MUNSTER HAVE NAMED Tony Butler as their starting out-half for Saturday’s visit of the Dragons to Musgrave Park (5:15pm, RTÉ 2/Premier Sports 2), while new signings Seán O’Brien and Alex Nankivell will also earn their first starts for the province.
Craig Casey returns at scrum-half while Jack Crowley is named on the bench, both half-backs having recently returned from World Cup duty with Ireland.
Munster have also confirmed that Joey Carbery will undergo surgery next week on the wrist injury he sustained during Munster’s Round 2 draw with Benetton.
Academy out-half Butler has been handed the reins at 10 for Saturday’s fixture and, as a result of Carbery’s injury, should see an uptick in game-time over the coming weeks.
Butler, who hurled underage for Clare, is just one of seven academy players included in Munster’s matchday 23 to face the Dragons. Another is outside back Ben O’Connor, the former Cork hurling prodigy who starred at fullback in the Pres team that won this year’s Munster Schools Senior Cup.
O’Connor, who turned 19 in August, is set to make his Munster debut five months to the day since he won an All-Ireland U20 hurling title with Cork against Offaly in Thurles.
The former PBC student and St Finbarr’s GAA clubman also captained Cork to an All-Ireland minor title in 2021. He has been lining out for UCC in the AIL this season.
In all, Graham Rowntree has made seven changes to his Munster side who battled to a 13-13 draw in Treviso last weekend.
New signing from Exeter, Seán O’Brien, will debut on the right wing while Kiwi centre Alex Nankivell, one of two summer arrivals from the Chiefs, starts at 13.
The other, John Ryan, will make his third Munster debut in the front row.
Munster (v Dragons)
- 15. Shane Daly
- 14. Seán O’Brien
- 13. Alex Nankivell
- 12. Rory Scannell
- 11. Calvin Nash
- 10. Tony Butler
- 9. Craig Casey
- 1. Kieran Ryan
- 2. Diarmuid Barron
- 3. John Ryan
- 4. Edwin Edogbo
- 5. Tom Ahern
- 6. Jack O’Donoghue (Captain)
- 7. Alex Kendellen
- 8. Gavin Coombes
Replacements:
- 16. Scott Buckley
- 17. Mark Donnelly
- 18. Stephen Archer
- 19. Ruadhán Quinn
- 20. Brian Gleeson
- 21. Paddy Patterson
- 22. Jack Crowley
- 23. Ben O’Connor
ROG=Legend.