Munster Youths Prepare for Connacht Clash…

Munster Youths travel to the Sportsgrounds on Saturday to play Connacht in their third game of the IRFU Youth Interprovincial Championship

MUNSTER YOUTH TEAM TO PLAY CONNACHT IN YOUTH INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP

U18 Youth Interprovincial

Saturday 15^th October 2005

CONNACHT v MUNSTER

Sportsgrounds, Galway

Kick Off 1pm

Munster will be hoping to put their loss to Leinster last week firmly behind them when they travel to the Sportsgrounds to play Connacht on Saturday. Both teams are coming into this game with a win over Ulster and a loss to Leinster under their belts. Munster had a comprehensive 27-0 win over Ulster in their opening game, but were disappointingly defeated 19-0 by Leinster in last week s clash. Connacht s first round encounter against Leinster ended in a 22-10 loss, while last week, they came back with a 10-5 win over Ulster. In the league table Munster are just one point ahead of Connacht going into this game, as a result of a bonus point picked up in their win against Ulster. Team management have held off making their final decision with regards to the out half position and one of the second row spots. Both Clonmel s Daniel Lyons and Thomond s Geoff Ryan are both in contention to start in out half, with Nenagh Ormond s Keith Quigley and Ennis Fiachra Wynn poised to fill the second row position. What is known though is that captain Conor Whelan is ruled out with a mild concussion picked up in last week s game. It means that Thurles Wayne O Mahony comes off the bench to replace him as hooker.

MUNSTER 

15. Paddy O Sullivan (Killarney), 14. Paul Culloty (Castleisland), 13. William Devane (Corca Dhuibhne), 12. Garett Hogan (Youghal), 11. Diarmuid McMahon (St. Senans), 10. AN Other 9. Dale Harris (Waterpark), 1. Michael Moynihan (Sunday s Well), 2. Wayne O Mahony (Thurles) 3. Pat O Regan (Tralee), 4. AN Other 5. David Foley (Clonmel), 6. Sean Nixon (Newcastle West), 7. Alan Dinan (Cork Constitution), 8. Noel Kinnane (Thurles)

Replacements:

16. Conor Brislane (Nenagh Ormond), 17. Eamon Boland (Youghal), 18. Shane Dowling (Castleisland) 19. Adam Doyle (Sunday s Well), 20. Alan O Connell (Old Christians), 21. AN Other 22. AN Other

Referee: J.Peak (UAR)

LEAGUE TABLE

FIXTURES/RESULTS:

YOUTH INTERPROVINCIALS

Saturday October 1^st 2005

Munster 27 Ulster 0

Leinster 22 Connacht 10

Saturday 8^th October 2005

Leinster 19 Munster 0

Ulster 5 Connacht 10

Saturday 15^th October 2005

Connacht v Munster, Sportsground, 1pm

Ulster v Leinster, Ravenhill, 1pm

NOTES:

The Munster Youth squad has been selected from last year s Regional Championship, a competition ran at Under 17 level, where teams representing North, West, South and East Munster competed against each other. Last season, West Munster won the competition for the first time, and a number of those players are now on this Munster Youth team.

Sponsored by Avonmore Supermilk, the present squad has worked very hard with the coaches, including Head coach, Tom Mulcahy, forwards coach Eddie Montgomery, backs coach Pat Collins and Manager Nick O Keeffe, ably assisted by Regional Development Officer Mark Hickey.

This year the championship is in two phases, with a round robin phase in October and the semi finals and final to take place on the last two weekends of January.

The Youth Interprovincials have been underway for over 15 years, and have contributed greatly to raising the standard of Youth Rugby in the province. As an indication of some of the calibre of those involved, a number of top class rugby players, including Alan Quinlan and Donncha O Callaghan both played on the Munster Youths team before going onto international success.