Munster Off To Portugal
The Munster squad and management flew out of Shannon Airport on Wednesday morning to Faro en route to Browns Sports & Leisure Centre in Vilamoura, Portugal for a week-long training camp.
Included in Munster’s 43-strong, Portugal-bound squad were newcomers this season, French international prop Julien Brugnaut, former Connacht full-back-cum-winger Danny Riordan, Ireland ‘A’ full-back Felix Jones, Kiwi scum half Toby Morland and Limerick-born hooker Damien Varley, who played his rugby last season with London Wasps.
The party includes Munster’s 2009 Lions contingent, although those players will return home on Sunday while their colleagues remain on until next Wednesday ahead of the season opener against Sale Sharks in Cork on Friday wee.
Also included for the Portugal trip are Tomas O’Leary and Jerry Flannery, who are both reported to be making excellent progress from their respective injuries and Academy players, Scott Deasy, Danny Barnes, Michael Sherry, Andrew Burke, Conor Murray and Ian Nagle.
The players involved in the Lions tour will not be involved in the pre-season friendlies nor the early rounds of the Magners League.
With the province’s Lions players reporting for duty to their respective gyms on Monday, the squad had their first get-togther of the season yesterday (Tuesday) at Thomond Park Stadium.
It was probably the easiest session they will have all season, required as they were to present themselves for penpic duties conducted by Inpho Photography’s Dan Sheridan and Morgan Treacy.
Strength and conditioning coach Paul Darbyshire was confined to a watching brief although on Wednesday afternoon he will put the players through their paces in Villamoura for their first session of an intense training week.
MUNSTER Training Squad: Backs (20) – Ronan O’Gara, Keith Earls, Jeremy Manning, Doug Howlett, Lifeimi Mafi, Scott Deasy, Tom Gleeson, Danny Barnes, Danny Riordan, Paul Warwick, Ian Dowling, Felix Jones, Denis Hurley, Barry Murphy, Andrew Burke, Tomas O’Leary, Peter Stringer, Toby Morland, Conor Murray, Duncan Williams.
Forwards (23) – Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, David Wallace, Damien Varley, Darragh Hurley, Tony Buckley, Jerry Flannery, Dave Ryan, Denis Fogarty, Marcus Horan, John Hayes, Stephen Archer, David Sherry, Mick O’Driscoll, Julien Brugnaut, Denis Leamy, Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland, Tommy O’Donnell, Nick Williams, Alan Quinlan, Niall Ronan, Ian Nagle.