Young Guns: Profiling Munster’s Five Academy Graduates

Last week Munster Rugby announced that five academy stars will be graduating to first team contracts next season. Jake Flannery, James French, Sean French and Ben Healy all signed one year deals while backrower John Hodnett has been tied down for two seasons.

Jake Flannery

21 year-old Flannery has been excelling for the Munster ‘A’ team this season. The Tipperary outhalf, centre and fullback played a key role in Ireland U20’s 2019 Grand Slam and made his Munster debut in February 2020 off the bench against Zebre. Flannery plays his club rugby for Shannon RFC and has proved quite the weapon both from the tee and with ball in hand for the Limerick club. The utility back is one of a handful of very skillful academy members togging out for Munster ‘A’ in 2021 and it will be exciting to see him make a difference in the PRO14 and Champions Cup in the years to come.

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James French

Powerful prop forward James French played his schools rugby with Bandon Grammar before joining the Munster academy in 2018. The Cork loosehead is a destructive ball carrier and a more than capable scrummager. French will add a further injection of youth to Munster’s frontrow division following in the footsteps of Roman Salanoa and Keynan Knox.

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Sean French

Former PBC schoolboy and Cork Con centre Sean French was seen as something of a superstar as a teenager. French has played underage for Ireland all the way up and can play in centre, on the wing or at fullback. Standing at 6’2 he is an explosive operator and will be hoping to add to his single appearance for Munster in the next twelve months. The 21 year-old scored in Munster’s 52-3 defeat of Zebre last November.

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Ben Healy

A man better known to Munster supporters will be outhalf Ben Healy. The 21 year-old made his debut against Edinburgh in 2019 and has become a regular in the first team this season. Healy is renowned for his brilliant kicking ability and made a name for himself by guiding Munster past Scarlets in the opening round of this year’s Guinness Pro14. Healy signs a one year extension after being linked with a move away to Glasgow Warriors.

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John Hodnett

Hodnett was a star of the 2019 Grand Slam winning Ireland U20 team and has since earned himself 5 appearances for the Munster first team. The backrower would have a whole lot more games for the men in red too only for undergoing surgery back in November. The 22 year-old UCC man is extremely highly rated as a robust ball carrier and breakdown specialist and could have a huge impact at Thomond Park next season.

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