Callaghan comes in to the back row.

Henderson will start his first match of the season after recovering from a hip injury to be named at blindside flanker. In all Ulster have made eight changes to their team for tomorrow night’s gap against Leicester Tigers at Kingspan Stadium.

Iain Henderson is back in action. Source: Presseye/Matt Mackey/INPHO

Tommy Bowe, Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy, Rory Best, Ian Humphreys, Callum Black and Wiehahn Herbst are all introduced to the team.

Munster team to face Sale Sharks

15. Simon Zebo
14. Andrew Conway
13. Keith Earls
12. Denis Hurley
11. Ronan O’Mahony
10. Ian Keatley
9. Duncan Williams

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1. James Cronin
2. Duncan Casey
3. BJ Botha
4. Dave Foley
5. Paul O’Connell
6. Dave O’Callaghan
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. Peter O’Mahony

Replacements

16. Eusebio Guinazu
17. John Ryan
18. Stephen Archer
19. Billy Holland
20. Robin Copeland
21. Ivan Dineen
22. JJ Hanrahan
23. Pat Howard

Dave O’Callaghan is back in action for Munster. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO

Ulster team to face Leicester Tigers

15. Jared Payne
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Darren Cave
12. Luke Marshall
11. Craig Gilroy
10. Ian Humphreys
9. Ruan Pienaar

1. Callum Black
2. Rory Best (captain)
3. Wiehahn Herbst
4. Alan O’Connor
5. Franco Van Der Merwe
6. Iain Henderson
7. Mike McComish
8. Roger Wilson

Tommy Bowe is back in the Ulster line-up. Source: Giuseppe Fama/INPHO

Replacements

16. Rob Herring
17. Andrew Warwick
18. Bronson Ross
19. Lewis Stevenson
20. Clive Ross
21. Neil McComb
22. Paul Marshall
23. Mike Allen

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