Malone To Continue As Munster ‘A’ Head Coach

Head coach Peter Malone will again take charge of Munster ‘A’ for the coming season as his provincial charges set about defending their British & Irish Cup title.

It’s a case of as you were across the management team with Peter Malone’s Greencore Munster Academy coaching colleagues, Colm McMahon and Greig Oliver, again taking charge of the Munster ‘A’ forwards and backs respectively. Alan Miller will continue as team manager.

The following Munster ‘A’ challenge matches and British & Irish Cup fixtures have been confirmed for the coming season. In preparation for their B&I Cup title defence, the Munstermen will take on their Leinster counterparts at Thomond Park on Wednesday, October 4 (kick-off 5.30pm).

Malone’s side will return to the Limerick venue in December for the annual Munster ‘A’/Development v Ireland Under-20s clash on Friday, December 29 (kick-off 1pm).

Drawn in Pool 1 for this season’s B&I Cup, Munster ‘A’ will play all their home pool games under the floodlights at Irish Independent Park in Cork, kicking off at 7.45pm.

Starting the competition away to the Ospreys Select at St. Helen’s, Swansea on Saturday, October 14, the reigning champions will then play host to a number of familiar faces when former Munster assistant coach Ian Costello brings his Nottingham side to Cork on Friday, October 20. Greencore Munster Academy graduates Shane Buckley, Rory Burke and Gearoid Lyons are among those now playing for the English Championship club.

It will be ‘Friday Night Lights’ action in December when Munster entertain Bedford Blues on the eighth of the month, with the return fixture taking place a week later at Goldington Road on Saturday, December 16. It is off to the Bay in Nottingham on Friday, January 12, and Munster ‘A’ complete the pool stages on home soil against the Ospreys Select on Friday, January 19.

MUNSTER ‘A’ FIXTURES – 2017/18 SEASON:

BRITISH & IRISH CUP – POOL 1:

Round 1 – Ospreys Select v Munster ‘A’, St. Helen’s, Saturday, October 14,  2.30pm
Round 2 – Munster ‘A’ v Nottingham, Irish Independent Park, Friday, October 20, 7.45pm
Round 3 – Munster ‘A’ v Bedford Blues, Irish Independent Park, Friday, December 8, 7.45pm
Round 4 – Bedford Blues v Munster ‘A’, Goldington Road, Saturday, December 16, 3pm
Round 5 – Nottingham v Munster ‘A’, the Bay, Friday, January 12, 7.45pm
Round 6 – Munster ‘A’ v Ospreys Select, Irish Independent Park, Friday, January 19, 7.45pm

CHALLENGE MATCHES:

Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’, Thomond Park, Wednesday, October 4, 5.30pm
Munster ‘A’/Development v Ireland Under-20s, Thomond Park, Friday, December 29, 1pm