Munster A & Warriors Set For CIT

We look ahead to Friday nights Pool 3 British & Irish Cup fixture, as Munster A welcome in-form Worcester Warriors to the CIT Sports Stadium – KO 7:30pm.

Following relegation from the Aviva Premiership last season, a blistering start to both the English Championship and British and Irish Cup has seen Warriors win all but one of their 12 competitive clashes to date this season.

In fact, that single loss came to Bristol in the Championship – Bristol being runners up in last season’s play-off final and the only side to have won all eight matches in the Championship to date.

The scale of the challenge that awaits Munster A on Friday night is also illustrated in Warriors’ current B&I Cup record. The English outfit are the form side of Pool 3 – the only side to have won all four games, the only side to secure try bonus points (2), and they possess the best attacking and defensive record of all four teams.

That said, Warriors will keep a vigilant eye on their hosts this weekend. Warriors lock Dan Sanderson feels those crucial minutes just after half-time will be key to Friday night’s result.

“I have played in Cork before and it’s a tough place to go.

“Teams will come out fighting and we need to be cute for those first 10 minutes after half-time, take the fire out of them and not let them get back into the game.”

Warriors’ wariness of the province is well founded.

No doubt former Munster representatives Darren O’Shea and Paul Warwick – now part of the Worcester playing and coaching setup respectively – will have them well versed in Munster’s dislike of losing, especially on home soil.

As well as that, Munster A will look to avenge their only loss in this season’s B&I Cup – away to Worcester at Sixways in October – a clash which the Munstermen could have, and perhaps should have won.

With tries from Niall Kenneally, Paddy Butler and Ronan O’Mahony, together with a conversion and two penalties from Rory Scannell (Munster A’s leading points scorer in the competition), the province led by 3 with four minutes to go. However I’ll discipline coupled with a napping defence lead to Warriors snatching victory after they kicked to touch from a penalty and easily drove over the line for the winning of the game.

Once thing's for sure, the clash of these two teams makes for a great evening’s competitive rugby under lights as the CIT Sports Stadium plays hosts to Munster A for the first time.

Munster A v Worcester Warriors, CIT Sports Stadium on Friday December 5th – KO 7:30pm

Tickets can be purchased online here while entry is free for all MRSC members and Ten Year Ticket holders (on production of your membership card or ticket book).