JOHN HODNETT WILL debut in the back row for Munster during Friday night’s visit of the Southern Kings to Musgrave Park.
A product of Clonakilty RFC and an U20 Grand Slam winner with Ireland last year, the Rosscarbery man has featured regularly for UCC in Division 1A of the AIL this season.
Hodnett, who turned 21 last month, starts at openside and is joined in the back row by number eight Arno Botha and blindside Jack O’Donoghue, the latter of whom was among 13 Ireland squad players made available to their provinces by Andy Farrell this week.
Chris Farrell also returns from international duty in midfield where he’ll line out outside Dan Goggin, while up-and-comers Calvin Nash and Shane Daly start wide.
James Cronin, Niall Scannell and John Ryan complete an all-international front row while Billy Holland captains the side on what will be his 226th appearance for his native province.
Academy players Keynan Knox and Ben Healy are included on the bench.
Munster
Mike Haley
Calvin Nash
Chris Farrell
Dan Goggin
Shane Daly
JJ Hanrahan
Neil Cronin
James Cronin
Niall Scannell
John Ryan
Fineen Wycherley
Billy Holland (C)
Jack O’Donoghue
John Hodnett
Arno Botha
Replacements:
Kevin O’Byrne
Jeremy Loughman
Keynan Knox
Gavin Coombes
Chris Cloete
Nick McCarthy
Ben Healy
Rory Scannell
As a Mayo fan I’m actually happy with what they are doing
@Oisin Walsh: it’s great. FairPlay to them. 9000 is plenty for a game like that. I think Mayo have roughly 4000 season tickets so plenty for home team
Its not going to just effect Kildare and Mayo it’ll also effect Tyrone and Cavan because there’s no way that are being taken to croke park on their own. Gaa needs to get the finger out and move that game to newbridge and Cavan v Tyrone to clones. Instead you have 4 teams in limbo not knowing what’s going on
@Mel Roberts: that would make sense at this stage in all fairness. Will be interesting to see how it pans out!
@Joe Kennedy: I doubt HQ will move on it. I don’t think mayo will give a Monkey’s where the game is played and Kildare are entitled to their home advantage. Madness taking Cavan and Tyrone away down there as well, they’d get 20000 in clones on a Saturday evening for it especially with the weather predicted for the weekend.
@Mel Roberts: I would have to agree really. Clones an obvious choice for the Ulster game for sure too.
@Joe Kennedy: 17s are playing monaghan in Armagh on Saturday. Double header maybe. Kildare are well in their rigth to want home advantage.
@Lorcán Coyle: both Cavan and Tyrone u17s are to play in Armagh at 5 and 7 on Saturday evening. Move the 2 under 17 games go clones along with the senior game and that solves another problem. Could have the 3 games on Saturday in clones and Cavan and Tyrone fans can seen their under 17s and seniors.
@Lorcán Coyle @mel Roberts: whole lot in Clones would work alright. Would be great atmosphere there.
@Joe Kennedy: feel like Clones won’t do it though. Would be alot for the pitch to take.
@Lorcán Coyle: ffs its the middle of summer and its one of the best surfaces in the country. It was immaculate on sunday. Its not like its 3 league games in January. I’ve been in clones where they have had a hurling game, minor football and senior football all on one day
About time someone took a stand against this type of bs
Dead right
Money grabbing clueless ba$tards up in HQ
@Paulie Little Balls: tell us what you really think of them paulie! Cmon!!
I really hope Kildare hold their ground on this. The GAA at a local level is a fantastic organisation but at the top they are increasingly behaving like a multinational corporarion in how they do things and are completely losing touch with the grassroots. Yes the finances need to be in order but at this stage its just greed, at the expense of everything the association is supposed to be about
*Corporation, better clarify that before the spelling police are on my back again
Fair play to Kildare hope they stick to their guns against the Grab All Association, this purely a money decision made by Sky to show the double header at Croke Park. Surely a neutral venue could have been found in Ulster for Cavan and Tyrone supporters and not have to travel far to see their team.
Hope the teams stand their ground, ridiculous to change it at this stage.
The GAA have been doing this for years, especially when a team is drawn out first against Dublin (not the Dubs fault) home advantage is taken and the game is then brought to Croker. I hope Kildare stick to their guns.
Ok, as a new arrival from England taking a keen interest in GAA…….wtf is it with so many games scheduled for Croke Park?
Why on earth is Kerry v Galway plus another super eight game being played there? I’d assume fans would want to get the chance to see their team on home turf where possible, not trail four hours and back up to Dublin.
And given the money that must be swilling around in the GAA why is it not possible to provide Dublin with a seaparate stadium rather than give them the home advantage of Croke for every big match?
It really is FIFAesque.
@Philip Exley: Well said Philip!
@Philip Exley: why do people stupidly have to bring in Dublin to every argument,you’re ignorance is only surpassed by your inability to spell.First of all Dublin do have a perfectly good home ground (look it up)they play in Croke park at the behest of the GAA
@Thomas Devlin: Gosh Thomas, thanks for highlighting the spelling error resulting from typing on a very senile tablet.
That apart if you’d care to re read what I wrote my argument was directed at the GAA rather than at Dublin. The fact remains that, whoever makes the decision on venue, it is unfair to everyone else that Dublin get to play all their big games on what is effectively their home pitch.
@Thomas Devlin: p.s Thomas, you might want to check your own use of grammar and spelling. It’s appalling.
@Philip Exley: as G.B.Shaw said why can’t the English teach their children how to speak? Or in your case write!
@Thomas Devlin: You are a toolbag!
@Thomas Devlin: thomas whether its at the behest of croke park or not are you seriously trying to say its not an advantage to Dublin? Its an absolute joke they get the hill to themselves on top of that. Not suggesting its in any way shape or form Dublin’s fault or doing but they are given every advantage that they don’t even need because they are so far ahead of everyone else
@Thomas Devlin: Really! You’re funny.
I came on here to impartially make a comment about a sport I enjoy and admire and from your quarter I get a childish and churlish response.
Your issue, not mine. Enjoy the chip on your shoulder.
Actually think it would benefit Kildare playing in croker, considering the injuries and mileage on the Mayo team. Either way, fair play to them for standing their ground.
Fair play to Kildare. The official draw was made, stick with it.
Fair play to them – I hope it turns out good for them – I wish waterford had the same resolve in the hurling qualifiers – Mexican stand off guaranteed at GHQ
@Brian: ah come on now. Walsh park is both a poor stadium and a poor pitch. The county board can hardly put a strong argument in when they cant put a decent county ground together. And I’d be a supporter of Waterford hurling.
This is a problem of the GAA’s own making. A big faux pas
Is anybody else’s app crashing regularly recently or is it all the dodgy stuff I’ve been downloading causing my phone to act up
@Clay Davis: develop a no porn policy
@John O Reilly: easier said than done.
Good for Kildare – about time a county took a stance !
So Mayo will come out on Saturday and the ref will throw in the ball in Croke park, if Mayo score a goal or a pint then it’s game over. Mayo could give the two fingers to GAA HQ and kick it wide on purpose… with no one to kick it out the game ends in a a 0-0 to 0-0 draw and a replay is needed
Good luck to Kildare, hope they stand firm on this. It stated quite clearly that the teams drawn first would be at home.
MEANWHILE SKY Sports are waiting in the long grass (or should that be the short grass) as they still have TBC emblazoned on their programme schedule
What next , move the game to limerick… oh wait a moment …
If Mayo have one ounce of respect they should show up in new bridge.
i don’t see it happening as mayo are so desperate at this stage to try and win sam they will accept the walkover.
thats the stuff Kildare. I’d only be delighted to see the game played in the home kildare GAA, from a mayo man.
So mayo get a walk over then!!! Or??
@tim dawson: dose mayo really want to accept a walkover and in the unlikely event of them winning sam this year have is throwing at them that they just won it as they accepted a walkover ??