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Munster ‘A’ To Field Experienced Line-Up

Munster ‘A’ To Field Experienced Line-Up

Munster ‘A’ head coach Ian Costello has selected a team that includes six players with Heineken Cup experience for their British & Irish Cup Pool 5 duel with Aberavon at the Talbot Athletic Ground on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm).

South African back rower CJ Stander will make his debut in the cross-border competition. He would almost certainly have been in the current European squad only for sustaining a hand injury in his second outing since arriving in Ireland.

Stander is part of a formidable-looking back row trio which includes team captain Sean Dougall and David O’Callaghan.

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Munster need to win the game to keep control of Pool 7 and Ian Costello can expect a serious examination for his squad at the Talbot Athletic Ground on Saturday.

When the sides met at Tralee RFC in October, the Welsh club led 8-7 at half-time and extended their lead with an early second half penalty.

However, once Munster ‘A’ got into their rhythm tries from Barry O’Mahony and his brother Ronan helped the province to a 19-11 victory.

Of the team that started that day, try scorer Barry O’Mahony (groin) is a notable absentee this time around as well as two others to impress in Tralee – Cian Bohane (knee) and Corey Hircock (ankle).

The skipper back then, hooker Sean Henry, will travel with the Munster senior squad to Edinburgh as an additional player and in-form flanker Tommy O’Donnell is a starter at Murrayfield on Sunday.

First year Academy players Brian Haugh and Darren Sweetnam, named on the ‘A’ team’s replacements bench, have been included in a British & Irish Cup squad for the first time.

MUNSTER ‘A’ (v Aberavon): Denis Hurley; Danny Barnes, Scott Deasy, Ivan Dineen, Ronan O’Mahony; JJ Hanrahan, Cathal Sheridan; James Cronin, Duncan Casey, Alan Cotter, David Foley, Ian Nagle, David O’Callaghan, Sean Dougall (capt), CJ Stander.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Christy Condon, Brian Hayes, Ryan Murphy, Brian Haugh, Johnny Holland, Darren Sweetnam.