Team News | Munster Side To Face Harlequins

February 22, 2024 12:05 pm By The Editor

Jack O'Sullivan, Jack Daly and Fineen Wycherley start in the Munster pack. Inpho

The Munster team has been named for Friday night’s clash against Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop (7.45pm).

The game will be streamed live on the Harlequins YouTube channel here.

Alex Kendellen captains the 25-man squad that includes a mixture of senior, Academy and talented young club players.

Academy hooker Max Clein and out-half Dylan Hicks (both Garryowen) are set for their first senior Munster appearances.

Clein is a former Crescent College Comprehensive student with Hicks coming up through the ranks at Bantry Bay RFC and Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí.

Academy trio Fionn Gibbons, Shay McCarthy and Ethan Coughlan all start with Clein, Hicks, Mark Donnelly, Daniel Okeke and Tony Butler among the replacements.

Cork Constitution lock Kamil Nowak, who featured against Crusaders, and Shannon RFC back Stephen Kiely, who lined out against Leinster in pre-season, are also on the bench.

Mike Haley starts at full-back after making his return from injury against Scarlets with Gibbons and McCarthy on either wing.

Rory Scannell and Seán O’Brien start together in midfield with O’Brien making his first appearance at centre for Munster. Coughlan and Joey Carbery team up in the half-backs.

Josh Wycherley, Scott Buckley and John Ryan pack down in the front row with Cian Hurley and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room. Hurley made his return to action from a long-term achilles/ankle injury for Garryowen in the AIL last week.

Jack Daly, Kendellen and Jack O’Sullivan complete the starting XV.

Clein, Donnelly and Stephen Archer provide the front-row back-up with Nowak and Okeke completing the forward cover.

Neil Cronin, Butler, Hicks, Colm Hogan and Kiely are the backline replacements.

Munster: Mike Haley; Fionn Gibbons, Seán O’Brien, Rory Scannell, Shay McCarthy; Joey Carbery, Ethan Coughlan; Josh Wycherley, Scott Buckley, John Ryan; Fineen Wycherley, Cian Hurley; Jack Daly, Alex Kendellen (C), Jack O’Sullivan.

Replacements: Max Clein, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Kamil Nowak, Daniel Okeke, Neil Cronin, Tony Butler, Dylan Hicks, Colm Hogan, Stephen Kiely.

Tickets

U20s 6 Nations Round 3: Friday, February 23

Ireland v Wales, Virgin Media Park, 7.15pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 11: Friday, March 1

Munster v Zebre Parma, Virgin Media Park, 7.35pm; Buy tickets here

U20s 6 Nations Round 5: Friday, March 15

Ireland v Scotland, Virgin Media Park, 7pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 13: Saturday, March 30

Munster v Cardiff Rugby, Thomond Park, 7.35pm; Buy tickets here

Women’s 6 Nations Round 3: Saturday, April 13

Ireland v Wales, Virgin Media Park, 4.45pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 16: Saturday, May 11

Munster v Connacht, Thomond Park, 5.15pm; Buy tickets here

URC Round 18: Saturday, June 1

Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park, 5.15pm; Buy tickets here

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Report | Munster Beat Quins In Thriller At Stoop

February 23, 2024 10:07 pm By The Editor

Fineen Wycherley and Neil Cronin celebrate Cronin's try. Inpho

Munster ran out 43-35 winners over Harlequins after a hugely entertaining clash at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday night.

Mike Haley, Alex Kendellen, Shay McCarthy, Tony Butler, Jack Daly, Neil Cronin and Shannon’s Stephen Kiely were the try-scorers on a great night’s rugby in London.

Munster were eager to get the ball moving from the off and led 14-0 after 17 minutes thank to two really well-worked tries.

Haley scored the first on seven minutes after Munster put the ball through the hands to Fionn Gibbons on the right wing and his pass inside released Haley to dot down.

The second try was a clever lineout move as Jack Daly took the lineout and Munster faked a rolling maul before Kendellen broke clear down the blindside and blasted through the last defender.

Carbery slotted the touchline conversion for a 14-0 advantage.

The hosts hit back on 25 minutes after Jack Walker broke off a rolling maul to score with Will Edwards converting.

From the restart, Academy winger Shay McCarthy chased hard and caught Quins napping as he charged down the clearance and showed good composure to score in the left corner.

The final score of an exciting first half went to Harlequins as the Edwards scored under the posts off a slick backline move and converted himself with Munster 19-14 ahead at the interval.

Harlequins went in front within a minute of the restart but tries from Tony Butler and Jack Daly put Munster back in the driving seat at 31-21 as Butler converted Daly’s try.

Neil Cronin scored under the posts after a brilliant break and pass from Fineen Wycherley with Butler’s conversion make it 38-21.

Shannon winger Stephen Kiely scored the seventh Munster try after 65 minutes following a stunning Munster move that featured nearly every player on the team getting a touch as Colm Hogan provided the assist with a superb offload.

That score put Munster 43-21 ahead and that proved enough to take the win despite two later Harlequins tries.

Round-Up

Academy hooker Max Clein and Academy out-half Dylan Hicks made their first senior appearances for Munster.

Eight Academy players and two club players featured in the game.

Tries:

Cons:

Tries: Mike Haley, Alex Kendellen, Shay McCarthy, Tony Butler, Jack Daly, Neil Cronin and Stephen Kiely.

Cons: Joey Carbery (two), Tony Butler (two)

Harlequins: Cameron Anderson; Nick David, Lennox Anyanwu, Bryn Bradley, Cassius Cleaves; Will Edwards, Max Green; Santiago Garcia Botta, Jack Walker, Will Collier; Joe Launchbury, Stephan Lewies (C); Will Trenholm, Will Evans, James Chisholm.

Replacements (all used): Nathan Jibulu, Simon Kerrod, Lovejoy Chawatama, Irne Herbst, George Hammond, Matas Jurevicius, Tom Lawday, Lewis Gjaltema, Connor Slevin, Roma Zheng.

Munster: Mike Haley (Colm Hogan, h-t); Fionn Gibbons, Seán O’Brien (Dylan Hicks, 68), Rory Scannell, Shay McCarthy (Stephen Kiely, 41); Joey Carbery (Tony Butler, h-t), Ethan Coughlan (Neil Cronin, 61); Josh Wycherley (Mark Donnelly, 55), Scott Buckley (Max Clein, 55), John Ryan (Stephen Archer, 55); Fineen Wycherley, Cian Hurley (Kamil Nowak, 77); Jack Daly, Alex Kendellen (C) (Daniel Okeke, 66), Jack O’Sullivan.