Foley in charge as Munster campaign begins

ANTHONY FOLEY, described by former Munster coach Alan Gaffney as one of the most astute brains in rugby, will lead Munster again this season.

As Munster prepare for the opening game of the Celtic League against the Scottish Borders (the Reivers) at Thomond Park on Friday (7.10), coach Declan Kidney is in the happy position of being able to call on experience.

Foley will be joined in the squad of 24 by Peter Stringer, Marcus Horan, Frank Sheahan, Denis Leamy, David Wallace and Alan Quinlan, all of whom were on Ireland’s summer tour to Japan. Also included is Trevor Hogan who made his international debut in Japan.

John Kelly, who received six stitches to a cut over his eye against Leicester, and Shaun Payne, who missed that game with a neck strain, have both been included in the squad.

Coach Declan Kidney will delay naming his starting XV until later in the week - possibly Friday - pending progress reports on the pair.

The Munster U21s kick-off the Interprovincial series with a trip to Ravenhill to play defending champions, Ulster, on Friday (7.30pm), hot on the heels of a superb victory over Leicester’s U21s two weeks ago.

The squad for the upcoming championship includes ten players from UCC, four from Shannon, three each from UL Bohemian, Garryowen and Cork Constitution, two from Dolphin and one each from Highfield, Clonakilty, Crescent College Comprehensive, Limerick and Presentation Brothers College, Cork.

The Munster U21 team is coached by Buccaneers coach Geoff Moylan. David O’Mahony (Dolphin RFC) and Paul Cunningham (Garryowen FC) are assistant coaches. The team is managed by Donal Brennan from Shannon RFC, with Ian Costello on board as technical advisor.

Much of the focus in the European Challenge Cup match next month will be on Connacht.

The tournament kicks-off on October 22 with Agen leading the hunt for honours, but Connacht could well benefit from a new format that guarantees them, as one of 20 participating clubs, a minimum of six games.

The knock-out structure is gone and opening against Italian opposition should strengthen the challenge.

The five pool winners and the best three runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals of the tournament, which is set to finish late in May, side by side with the Heineken Cup.

lIn move which has shocked Shannon, scrumhalf Fiach O'Loughlin has told the club that he intends to transfer to Clontarf.

He said his disappointment at not being considered for a professional contract for either Munster or Connacht was the reason for his departure and maintained the Clontarf move could put him in line for a Leinster contract.

MUNSTER (from): S Payne, J Manning, J Kelly, R Henderson, M Lawlor, T Halstead, B Murphy, P Burke, F Murphy, P Stringer, D Ryan, A Foley, D Wallace, D Leamy, F Pucciariello, J Flannery, M Horan, A Quinlan, F Roche, F Sheahan, J O’Sullivan, M O’Driscoll, S Keogh, T Hogan.

MUNSTER U21 SQUAD 2005/6: R Feeney (UL Bohemian), D Hurley (UCC), B Duggan (UCC), C Costigan (Shannon), C Parkes (UL Bohemian), K Griffin (Shannon), D Ryan (Highfield), M O’Hea (Clonakilty), B Nagle (UCC), C Kenefick (UCC), B Holland (UCC), N Melbourne (Garryowen), B O’Mahony (Crescent College Comprehensive), M Essex (UCC), N O’Brien (Shannon), D Sherry (Garryowen), T Barry (Cork Constitution), D Williams (UCC), S Cronin (PBC), E Ryan (UCC), E Mills (Dolphin), T Gleeson (Cork Con), A Ross (Cork Con), E Moloney (UCC), I Hanley (UL Bohemian), B Moran (Shannon), G O’Keeffe (Dolphin), C Doyle (Garryowen).

U21 interprovincial fixtures: Friday, September 2: Ulster v Munster, Ravenhill, 7.30pm; Friday September 9: Connacht v Munster, Sportsgrounds, Galway, 6pm; Friday September 16: Munster v Leinster, Thomond Park, 7pm. Play-off weekend, Saturday, September 24, in Buccaneers RFC.

Results to date: v Leicester, won 21-3; v Munster Development XV, lost 5-19.