Team News | Munster Development Side To Face Leinster A

The Munster Development side to face Leinster A at the UL 4G pitch on Saturday at 3pm has been named.

Cian Hurley captains the squad that includes seven Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players along with senior players Eoin O’Connor and James French.

Old Crescent’s Stephen Kiely, a former Castletroy College student, starts at full-back with UL Bohemian man Ihechi Oji and Shannon’s Josh Costello on either wing. Oji came up through the ranks at Douglas RFC and also played schools rugby at Cistercian College Roscrea with Costello a former St Munchin’s College pupil.

Young Munster’s Werner Hoffman, a former Crescent College Comprehensive pupil and Academy man Fionn Gibbons form the centre partnership with an all-Academy pairing at half-back as Jack Oliver and Tony Butler start at 9 and 10 respectively.

Academy prop Mark Donnelly starts in the front row where he is joined by UL Bohemian’s Conall Henchy and Shannon’s Luke Rigney who is currently on a training contract. Henchy captained Crescent College Comprehensive to the Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup title earlier this year.

Senior second-row Eoin O’Connor starts in the engine room alongside Hurley who captains the side.

UCC’s Sean Edogbo starts in the back-row where he is joined by the Academy’s Ruadhan Quinn and Garryowen’s Brian Gleeson, a former Thurles and Rockwell man. Edogbo was on the successful Cobh Pirates side who won the Bank of Ireland Munster Rugby Club U18 Boys Cup in April.

Academy prop Kieran Ryan, senior prop James French and Garryowen’s Max Clein provide the front-row cover. Clein is a former Crescent College Comprehensive pupil.

Cashel’s Fearghail O’Donoghue provides the second-row cover while Cork Constitution’s Jack Kelleher is also named among the forward replacements. O’Donoghue featured for the Ireland U20s earlier this year while Kelleher is a former PBC and UCC player.

Old Crescent’s Jamie Duggan and UCD’s Jeff Williams provide back-up at scrum-half and out-half. Duggan and Williams both lined out in the 2021/22 Munster Schools Senior Cup with Crescent College and Bandon Grammar, respectively.

Shannon’s Cian O’Halloran, Cork Con’s Daniel Hurley, Young Munster’s Shay McCarthy and Garryowen’s Henry Buttimer provide the remaining backs cover. O’Halloran is a former Crescent College student, Hurley is a former PBC student while McCarthy lined out for the Ireland U20s earlier this year during the U20 Summer Series. Buttimer is a former Rockwell College pupil.

Munster Development: Stephen Kiely, Ihechi Oji, Fionn Gibbons, Werner Hoffman, Josh Costello, Tony Butler, Jack Oliver, Mark Donnelly, Conall Henchy, Luke Rigney, Eoin O’Connor, Cian Hurley (c), Sean Edogbo, Ruadhan Quinn, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements from: Max Clein, Kieran Ryan, James French, Fearghail O’Donoghue, Jack Kelleher, Jamie Duggan, Jeff Williams, Cian O’Halloran, Daniel Hurley, Shay McCarthy, Henry Buttimer.