Opportunity Knocks For Hurley

Opportunity knocks for Munster prop Darragh Hurley who is named in the starting XV, for the first time this season, for the game against Edinburgh in Murrayfield tomorrow evening.

Hurley’s last start for Munster was in the Magners League game against the Dragons in Rodney Parade last March and there was a subsequent appearance off the bench the following week in Firhill before injury put an end to his season.

He was on the bench for the Heineken Cup trip to Franklin’s Gardens and made a very favourable impression last Saturday in Thomond Park Stadium when he came on as 48th minute replacement for Tony Buckley.

Injuries to Buckley, Marcus Horan and Dave Ryan also provide an opportunity for Academy player Stephen Archer, who is named on the bench,  to perhaps strut his stuff. Archer also caught the eye last weekend, in the A win over Leinster at Clonmel RFC while there is a return to the squad for Felix Jones who has recovered from an ankle injury.

A hamstring strain rules Doug Howlett out so two try scorer against Treviso, Ian Dowling remains in what is the only change to the backline from last weekend.

Up front Julien Bugnaut joins Hurley and Denis Fogarty in the front row and Alan Quinlan gets a well earned break with Niall Ronan operating from the  blind-side berth.

Munster: P Warwick; I Dowling, L Mafi, J de Villiers, K Earls; R O’Gara, T O’Leary; Darragh Hurley, D Fogarty, J Brugnaut; D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell capt; N Ronan, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: D Varley, S Archer, M O’Driscoll, D Ryan, P Stringer, D Hurley, F Jones.