B&I Cup SF: Munster A vs Leinster A, Fri 26th April 7:30pm (Garryowen FC, Dooradoyle)

thomond2006

Munster A:
S Scanlon; C Hircock, D Barnes, I Dineen, R O’Mahony; JJ Hanrahan, D Williams; J Cronin, S Henry Capt., A Cotter; D Foley, I Nagle; N Ronan, B O’Mahony, CJ Stander.

Replacements: D Casey, M Horan, B Hayes, S Dougall, J Holland, S Deasy, C Bohane.

Leinster A:
15: Fionn Carr
14: Andrew Boyle
13: Adam Byrne
12: Noel Reid
11: Sam Coghlan-Murray
10: Cathal Marsh
9: Luke McGrath

1: Jack O'Connell
2: Aaron Dundon
3: Michael Bent
4: Tom Denton
5: Mark Flanagan
6: Ben Marshall
7: Conor Gilsenan CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a

REPLACEMENTS:
16: James Tracy
17: Martin Moore
18: Tadhg Beirne
19: Daniel Leavy
20: Adam Griggs
21: Tom Daly
22: Mick McGrath

The winner goes through to the final, which will be away to either Bedford Blues or Newcastle. Munster A are the defending B&I Cup champions.

Tox56

15: Fionn Carr
14: Andrew Boyle
13: Adam Byrne
12: Noel Reid
11: Sam Coghlan-Murray
10: Cathal Marsh
9: Luke McGrath
1: Jack O'Connell
2: Aaron Dundon
3: Michael Bent
4: Tom Denton
5: Mark Flanagan
6: Ben Marshall
7: Conor Gilsenan CAPTAIN
8: Leo Auva'a
REPLACEMENTS:
16: James Tracy
17: Martin Moore
18: Tadhg Beirne
19: Daniel Leavy
20: Adam Griggs
21: Tom Daly
22: Mick McGrath


Adam Byrne returns!

.ak

And at 13! He is the anointed one.

.ak

I'm actually more impressed by Gilly's return. Absolutely deserves the captain's armband. There's a feck load of pace in the leinster team sheet, including the forwards. That's the most balanced Leinster A side I've seen this season. Pity its on a Friday.

ssaye

All aboard the Adam Byrne Bandwagon

.ak

Who's Mick Mcgrath?

Hype710

Don't really get why Munster would select Henry and Barnes ahead of Casey and Bohane when they're leaving, I suppose they really want to win this! Could say the same about Fionn Carr but there isn't any fit backs left in Leinster. Collie O'Shea had his third operation in 6 months according to his twitter.

Hype710

Not having one of Ryan or Ruddock is a bit odd.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Hype710 wrote: »

Not having one of Ryan or Ruddock is a bit odd.

If SOB has a knock they might want someone extra available as injury cover.

I've learned not to take the A teams as gospel. Someone could be added to that team when the senior team is announced or when SOB has a fitness test or something similar.

CGD

.ak wrote: »

And at 13! He is the anointed one.

Not sure if he is a 13 he is still very raw and I wouldn't be convinced that it will work

ssaye

CGD wrote: »

Not sure if he is a 13 he is still very raw and I wouldn't be convinced that it will work

Plays plenty at 13, FB and wing. Hope he is developed as a 13. God we need them coming through.

.ak

ssaye wrote: »

All aboard the Adam Byrne Bandwagon

I'm printing up masks as we speak...

Hope everyone realizes I'm being tongue-in-cheek with the hype btw! :P

CGD wrote: »

Not sure if he is a 13 he is still very raw and I wouldn't be convinced that it will work

He's played for Leinster at 13 at u18s level, against Ulster, and was very good. This obviously a step up, but it's only a good thing for him to get game time there. If he does progress as a back three player in the next year or two it'll be very handy that he can cover 13, especially with BOD knocking on retirements door, and Macken/EOM still struggling to stay fit/in form for a season.

.ak

What's the story with LOD?

Quint2010

Great to see Leavy back too. Still only 18!

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

What's the story with LOD?

Another injury plagued season unfortunately.

ssaye

Reid is usually very good at this level when playing 12 so I hope for a good game from him too.

He aint a 10 or FB for me in anyway.

Hagz

Wow, Gilly's got the captaincy. Impressive.

durkadurka

What do we make of Williams selection for Munster? Does that put him behind Sheridan?

CIARAN_BOYLE

durkadurka wrote: »

What do we make of Williams selection for Munster? Does that put him behind Sheridan?

In my opinion it suggests that Sheridan will be on the HEC bench

durkadurka

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

In my opinion it suggests that Sheridan will be on the HEC bench

Thats a change to the pecking order isnt it?

thomond2006

durkadurka wrote: »

What do we make of Williams selection for Munster? Does that put him behind Sheridan?

Sheridan is definitely second choice at this stage, yes.

I assume DOCII will travel over to Montpellier as cover.

.ak

This fixture last year yielded some great stars for the future, namely Kilcoyne, Moore, and LOD. Hopefully a few more catch the eye this year.

CIARAN_BOYLE

durkadurka wrote: »

Thats a change to the pecking order isnt it?

Sheridan got ahead of williams during the six nations I think.

Was on the bench v Leinster and Quins and started v Dragons

durkadurka

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Sheridan got ahead of williams during the six nations I think.

Was on the bench v Leinster and Quins and started v Dragons

Hadn't noticed, cheers.

CIARAN_BOYLE

durkadurka wrote: »

Hadn't noticed, cheers.

Well he didn't get on v Quins or Leinster so it was kind of ignored by a lot of punters.

mohawk

I see Dineen is named and it begs the question whether that means Earls is fit??)

phog

Looking forward to this game, hope it's a repeat of last year without the extra time. Delighted to see Byrne in the flesh, just hope Dineen and Barnes don't allow him to shine too much. Great to see Dougall back, I thought he'd miss a few more games.
Deasy has slipped further down the pecking order with JJ starting a OH.

G'wan Munster

phog

mohawk wrote: »

I see Dineen is named and it begs the question whether that means Earls is fit??)

Surely if Earls wasn't fit then Dineen would have travelled to France as cover

Actually, reading your post again, I picked you up incorrectly, I thought you were questioning Earls' fitness rather taking Dineen inclusion on the A team as a sign that Earls is fit.

Apologies.

Teferi

Maybe I was just being braindead but I didn't know Girv coached the A's. I knew he was involved with development but not this. Good to see anyway.

.ak

Teferi wrote: »

Maybe I was just being braindead but I didn't know Girv coached the A's. I knew he was involved with development but not this. Good to see anyway.

Well it happened mid-season I think so understandable. Collie got the elite development role with the IRFU, Girve was the backs/attack coach for the A's and got promoted.

opinionatedfan

thats a pretty young leinster team.

CIARAN_BOYLE

opinionatedfan wrote: »

thats a pretty young leinster team.

There is a lot of depth missing

VDM injured means McGrath with seniors and JOC starting
No Ruddock no Ryan (both seniors) No Murphy (injury)
No Browne (if fit would have been with seniors pushing Roux or Toner into A squad)
No Cooney at 9
Goodman Darcy Macken and EOM missing strains the centre with Leinster having to field two teams.
No Hudson, D Kearney or Fitzgerald (means conway is with seniors) puts strain on the back 3

ormond lad

.ak wrote: »

Who's Mick Mcgrath?

Clontarf player. Don't know anything else about him
Would love to go into this. Havent seen Cathal Marsh play since I was playing mini rugby with him In Dublin 15 years ago!!
Munster should win this. Leinster have a much younger side out and I think we will just edge this

lurtz

Mick McGrath is a tarf winger who spent last year playing pro with plymouth albion in the championship.
Quite a strong and powerful lad with a big chest

molloyjh

lurtz wrote: »

... with a big chest

Not something I usually look for in a winger :pac:

lurtz

molloyjh wrote: »

Not something I usually look for in a winger :pac:

Ha its just what I noticed about him when I saw him play

opinionatedfan

1. JOC(23) v Cronin(22)
2. Dundon(30) v Henry(25)
3. Bent(27) v Cotter(26)
4. Denton(25) v Foley(24)
5. Flanagan(23) v Nagle(24)
6. Marshall(22) v Ronan(30)
7. Gilsenan(20) v BOM(26)
8. Au'ava(28) v CJ(23)
9. McGrath(20) v Williams(27)
10. Marsh(20) v JJ(20)
11. SCM(21) v ROM(23)
12. Reid(22) v Dineen(25)
13. Byrne(18) v Barnes(23)
14. Boyle(21) v Hircock(22)
15. Carr(27) v Scanlon(24)

Buer

A very exciting Leinster side and would love to see how they get on. On paper though, I think they'll just be too callow to get anything out of this. Whilst a lot of their players might have a high ceiling in terms of development, they're far from there yet. Munster have a very seasoned side. 263 senior caps in that side. I'd expect them to be able to outmuscle Leinster overall.

Liveforrugby

so who won, who played well etc =D

Buer

Liveforrugby wrote: »

so who won, who played well etc =D

Leinster by a point, 32-31. Adam Byrne with two tries. Crossed in the final seconds after finishing a move he started in his own 22 with an outrageous break. Marsh with conversion from the touchline to win it.

Ben Marshall dominated the line out. Stole three opposition throws. Gilsenan was absolutely everywhere, tackled like a demon and won several penalties on the deck.

Then I woke up from my nice dream and remembered the match is on tomorrow!

:pac:

Liveforrugby

although in my own defense op did state that the game was on the 25th

thomond2006

d'oh, my bad

Hype710

Might see Dom Ryan in this now seeing as he wasn't named in the Leinster side.

jamiedav2011

Hype710 wrote: »

Might see Dom Ryan in this now seeing as he wasn't named in the Leinster side.

I'd say he'll still 'travel with the team', though likely we'd have seen him, and others, if this game was on Sun.

Hype710

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

I'd say he'll still 'travel with the team', though likely we'd have seen him, and others, if this game was on Sun.

Possibly. Although I'm sure both he and Leinster are keen for him to get more game time. We'll see tonight I guess.

Tox56

Hype710 wrote: »

Possibly. Although I'm sure both he and Leinster are keen for him to get more game time. We'll see tonight I guess.

I doubt it really. They'll always take an extra backrower just in case, and Jennings in particular has pulled out of a lot of games this season at short notice for various reasons.

.ak

SOB's probably not carrying a knock, he's just getting ready to line up for this game.

ssaye

.ak wrote: »

SOB's probably not carrying a knock, he's just getting ready to line up for this game.

ye olde mind games

FellasFellas

These A sides are often subject to change before kick off, I remember a team came over here in the initial B&I Cup game or a warm up for it or something and JVDF, Dave Shanahan, Adam Byrne and Tom Daly were all meant to play but they were dropped before the game for senior players.

phog

Hype710 wrote: »

Might see Dom Ryan in this now seeing as he wasn't named in the Leinster side.

One of the benefits of Leinster having both games on Irish soil, I had hoped the game would be set for Sunday and allow both teams to name a few of the fringe players that are usually on standby for the senior squad. All in all both A squads are fairly impressive and at the moment it's a great day in Limerick so should lend itself to a great evening for rugby.

Tox56

phog wrote: »

One of the benefits of Leinster having both games on Irish soil

The fact the game is on Friday makes it largely irrelevant I think