Oliver’s army of Munster fledglings show fruits of hard work

Munster U20s head coach Greig Oliver will point to the Junior World Cup success of JJ Hanrahan, James Rael and Niall Scannell this summer to motivate his current crop as they go into inter-provincial action next week.

Fly-half Hanrahan was the star of the show in South Africa as Ireland’s U20s, captained by hooker Scannell, beat the hosts and eventual champions in their opening game, narrowly missed out on the semi-finals and then knocked off England and France to seal fifth place in the tournament, Ireland’s highest ever finish.

Hanrahan has since joined the Munster squad on a development contract while hookers Rael and Scannell are part of the Munster academy, their progress a reminder to the province’s U18s, 19s and 20s of the potential rewards on offer.