Munster Teams named for clashes with Barbarians in Thomond Park

U20 Grand Slam Winner Gleeson in line for his senior Munster debut after joining the Academy over the summer.

The Munster teams have been named for the club’s first-ever clash against the Barbarians at Thomond Park on Saturday.

The Men’s game kicks off at 4.30pm while the Women’s clash is at 2pm. The games will be live on Access Munster live stream, brought to you by Pinergy.

Men’s Team

Munster Academy players Ethan Coughlan, Edwin Edogbo, Shay McCarthy, Tony Butler, Mark Donnelly, Brian Gleeson and Fionn Gibbons are all included in the mens squad.

Edogbo starts on his first senior appearance of 2023/24 with 19-year-old Gleeson in line for his senior Munster debut after joining the Academy over the summer.

Tom Ahern is included among the replacements and set for his first appearance of the campaign.

Shane Daly starts at full-back with McCarthy and Calvin Nash on either wing.

The half-back and centre partnerships are unchanged from last week’s win over Connacht. Scrum-half Coughlan and out-half Joey Carbery start together again with Rory Scannell and Antoine Frisch in midfield.

Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron and Stephen Archer pack down in the front row with Edogbo and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.

Captain Jack O’Donoghue, Jack Daly and Gavin Coombes complete the side with Daly making his first start of the campaign.

Niall Scannell, Donnelly and John Ryan provide the front row back-up with Ahern and Gleeson completing the forward cover.

Neil Cronin, Butler and Gibbons are the backline replacements.

Find out all you need to know ahead of the double-header here.

Munster: Shane Daly; Shay McCarthy, Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Calvin Nash; Joey Carbery, Ethan Coughlan; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Edwin Edogbo, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (C), Jack Daly, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Mark Donnelly, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Brian Gleeson, Neil Cronin, Tony Butler, Fionn Gibbons.

Women’s Team

There are eight changes to the starting fifteen that lined out against Leinster in the Women’s Interprovincial Championship final at the start of this month.

There are three changes to the backline with Aoife Corey, Chisom Ugwueru and Kate Flannery coming into the side. Corey and Ugwueru start at full-back and wing with Stephanie Carroll taking the other spot on the wing. Stephanie Nunan and Alana McInerney continue their centre partnership while Flannery and Muirne Wall start at out-half and scrum-half.

There are four changes to the pack with Beth Buttimer, Eilís Cahill, Brianna Heylmann and Jane Clohessy coming into the side.

Buttimer and Cahill pack down in the front-row where they will be joined by Róisín Ormond. Captain Dorothy Wall and Clodagh O’Halloran continue their partnership at second-row while Heylmann, Clohessy and Chloe Pearse make up the back-row combination.

The forward cover is provided by Ciara Farell, Fiona Reidy, Gillian Coombes, Claire Bennett and Maeve Óg O’Leary.

Abbie Salter-Townshend, Aoife O’Shaughnessy and Aoife Doyle are the backline replacements.

Munster: Aoife Corey, Chisom Ugwueru, Alana McInerney, Stephanie Nunan, Stephanie Carroll; Kate Flannery, Muirne Wall; Róisín Ormond, Beth Buttimer, Eilís Cahill; Dorothy Wall (C), Clodagh O’Halloran; Brianna Heylmann, Jane Clohessy, Chloe Pearse.

Replacements: Ciara Farrell, Fiona Reidy, Gillian Coombes, Claire Bennett, Maeve Óg O’Leary, Abbie Salter-Townshend, Aoife O’Shaughnessy, Aoife Doyle.