Experienced Munster Abid to sink Pirates

REVENGE will be on Munster A minds in Clonmel tonight (7pm) as they tackle Cornish Pirates, the team they lost to in the inaugural British and Irish Cup final clash a couple of years ago.

Munster’s development squad are ready for action and the experienced Mick O’Driscoll and Peter Stringer have been named in the team. Munster coach Ian Costello will also be looking to Tommy O’Donnell, Stephen Archer, Scott Deasy, Tom Gleeson and skipper Billy Holland, who all have a wealth of RaboDirect PRO12 League experience.

And Munster will need all that experience against a visiting side enjoying a rich vein of form. They haven’t been beaten in five games since losing in Bedford in early October and are leading the Championship by a point over Bristol.

Last time out they beat the Andre Bester-coached Rotherham Titans 30-13 and 15 of that match day squad will be on duty tonight.

MUNSTER: L O’Dea; R O’Mahony, T Gleeson, JJ Hanrahan, S Zebo; S Deasy, P Stringer; D Kilcoyne, S Henry, S Archer; M O’Driscoll, I Nagle; B Holland, T O’Donnell, P Butler.

Replacements: D Casey, J Ryan, D Foley, B O’Hara, D Williams, D Moroney (UL Bohs), C Hircock.

CORNISH PIRATES: M Evans; R McAtee, D Locke, S Hill, D Doherty; R Cook, T Kessell; R Storer, D Ward, C Rimmer; L McGlone, I Nimmo; C Morgan, C Walker-Blair, K Marriott.

Replacements: T Cowan-Dickie, R Elloway, P Andrew, B Cowan, P Burgess, G Cattle, R Western.