Sent to Coventry, but Coughlan ready

By Barry Coughlan

Friday, November 20, 2009

JAMES COUGHLAN is intent on helping Munster A enhance an unbeaten seasonal record when he captains the team in the opening clash of the new British and Irish Cup against English championship side Coventry at Butts Stadium, Coventry, tonight (7.45pm)

Coughlan is confident Munster’s domestic record against what he described as quality Leinster and Ulster teams over the last six weeks would stand to his side.

Coughlan was particularly prominent in his side’s most recent victory, against Ulster in Musgrave Park, and in welcoming the new competition he said: "It’s a great opportunity for us all but particularly for the younger players. There’s a real team feeling and a significant benefit has been the fact that we have had our own coaching team assigned to us – Axel (Anthony Foley) and Ian Costello have been magnificent.

"We’ve seen the game between them (Coventry) and Bristol and we’re under no illusions about the task we face on Friday."

Munster include internationals Denis Hurley, Julien Brugnaut and Niall Ronan, who comes in for the injured Tommy O’Donnell, while A international Felix Jones is at full back with the experienced Nick Williams on the bench.

Ian Whitten has been given the task of bringing Ulster into a new competition at Ravenhill tonight (7.30pm); Whitten features in a predominately young backline along with other young guns Tommy Seymour, Johnny Shiels and Chris Cochrane.

Up front there’s a more experienced flavour with a strong front row featuring Bryan Young, Andi Kyriacau and Declan Fitzpatrick.

Paul O’Donohue leads Leinster into battle against Plymouth Albion in their opener at the Brickfields Recreation Grounds, Plymouth tomorrow (4.30pm).

O’Donohoe partners Ian McKinley in a backline which includes youth, in the shape of David Kearney, Michael Keating Brendan Macken and Niall Morris, and experience in Shaun Berne who starts at inside centre.

John Fogarty starts at hooker in a pack which includes the Ruddock brothers, Ciaran and Rhys, as well as Ireland’s Trevor Hogan and Stephen Keogh who starts at eight.

MUNSTER A: Munster ‘A’. F Jones; D Riordan, T Gleeson, S Deasy, D Hurley; D Cusack, D Williams; J Brugnaut, M Sherry, S Archer; I Nagle, D Foley; B Holland, N Ronan, J Coughlan capt.

Replacements: S Henry, D Kilcoyne, N Williams, P O’Mahony, D Barnes, S Zebo, P Rowley.

ULSTER RAVENS: C Schifcoske, T Seymour, J Shiels, I Whitten (captain), C Cochrane, N O’Connor, P Marshall, B Young, A Kyriacou, D Fitzpatrick, D Tuohy, N McComb, D Pollock, T Horua, W Faloon.

Replacements: N Brady, P McAllister, E O’Donoghue, C Henry, C Willis, I Humphreys, J Smith.

LEINSTER: N. Morris, M. Keating, B. Macken, S. Berne, D. Kearney, I. McKinley, P. O’Donohue (captain), R. McCormack, J. Fogarty, J. McGrath, T. Hogan, C. Ruddock, R. Ruddock, Stephen Keogh, D. Ryan.

Replacements. R. Strauss, S. Maguire, M. Flanagan, P. Ryan, Simon Keogh, E. O’Malley, A. Conway.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, November 20, 2009