Foley: Players can expect ‘tough physical battle’

MUNSTER A coach Anthony Foley has entrusted the same forwards that battled past Nottingham last week to do a repeat job on Esher in tonight’s British and Irish Cup clash at Garryowen’s Dooradoyle (7.30pm).

Foley is expecting another tough outing for his pack after they helped Munster A to a 15-14 win at Meadow Lane last Friday, Scott Deasy kicking all the points from five penalties to keep the province in second place in Pool B and on course to advance to the knock-out stages.

“Last time we played at home in the B&I Cup we lost, so there can be no room whatsoever for complacency,” Foley said. “As an English Championship side with a strong pack we’re in store for a tough physical battle and look forward to it.

“We played them last season (in a friendly) so we have some knowledge of what they are capable of, and nothing has changed in that we still have to go out and win all our games. We hope that the local supporters will come out in numbers and look at some of the younger Munster players in action.”

Deasy is one of three backs saved for senior squad duty the following day at home to London Irish in the Heineken Cup with Tom Gleeson and Denis Hurley also missing from the line-up which started in Nottingham last week.

In their absence, Declan Cusack is named at fly-half, Troy Smith replaces Gleeson at inside centre and Sean Scanlon takes over from Hurley at full-back.

Duncan Williams gets the nod at scrum-half over Conor Murray, who is named on the bench, from where Simon Zebo comes to start on the wing.

MUNSTER (v Esher): S Scanlon; D Barnes, I Dineen, T Smith, S Zebo; D Cusack, D Williams; D Kilcoyne, S Henry, S Archer; AN Other, D Foley; B Holland — captain, T O’Donnell, P Butler.

Replacements: D Casey, P Borlase, D O’Callaghan, B O’Hara, C Murray, JJ Hanrahan, C Hircock.