Make Home Advantage Count For Munster A

Munster A will play their first ever home quarter final in the British and Irish Cup when they welcome Ulster A to Irish Independent Park this Sunday afternoon at 3pm. Be there to cheer on Peter Malone’s emerging charges and make home advantage count for the Munstermen.

Home advantage at the quarter final stage has been somewhat of a rarity for Munster A, their most recent outings seeing them travel to Doncaster Knights (2015), Leinster A (2014) and Cornish Pirates (2013) – only the latter ending in victory.

Even when they won the competition back in 2012, defeating Cross Keys at Irish Independent Park, the preceding quarter final came, coincidentally, away to Ulster Ravens (now Ulster A) at Ravenhill in a campaign that saw the likes of Billy Holland, John Ryan, Duncan Williams and Dave Kilcoyne earmark themselves as ones to watch for the future.

This time round it’s the likes of Brian Scott, Sean O’Connor and Conor Oliver who could feature amongst a wealth of promising provincial talent this weekend with the likes of Duncan Casey and former Ulster centre Sam Arnold also hopeful of making Head Coach Peter Malone’s teamsheet as they return from their respective knee injuries.

Speaking recently, Forwards Coach Colm McMahon looked ahead to this weekend’s encounter. “Ulster A will travel here with no fear and will be disappointed not to have secured their own home quarter final on the last day of pool action. The likes of Darren Cave and Craig Gilroy have featured for Ulster A in the current campaign and no doubt they will pose a massive threat in attack. But that will be a good test of our guys. We’ve had a good mix of young backs coming in and out of the team in recent games and to face a backline as exciting as Ulster’s will be an upward learning curve for them. Hopefully we’ll have a good crowd out to support our lads on the day.”

Ulster A’s inconsistency on the road is something the men in red will hope to exploit this weekend, the northern province winning just one from three on the road. With liquidation seeing London Welsh disqualified from the competition, Munster A competed in a pool of three and did all that was asked of them in recording home and away wins over both Doncaster Knights and Rotherham Titans. Consequently they enter knock out stages as the competition’s top seeds with the coaching ticket of Malone, McMahon and Greig Oliver (Backs Coach) fielding no less than 37 players – 15 debutants – in blooding new talent for the future. Click here to view video highlights of Munster A’s pathway to the quarter final.

The Munster A side to face Ulster A will be named at midday on Friday.

Munster A v Ulster A, British and Irish Cup quarter final, Sunday March 12 at Irish Independent Park – KO 3pm.

Tickets

• Adult €10
• OAP €8
• Junior €3
• Entry is free for all MRSC members and 10 Year ticket holders on production of membership cards or season tickets.

Tickets for Munster A v Ulster A can be purchased online here, from the Munster Rugby ticket offices at Irish Independent Park and Thomond Park, at the ground on matchday, or by calling 061 421103.