Ulster And Munster ‘A’ Teams Selected For Second Interpro Meeting

The Ulster and Munster ‘A’ teams meet for the second time in the space of three weeks, facing off at Shaw’s Bridge on Friday (kick-off 3pm) as the IRFU 150 ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship continues. Entrance is £5 for adults, and under 18s have free admission.

Having lost their opener away to their Leinster counterparts, Munster ‘A’ opened their win account in the competition with a 50-33 victory over Ulster ‘A’ in Nenagh the last day.

Liam Coombes, who bagged a brace of tries on his return from injury, Brian Gleeson, Hubert Gilvarry, Ben O’Connor, Oisin Minogue, and Danny Sheahan all touched down for the hosts.

For tomorrow’s rematch in Belfast, Ulster ‘A’ head coach Gavin Hogg includes Lukas Kenny again on the right wing. He scored two tries against Munster ‘A’ in Nenagh, and continues to build up his game-time following a long absence through injury.

Ben McFarlane and Wilhelm de Klerk are also retained at full-back and outside centre respectively, with the latter partnered in midfield by former Dungannon and Ulster player Peter Nelson.

IQ Rugby recruit Dan Green, who has been training with the Ireland Under-19 squad this season, has Conor McKee alongside him at half-back, and Academy winger Ethan Graham slots in on the left wing.

Jacob Boyd is joined in the front row by Bryan O’Connor and hooker and captain James McCormick, and former Ulster Academy forward Matthew Dalton is promoted from the bench to form the lock pairing with Joe Hopes.

Academy back rower Bryn Ward features at number 8, meaning both Ward brothers will line out for the province this weekend as Zac will makes his BKT United Rugby Championship debut against Munster at Kingspan Stadium on Friday night.

Tom Brigg and Reuben Crothers, the Ulster ‘A’ skipper last time out, continue as starters in the back row, and Hogg, Ulster’s Academy Manager, has eleven players on the replacements bench for this fixture.

Connor Magee, Jack Boal, Cameron Doak, Flynn Longstaff, James McKillop, Josh Stevens, Michael McDonald, Fraser Cunningham, Josh Gibson, Conor Rankin, and Jack Harte are all standing by to have some involvement in the game.

Meanwhile, Munster ‘A’ will again field a mix of senior, Academy, and club players in their 25-man squad. Munster’s Academy & Pathway manager Gearoid Prendergast leads their ‘A’ coaching team, with Tommy O’Donnell the head coach.

Senior players Bryan Fitzgerald, Tony Butler, Scott Buckley, Conor Bartley, and captain Jack Daly are all included in the starting line-up.

Academy players Dylan Hicks, Shay McCarthy, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Jack Oliver, George Hadden, Michael Foy, and Sean Edogbo all start, with Danny Sheahan, Kieran Ryan, and Jake O’Riordan listed among the replacements.

Hicks, McCarthy, and Young Munster clubman Gilvarry (pictured above) start together in the back-three, and Butler and Oliver will direct operations from half-back.

Garryowen ace Fitzgerald, who signed a three-month contract extension with Munster in October, combines with 19-year-old starlet O’Leary Kareem in midfield.

Highfield’s Conor Kennelly gets another start in the second row, this time with Foy alongside him, supporting a front row trio of Hadden, Buckley, the scorer of five tries for Cork Constitution in this season’s Energia All-Ireland League, and Bartley.

Old Crescent’s Jonathan Byrne is the only personnel change in the back row, although Gleeson’s involvement with the province’s senior team sees Edogbo switch to number 8, and Kerry native Daly moves to the openside berth.

Club players Christian Foley (Young Munster), Fionn O’Meara (Nenagh Ormond), Des Fitzgerald (Garryowen), Bobby Doherty (Clonmel), Tom Wood (Garryowen), Harry Murphy (UCC), and Jed O’Dwyer (Old Crescent) are among the bench options for Prendergast and O’Donnell.

ULSTER ‘A’: Ben McFarlane; Lukas Kenny, Wilhelm de Klerk, Peter Nelson, Ethan Graham; Dan Green, Conor McKee; Jacob Boyd, James McCormick (capt), Bryan O’Connor, Matthew Dalton, Joe Hopes, Tom Brigg, Reuben Crothers, Bryn Ward.

Replacements: Connor Magee, Jack Boal, Cameron Doak, Flynn Longstaff, James McKillop, Josh Stevens, Michael McDonald, Fraser Cunningham, Josh Gibson, Conor Rankin, Jack Harte.

MUNSTER ‘A’: Dylan Hicks; Shay McCarthy, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Bryan Fitzgerald, Hubert Gilvarry; Tony Butler, Jack Oliver; George Hadden, Scott Buckley, Conor Bartley, Conor Kennelly, Michael Foy, Jonathan Byrne, Jack Daly (capt), Sean Edogbo.

Replacements: Danny Sheahan, Christian Foley, Kieran Ryan, Fionn O’Meara, Des Fitzgerald, Bobby Doherty, Jake O’Riordan, Tom Wood, Harry Murphy, Jed O’Dwyer.

IRFU 150 ‘A’ INTERPROVINCAL CHAMPIONSHIP – RESULTS SO FAR:

Saturday, November 16 –

CONNACHT EAGLES 7 LEINSTER ‘A’ 28, Creggs RFC

Friday, November 22 –

ULSTER ‘A’ 14 CONNACHT EAGLES 40, Kingspan Stadium

LEINSTER ‘A’ 22 MUNSTER ‘A’ 7, Lakelands Park

Friday, November 29 –

MUNSTER ‘A’ 50 ULSTER ‘A’ 33, New Ormond Park

FIXTURES TO COME:

Saturday, December 21 –

LEINSTER ‘A’ v CONNACHT EAGLES, Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm

December 28/29 –

CONNACHT EAGLES v ULSTER ‘A’; MUNSTER ‘A’ v LEINSTER ‘A’

May 9/10 –

CONNACHT EAGLES v MUNSTER ‘A’; LEINSTER ‘A’ v ULSTER ‘A’

May 16/17 –

MUNSTER ‘A’ v CONNACHT EAGLES; ULSTER ‘A’ v LEINSTER ‘A’