Munster A Side Named To Face Ulster A

A Munster ‘A’ side has been named to to face Ulster ‘A’ at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin on Friday at 2pm.

Rory Scannell captains the squad that includes nine Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players in addition to Shay McCarthy, who has been training with the Academy over the last few months.

Conor Phillips starts at fullback with McCarthy and Stephen Kiely (Old Crescent RFC) on the wings. Rory Scannell and Fionn Gibbons form the centre partnership while Neil Cronin and Tony Butler are named at scrum-half and out-half respectively.

Up front, Mark Donnelly, Danny Sheahan and Keynan Knox pack down in the front-row with Edwin Edogbo and Tom Ahern partnering up in the second-row. Sheahan, who plays with UCC RFC, recently travelled with the Munster squad on their two-game tour of South Africa and represented Ireland U20s during the Grand Slam winning Six Nations championship.

Jack O’Sullivan provides the experience from number eight where he will be joined by Jacob Sheahan and Ronan O’Sullivan in the back-row. Jacob Sheahan (UCC RFC),  a cousin of Danny’s, also represented Ireland U20s during the Six Nations this year while Ronan O’Sullivan plays his club rugby with Young Munster RFC and most recently lined out for the Cookies in their narrow semi-final loss to Clontarf at the weekend.

Four Munster Academy players are among the replacements including Darragh McSweeney, Evan O’Connell, Jack Oliver and Ethan Coughlan.

Elsewhere among the replacements are Dave Begley (Young Munster RFC), Max Clein (Garryowen FC), Oisin Toland (Old Crescent RFC), Conor Ryan (UCC/Clonakilty), Josh Costello (Shannon RFC), Harry Long (Shannon RFC), Cian O’Halloran (Shannon RFC), Ihechi Oji (UL Bohemian RFC).

Munster A: Conor Phillips, Shay McCarthy, Fionn Gibbons, Rory Scannell (c), Stephen Kiely, Tony Butler, Neil Cronin, Mark Donnelly, Danny Sheahan, Keynan Knox, Edwin Edogbo, Tom Ahern, Jacob Sheahan, Ronan O’Sullivan, Jack O’Sullivan.

Replacements from: Max Clein, Dave Begley, Darragh McSweeney, Evan O’Connell, Oisin Toland, Jack Oliver, Ethan Coughlan, Josh Costello, Conor Ryan, Harry Long, Cian O’Halloran, Ihechi Oji.