Leicester’s Strength The Key

August 20, 2010 12:00 am By Munster Rugby

Supporters attending the Leicester Tigers game this evening in Musgrave Park will get the the opportunity to see the core group of Munster players who will, by and large, carry Munster’s hopes this season.

They will also get to see newcomer Sam Tuitupou for the first time in Munster red partnering Danny Barnes in the centre while the returning Wian du Preez fronts up a pack – captained for the first time by Denis Leamy – with an average age of 25.

The backline is a mixture of youth in the shape of Scott Deasy, Danny Barnes and Duncan Williams and the experience of Tuitupou, Paul Warwick, Denis Hurley and Ian Dowling returning from a knee injury that forced him out of the latter games of last season.

Other who missed a chunk of last season through injury are Donnacha Ryan who is named on the blindside and Darragh Hurley and Felix Jones, listed among an extended bench that includes Ireland U20 internationals from this summer's World Cup, Paddy Butler and Simon Zebo and Peter O'Mahony who captained Munster to the British & Irish Cup final last term.

For their part Leicester, described by new signing Argentean Horacio Agulla as the "Barcelona of club rugby", have not as yet named a side but coach Ricard Cockerill has promised to bring his 'strongest available squad' and if as expected it includes their international contngent then all those will see action at some stage of the evening.

Tickets will be available at both gates from 5.30pm this evening while stocks last.

Munster: S Deasy; D Hurley, D Barnes, S Tuitupou, I Dowling; P Warwick, D Williams; W du Preez, D Fogarty, S Archer; B Holland, D Foley; D Ryan, T O'Donnell, D Leamy capt. Replacements: M Sherry, D Ryan, Darragh Hurley, I Nagle, J Coughlan, C Murray, C Hircock, F Jones, S Zebo, P Butler, P O'Mahony.

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Tigers Win In Musgrave Park

August 20, 2010 12:00 am By Munster Rugby

Two tries, one in each half from Alesana Tuilagi, helped Leicester Tigers to a 17-13 win over Munster at a near full Musgrave Park tonight.

Munster took the lead when Paul Warwick thumped over a 15th minute penalty from the half way line and he added a second, after Tuilagi had scored his first try, this time from the 22 metre line, in the 35th minute to give his side the lead that they held until injury time of an entertaining first half.

A block down by Denis Leamy resulted in Munster taking the lead when the skipper won the race for the touch down and Warwick added the extras.

That score however led to a bout of sustained effort from the near full strength visitors and they went back into the lead when Tuilagi boshed his way over for his second try, Flood again landing the conversion.

Coach Tony McGahan rang the changes introducing his youngsters from the bench and that led to an exciting finish as Munster took the fight to Tigers who were forced to defend a late five metre lineout to secure their victory.

After the game McGahan commented "Nobody likes being beaten but we have to look at this game from our own angle – they had a fairly full-strength squad while we had a lot of young players; the guys did very well and gave it a good shot."

Munster: S Deasy; Denis Hurley, D Barnes, S Tuitupou, I Dowling; P Warwick, D Williams; W du Preez, D Fogarty, S Archer; B Holland, D Foley, D Ryan; T O’Donnell, D Leamy (capt).

Replacements: P O’Mahony for O’Donnell, F Jones for Tuitupo, I Nagle for, Foley, Darragh Hurley for Archer (all 40), J Coughlan for Ryan, C Murray for Williams (both 57), M Sherry for Fogarty (58) S Zebo for Dowling, D Ryan for du Preez, P Butler for Leamy (all (70), C Hircock for Barnes (76).

Leicester Tigers: G Murphy (capt); S Hamilton, M Smith, A Allen, A Tuilagi; T Flood, B Youngs; B Stankovitch, G Chuter, D Cole; C Green, G Skivington; T Waldrom, B Woods, J Crane.

Replacements: D Hipkiss for Smith, M Castrogiovanni for Cole (both 40), E Slater for Crane (53, injured), M Ayerza for Stankovitch (55), J Grindal for Youngs, J Staunton for Flood (60), L Robinson for Tuilagi, B Twelvetrees for Allen (both 69), S Hamilton for Murphy (71), T Youngs for Chuter (72)

Referee: D Phillips (IRFU)

P Warwick 2 Penalties; 1 Conversion

D Leamy 1 Try

T Flood 1 Penalty; 2 Conversions

A Tuilagi 2 Tries

S Deasy; Denis Hurley, D Barnes, S Tuitupou, I Dowling; P Warwick, D Williams; W du Preez, D Fogarty, S Archer; B Holland, D Foley, D Ryan; T O’Donnell, D Leamy (capt).

G Murphy (capt); S Hamilton, M Smith, A Allen, A Tuilagi; T Flood, B Youngs; B Stankovitch, G Chuter, D Cole; C Green, G Skivington; T Waldrom, B Woods, J Crane.