Wycherley ready to go through the numbers

Second row or number six? That’s the big question facing Bantry’s Fineen Wycherley going into possibly the most important season of his highly-promising rugby career.

The 21-year-old has mostly togged out in the second row, in the colours of Cistercian College, Roscrea, and Young Munster.

With four Munster players involved with Ireland in Japan in the two rows of the scrum, there is every opportunity for the younger brigade to put their hands up in pursuit of selection for the biggest days.

“I’ve been trying to narrow down where I should aim for, be it four, five, or six. I’m probably young yet to try and specialise in any one of them. For now, I might go for the second row but further down the line, most of the opportunities might come at six, and I’d never say I wouldn’t play there.

“It’s a long season. After the two warm-up games, we have three league games, two weeks off, and then 13 games in a row or something like that, and I can’t wait for it.”

There will be a long list of youngsters trying to catch the eye in Munster’s friendly with London Irish at Musgrave Park tomorrow night.

Wycherley has already shown his steel against the old enemy at Thomond Park last December, when he refused to step back an inch in his head-to-head with Johnny Sexton.

I know I need to improve my ball-carrying and like us all, I’ve had a one-on-one with Johann (van Graan) and I’ll be looking to build on last year when I was lucky to get a few chances.

"Like against Leinster when Pete was rested and I was lucky to get in.

"It was obviously a massive occasion for me, my first start in Thomond Park. Hopefully I can kick on again this season, get a few early starts and build momentum for the rest of the season.”