Academy Out-Half Healy To Make His First Start For Munster ‘A’

Head coach Peter Malone has named the Munster ‘A’ team to line out against Dragons ‘A’ in the third round of the Celtic Cup at Irish Independent Park on Friday (kick-off 5.30pm).

Fineen Wycherley captains the Munstermen this week, with nine Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players and seven club representatives included in the squad, as they look to make it three wins on the trot in the Irish-Welsh development competition.

There are five changes to the Munster ‘A’ that defeated the Ospreys Development XV 52-7 in round two as Alex Wootton, Ben Healy, John Poland, Ciaran Parker and Billy Scannell are all drafted in for the province’s second home match.

Jeremy Loughman is joined by Scannell and Parker in the front row as the rest of the pack remains unchanged.
Teenage play-maker Healy makes his first Munster ‘A’ start, joining Poland in a new-look half back pairing, while Wootton completes the senior representation in a back-three that also features Stephen Fitzgerald and Calvin Nash.

Listed among the replacements, Academy front rower Eoghan Clarke, Development player Cronan Gleeson, Paddy Kelly from Young Munster, Newcastle West’s Charlie O’Doherty and Shannon’s Jake Flannery are all in line to make their Munster ‘A’ debuts.

Entry to Celtic Cup home pool games are free for full and associate members of the Munster Rugby Supporters Club. All tickets are general admission – family pack (two adults and two juniors) €;20, adult €;10 and junior €;5.

MUNSTER ‘A’ (v Dragons ‘A’): Stephen Fitzgerald; Alex Wootton, Matt More, Alex McHenry, Calvin Nash; Ben Healy, John Poland; Jeremy Loughman, Billy Scannell, Ciaran Parker, Fineen Wycherley (capt), Sean O’Connor, Jack Daly, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Cronan Gleeson, Keynan Knox, Paddy Kelly, Darragh O’Grady, Charlie O’Doherty, Jake Flannery, Sean French.