Rowntree hands Butler the out-half reins as Carbery set for surgery

Summer signings Alex Nankivell and Seán O’Brien make their first starts, while there is a place on the bench for former Cork and St Finbarr's hurler Ben O'Connor. 

NEXT MAN UP: Tony Butler. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Academy fly-half Tony Butler is set to make his first senior start for Munster against BKT URC rivals Dragons in Cork on Saturday after the province revealed Joey Carbery is set for surgery on an injured wrist.

Carbery’s omission from the Musgrave Park clash comes following an injury sustained during last Sunday’s 13-13 draw at Benetton. 

The playmaker is believed to have picked up the injury early in the second half in Treviso but played the full 80 minutes and kicked the conversion that ensured Munster would snatch two match points following Tom Ahern’s 79th-minute try.

Carbery went for a scan on the injured wrist on Tuesday and is now set to see a specialist next week for surgery, Munster said on Friday as head coach Graham Rowntree unveiled his team for this first outing of the season in Cork.

Butler, whose previous senior cap came as part of a Covid-hit selection against Wasps in the Champions Cup in December 2021, is one of seven changes from the side that kept its unbeaten start to the season alive in Italy last weekend.

Summer signings Alex Nankivell and Seán O’Brien make their first starts having come off the bench at Benetton with New Zealand A player Nankivell handed the outside centre berth and former Connacht and Exeter centre O’Brien deployed on the wing.

Butler, 21, will make his first competitive start in partnership with returning Ireland scrum-half Craig Casey and will have World Cup out-half Jack Crowley as back-up. 

The rookie fly-half is one of seven academy players included in Rowntree’s matchday squad with loosehead prop Kieran Ryan and lock Edwin Edogbo continuing in the starting line-up while loosehead Mark Donnelly, back rowers Ruadhán Quinn and Brian Gleeson, as well as full-back and potential debutant Ben O’Connor among the replacements. 

CODE-BREAKER: Ben O'Connor of Cork during the oneills.com Munster GAA Hurling U20 Championship Round 5 match between Limerick and Cork. Pic: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

O'Connor made the permanent switch to rugby ahead of this season following his GAA exploits with Cork and St Finbarr's.

There are three changes to the pack. Veteran tighthead John Ryan set for his first start since his summer return from the Chiefs as Stephen Archer moves to the bench, Ahern replacing Fineen Wycherley in the second row after an impactful performance off the bench last week and Alex Kendellen also moving from replacement to starter at openside flanker in a side captained once again from the blindside by Jack O’Donoghue.

Dragons are missing 20 senior players from their squad travelling to Cork from south Wales with seven of that number on duty for Wales against the Barbarians on Saturday. 

Test back-rower Taine Basham will make his first start of the campaign and scrum-half Rhodri Williams is set for his 100th appearance for the province as Dragons bid for a first victory of the season.

MUNSTER: S Daly; S O’Brien, A Nankivell, R Scannell, C Nash; T Butler, C Casey; K Ryan, D Barron, J Ryan; E Edogbo, T Ahern; J O’Donoghue - captain, A Kendellen, G Coombes.

Replacements: S Buckley, M Donnelly, S Archer, R Quinn, B Gleeson, P Patterson, J Crowley, B O’Connor.

DRAGONS: A O’Brien; C Baldwin, S Hughes - captain, J Dixon, A Hewitt; W Reed, R Williams; R Jones, B Roberts, L Yendle; J Davies, G Nott; R Woodman, J Benjamin, Taine Basham.

Replacements: B Coghlan, A Seiuli, N Evans, B Langton-Cryer, G Young, D Blacker, A Owen, E Rosser.

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland).