Munster Announce Two Teams For Gloucester Pre-Season Game

31 players are set to get game-time when Munster begin their run of pre-season fixtures against English Premiership club Gloucester at Kingsholm on Friday (kick-off 7.30pm).

New head coach Clayton McMillan has finalised two teams for each half to run the rule over as many players as possible, including summer arrivals Dan Kelly, JJ Hanrahan, and Conor Ryan (pictured below).

Munster will host Bath, another of their Investec Champions Cup pool opponents this season, at Virgin Media Park next Friday (kick-off 7pm). Tickets for McMillan’s first home game in charge are available to buy here.

The Munster squad will have an internal match the following week before the BKT United Rugby Championship campaign kicks off with a first round trip to the Scarlets on Saturday, September 27.

Friday’s clash with the Cherry & Whites will see Kelly, Hanrahan, who is back with his home province after a four-year spell away, and second row Ryan, who is on a one-year Development deal, make their first appearances.

Lee Barron and Ireland Sevens international Andrew Smith are also set to feature for the first time since joining Munster permanently in July.

Shane Daly is part of the second-half team on his return from the hamstring injury he sustained in action with Ireland ‘A’ in February. Shay McCarthy, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhán Quinn, and Kieran Ryan are all involved having been promoted from the Academy to the senior squad.

Young hooker Max Clein is listed as a replacement for both halves, while fellow Academy forward Seán Edogbo will start the second half at blindside flanker.

Munster’s pre-season began on Monday, July 21, with an initial five-week block culminating in a training camp at Rockwell College. Their new Head of Athletic Performance, Brad Mayo, has been pleased with the work they have got done.

“The plan was for a good first block of connection, hard work, you know making sure we’re getting better at the parts of our game we need to improve on. Nailing the physical qualities that will underpin how we play,” said New Zealander Mayo.

“We want to be, you know, as fit as we possibly can to play the way we want to play, and then it’s about been really effective in your role. So, those are sort of the guiding principles. We’ve brought in a couple of new things too.

“We’ve been doing a little bit of off-site work. On Monday afternoons at the end of the day, we head down to St. Francis Boxing Club. Put the boys through the paces there. Then Tuesday afternoon, we’ve just been utilising the hills around UL. We’ve had some pretty tough sessions there.

“Thursdays, we’re down to the UL pool to get some swimming in, and then Friday afternoons, we’ve been sort of finishing with some connection type stuff.

“We’ve been using the afternoons to sort of galvanise the boys through hard work and bits and pieces. It’s been good fun, the boys have been enjoying it, but obviously still training hard on the rugby pitch.”

Munster’s Ireland senior and Under-20 Men’s players who were on international duty in the summer were not considered for selection, having only recently started the pre-season training programme.

During pre-season, McMillan’s men held open training sessions at Ennis RFC and Rockwell College with players and staff meeting supporters. A further open training session is planned for Castleisland RFC on Tuesday, September 16. Full details will be announced shortly.

MUNSTER (v Gloucester – First Half): Mike Haley; Andrew Smith, Tom Farrell, Dan Kelly, Shay McCarthy; Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell (capt), John Ryan, Evan O’Connell, Fineen Wycherley, Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Max Clein, Mark Donnelly, Kieran Ryan.

MUNSTER (v Gloucester – Second Half): Thaakir Abrahams; Shane Daly, Seán O’Brien, Alex Nankivell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; JJ Hanrahan, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Lee Barron, Oli Jager, Conor Ryan, Fineen Wycherley/Evan O’Connell, Seán Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn/John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue (capt).

Replacements: Max Clein, Mark Donnelly, Kieran Ryan.