Munster add academy out-half to Champions Cup squad to ease injury problems
Munster have moved to ease their fly-half problems by adding academy number 10 Ben Healy to their Heineken Champions Cup squad.
Johann van Graan faces the prospect of kicking off this season’s European campaign this Saturday at Ospreys without first-choice Joey Carbery and possibly JJ Hanrahan, leaving Tyler Bleyendaal as the only fit out-half in the province’s 41-man squad for the competition.
Neither Carbery (ankle) nor Hanrahan (hamstring) has been deselected from that nominated panel, however.
Instead, Ireland Under-20 star Healy has been promoted at the expense of wing Alex Wootton and is now in line for a European debut in Swansea this weekend as back-up to Bleyendaal, should Hanrahan not pass fit.
Champions Cup organisers EPCR today released a list of the tournament’s squad changes with 10 players involved in the recent World Cup prominent among the 35 players swapped out by their clubs.
They include World Cup final man of the match Handré Pollard and France captain Guilhem Guirado, both removed by Montpellier, and Leinster’s No.8 Jack Conan, who along with long-term injury victim and fellow back-rower Dan Leavy was replaced by Ireland U20 forwards Ryan Baird and Scott Penny.
Leo Cullen has made three further changes to his squad, with Cian Kelleher and Ciaran Frawley replacing backs Fergus McFadeen and Barry Daly while Bryan Byrne is a front-row replacement for Vakh Abdaladze.
Connacht have altered their front-row options with Peter McCabe in for Paddy McAllister and back-row Sean O’Brien has been replaced by Niall Murray, while Ulster’s squad remains unaltered.
