Munster’s new players opt to join Limerick clubs

MUNSTER’S three new signings will all play their club rugby in Limerick this year with Eddie Halvey returning to play his club rugby with Shannon, Dominic Malone teaming up with UL Bohemians and Australian prop Simon Kerr joining Garryowen.

Alan Gaffney's extended squad will meet Connacht today in a trial game at the Sportsground (kick-off 3 pm).

There will be no admission fee for this game. The game will consist of three periods, 30 minutes, 40 minutes and 30 minutes.

Connacht will be without lock Warwick Waugh who is troubled by a hamstring injury but it is expected he will be fit for the opening Celtic League game away to Borders in Selkirk on Friday August 30.

AIL Division Three hopefuls Clonakilty have signed David Corkery as coach/player.

Corkery's professional career ended three years ago when he snapped his Achilles tendon but he is prepared to give the game another try.

"If it happens, it happens. If I take the field again it will be totally as an amateur and it is likely that I will play in the centre.

"I'm 29 and I miss the playing side of rugby. I'm prepared to take the risk."

Corkery is employed by the IRFU as a regional development officer in Munster and is allowed, as part of the deal, to help coach Clonakilty.

Neil Doak is poised to make a surprise return to the Ulster side for tonight's final warm-up game against Glasgow at Ravenhill (7.30 pm).

He missed Ireland's current two-week session in Limerick with a groin injury, but following the withdrawal of Kieran Campbell, Doak is certain to start. Campbell has failed to recover from a rib injury sustained in the game against Bedford last week.

Meanwhile Leinster open the defence of their Celtic League title in front of the TG4 cameras against Welsh Cup holders Pontypridd at Donnybrook on Friday week (7.35).

And captain Reggie Corrigan declares: "We are desperate to successfully defend our Celtic title but it will be probably 10 times harder to do that than it was to win it.

"I am sure the Welsh clubs in particular will want to make a better impression this time and we fully expect

Pontypridd to be a real handful in the opening round.

Celtic League chairman Bill Watson said: "We are delighted this quality competition goes into its second year with a sound base on which to build upon. The Celtic identity will come through strongly as the product builds up and, with the high quality of matches in the pool stages, it promises to be an extremely exciting tournament.

And this season we have the advantage of the whole tournament culminating before the start of the Six Nations."

ULSTER (v Glasgow): B Cunningham; J Topping; R Constable, J Bell; S Coulter; A Larkin, K Campbell; J Fitzpatrick, M Sexton, R Kempson, T McWhirter, J Davidson, A Ward, capt, W Brosnihan, R Nelson.

Replacements: C Boyd, P Shields, M Blair, R Brink, R Spee, S Stewart, J Cunningham.

GLASGOW: S Moffat; J Steel; A Bulloch, A Henderson, R Kerr; T Hayes, G Beveridge; C Blades, G Bulloch, L Harrison or D Hilton, A Hall, J White, capt, A Wilson, D Macfadyen, J Petrie.

Replacements: M Bartlett, I McInroy, C Howarth, A Nicol, G Simpson, N Ross, B Daly, A Kelly.

CONNACHT (v Munster): G Duffy, J Norton, D O'Sullivan, M McPhail, W Munn, S Moore, M Walls, D McFarland, M Uijs, P Bracken, A Maher, C Rigney, M Swift, P Neville, J O'Sullivan, T Robinson, D Yapp, T Allnutt, E Elwood, C Keane, R McCormack, R Frost, J O'Sullivan, J O'Connor, E Peters, J Meagher, O Grennan, M McHugh, E Reddan, F Boiroux, H Bourke, W Maxwell, J Muldoon.

MUNSTER: J Lacey; M Lawlor, C Mahony, J Holland, K O'Riordan; J Staunton, D Malone; P Brennan, J Fogarty, W O'Kelly; M Galwey, D O'Callaghan; E Halvey, C McMahon, J Williams (capt)

Replacements: J Blaney, J Cullinane, T Hogan, D Bowles, M Prendergast, K Keane, T Cregan. (All Munster squad will play).