Leinster ‘A’ And Munster ‘A’ Name Match Day Squads For IRFU 150 Interpro

Leinster ‘A’ head coach Simon Broughton has made eight personnel changes for their second round match against Munster ‘A’ in the IRFU 150 ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship on Friday evening.

Terenure College RFC’s Lakelands Park will host the two provinces as they go head-to-head on Friday (kick-off 5pm), and Leinster Academy manager Broughton will be aiming for his side to build on last Saturday’s 28-7 bonus point win away to Connacht Eagles.

Entry to the game is free and while parking at the ground in Lakelands will be very limited, there is ample on-street parking in the area. The club will have plenty of food and beverage options available as they welcome Leinster and Munster supporters to Terenure.

Alan Spicer, Alex Soroka, and Scott Penny will make their ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship debuts, while Cormac Foley joins Harry Byrne, who has 70 Leinster senior caps to his name, at half-back.

Number 8 James Culhane, who recently captained Emerging Ireland for their final tour fixture in South Africa, continues to lead a Leinster ‘A’ team that contains a mix of experienced Leinster senior players and young up-and-coming talent.

Wexford Wanderers product Connor Fahy combines with Ben Brownlee in midfield, with Aitzol Arenzana-King and Ciarán Mangan, the scorer of four tries for Blackrock College in this season’s Energia All-Ireland League, joining Ruben Moloney in the back-three.

John McKee continues to build up his match sharpness with another start at hooker after his return from injury. He is joined this week by 19-year-old duo Alex Usanov and Niall Smyth in the front row.

Ireland Under-20 international Spicer, who turned 19 last May, comes into the second row to partner his UCD club-mate Conor O’Tighearnaigh, with Soroka and Penny swapping in for Diarmuid Mangan and Will Connors respectively, in the back row.

There is a Terenure flavour to the Leinster ‘A’ replacements bench, as Fintan Gunne and Caspar Gabriel have been linking up at half-back for ‘Nure this season. Ben Howard and Adam La Grue both played for the club against Garryowen in the Energia All-Ireland League last weekend.

Meanwhile, the Munster ‘A’ squad will be captained by Academy lock Evan O’Connell, who earned his first Munster cap against the All Blacks XV earlier this month.

Senior players Tony Butler, Paddy Patterson, Eoghan Clarke, Tom Ahern, Jack Daly and Brian Gleeson are all named in the starting XV with Scott Buckley and short-term signing Conor Bartley (Young Munster) among the replacements.

There are 12 Munster Rugby Academy players included. Ben O’Connor, Gordon Wood, Gene O’Leary Kareem and Shay McCarthy start in the backline with George Hadden, Ronan Foxe, O’Connell and Ruadhán Quinn in the pack. Seán Edogbo, Jack Oliver, Dylan Hicks and Danny Sheahan are among the replacements.

Cork Constitution’s Eoghan Smyth, who came up through the ranks at Midleton RFC, starts at inside centre.

Fellow club players Emmet Calvey (Shannon RFC), Conor Ryan (UCC RFC), Oisin Pepper and Hubert Gilvarry (both Young Munster) are among the replacements.

Entrance to the game at Lakelands is free of charge.

LEINSTER ‘A’: Ruben Moloney; Aitzol Arenzana-King, Connor Fahy, Ben Brownlee, Ciarán Mangan; Harry Byrne, Cormac Foley; Alex Usanov, John McKee, Niall Smyth, Alan Spicer, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Alex Soroka, Scott Penny, James Culhane (capt).

Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Ben Howard, Rory McGuire, Mahon Ronan, Liam Molony, Fintan Gunne, Caspar Gabriel, Charlie Moloney, Billy Corrigan, Adam La Grue.

MUNSTER ‘A’: Ben O’Connor; Gordon Wood, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Eoghan Smyth, Shay McCarthy; Tony Butler, Paddy Patterson; George Hadden, Eoghan Clarke, Ronan Foxe; Tom Ahern, Evan O’Connell (C); Ruadhán Quinn, Jack Daly, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Scott Buckley, Conor Bartley, Emmet Calvey, Conor Ryan, Seán Edogbo, Jack Oliver, Dylan Hicks, Oisín Pepper, Danny Sheahan, Hubert Gilvarry.