Academy Update

With Munster A playing Leinster A at Clonmel RFC next Thursday and three new academy signings announced yesterday, it’s as good a time as any to catch up with Munster A Head Coach and Elite Player Development Manager Peter Malone.

Three new additions……..

"We brought three extra players in because we believe that these guys are good enough to be professional players for Munster.

"Rory Burke is a tight-head prop, we didn’t have a tight-head in the academy and Rory has performed very well for the Munster U20s and he also played excellently last year.

"We were wary of bringing an underage prop in who hadn’t scrummaged at adult level but Rory scrummaged at adult rugby and U20 rugby and excelled, he has done very well and is now in the shake-up for the Irish U20s.

"Alex Wootton was on a three month trial with us from the Exiles and he’s done well.

"Alex is in the Irish U20 squad and he’s a big strong winger and that is something that Munster are looking for because there’s a bit of a gap there and hopefully he’ll keep improving.

"Niall Kenneally is a player who has excelled at AIL level over the last two or three years with UL Bohs, he moved to Cork Con this year and has continued to improve.

"Niall trained with the seniors over three months in the summer, has played with Munster A and again is a good prospect.

"He’s a big physical centre and he’s something we probably don’t have in the academy at the moment.

"All three players are good prospects, they’re very familiar with the set-up and they’ve slotted straight in and it’s really up to them now to take their chance and kick on.

"We have 20 now in the academy which is the most we’ve had in a while."

Munster A v Leinster A……….

"It’s a chance for us to give guys a chance against a Leinster team that will be pretty strong so we’re really looking forward to it.

"It’s going to be an exciting game and it’s always great going to a club, we’ve played in Clonmel before and the facilities are very good.

"The experience in Bandon when we played Stirling Albion was great and hopefully Clonmel will be as enjoyable.

"The team selection will be a good mixture of players, we’ll give guys a chance who haven’t had a run and deserve it."

No rest…..

"We work through the International break and take our week off at Christmas.

"Most of the academy players are in college so they’re not going to take a holiday in the middle of the season so it’s more practical for us to take that week at Christmas.

"The academy players are expected to play AIL every week anyway and they’ll be training with their clubs on Tuesday and Thursday so we plough on.

"It’s a heavy schedule, there’s a lot for them to do so we just give them a light week once a month to get a bit of freshness into their legs."

Injury update……

"We’re actually ok injury wise.

"Darragh Moloney has a hamstring injury, it’s a frustrating one and he has had a few consultations.

"Darragh is hoping to return in the next two or three weeks but there’s no definitive time on that.

"Sean McCarthy is back training this week after a knee injury and we’re hoping in the next week or two that Sean will get back to full action.

"Other than that we’re in good nick apart from the usual bumps and scrapes, there’s nothing major."

Munster A face Leinster A in an Interprovincial game at Clonmel RFC on Thursday, November 14 (ko 6:30pm).