Munster Rugby v Cell C Sharks Match Programme

v CELL C SHARKS 

THOMOND PARK 

25 SEP 2021|7.35PM 

MUNSTER V CELL C SHARKS | 25.09.21 | THOMOND PARK 

1

2 WWW.MUNSTERRUGBY.IE

WELCOME BACK 

Today is a fantastic occasion 

as we welcome our supporters 

back home. 

We have all come through an 

unprecedented time together, 

overcome challenges, and are 

now thankfully well on our way 

to better times. 

With the absence of live sport for so long it was 

plain to see what it means to us all – more than the 

positive impact on health and wellbeing, rugby is 

our outlet, our passion, our sense of community, 

and our identity. 

We are delighted to see our Domestic Rugby 

season underway with clubhouses, schools and 

pitches across the province filled with players, 

coaches, volunteers, and supporters, the 

breeding ground and lifeline of Munster Rugby. 

Today marks a special day with thousands of 

supporters returning to Thomond Park for the 

first time since February 2020. We hope everyone 

has a wonderful time and enjoys the sense of 

occasion as we gather once again to get behind 

Johann van Graan and team. 

Thank you as ever for your support and 

commitment to the province, we look forward to 

welcoming you to Thomond Park and Musgrave 

Park throughout the season. 

Ian Flanagan 

Chief Executive Officer 

Munster Rugby 

We welcome Sean Everitt and all 

from Cell C Sharks to Thomond 

Park this evening for the first game 

of the exciting new United Rugby 

Championship series. 

Tonight will be another special 

night in Thomond Park as we see 

the return of supporters for the first time in over 18 

months. To hear the Munster roar once again as 

the team run out of the tunnel will be a welcome 

change. For some of our players this will be the first 

time to experience this, but some things are worth 

waiting for. 

On behalf of all the Munster family I would like to 

wish Johann, his coaching team and all the squad 

the very best of luck tonight and into season ahead. 

Our domestic game is finally back up and 

running. Early season competitions have 

already commenced which is welcome news for 

supporters and players alike. To all clubs, schools, 

players, volunteers and all involved in every aspect 

and level of the game, the very best of luck as we 

continue where we left off and into the new season 

ahead. 

Congratulations to our Women’s team as they lifted 

the Vodafone Interprovincial trophy. Matt Brown’s 

side captained by Sarah Quin came out 19-7 

winners in the decider against Leinster in what was 

a highly entertaining and competitive game. 

Our thanks to all of our sponsors for their continued 

and loyal support. 

To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible. 

Sean McCullough 

President 

Munster Branch IRFU 

President: Sean McCullough | Vice President: Ger McNamara | Junior Vice President: Michael Carroll 

Hon. Secretary: Muiris Mahon| Hon. Treasurer: Tom Kinirons 

Chief Executive Officer: Dr. Ian Flanagan | Head Coach: Johann van Graan | Team Manager: Niall O’Donovan 


3

THE ULTIMATE 

URC EXPERIENCE 

JOIN FOR FREE 

Personalised team 

experience 

Exclusive offers 

& competitions 

Premium opinion 

articles & analysis 

Match highlights & 

exclusive video content 

WWW.UNITEDRUGBY.COM/MYURC 


16 TEAMS, 

2 HEMISPHERES, 

1 LEAGUE 


5

Andrew Conway – Wing wizard 

WHEN WE 

STAND 

TOGETHER 

NOTHING IS 

IMPOSSIBLE 

Ciara Griffin – The Leader Aisling - Friendships made in the stands Conor Murray – World class 


NEWSROUND 

ED SHEERAN TO PLAY 

THOMOND PARK 

MUNSTER PLAYERS 

IN IRISH CAMP 

Shane Daly, Gavin 

Coombes and 

Craig Casey 

Live music will return to Thomond Park next 

year with the announcement that Ed Sheeran 

will perform at the iconic venue on Thursday 5 

May 2022. Tickets for the concert went on sale 

this morning at 8am on ticketmaster.ie. For Tour 

information visit edsheeran.com and for concert 

information visit aikenpromotions.com. 

CHAMPIONS CUP NEWS 

The order of Munster’s Champions Cup Pool 

fixtures has been confirmed with the province 

kicking off the campaign with an away fixture 

against Wasps on the weekend of December 

10/11/12. That game will be followed by a home 

clash against Castres Olympique on December 

17/18/19 with a return fixture against the French 

side in round three on January 14/15/16. Munster 

round off their pool campaign with a home tie 

against Wasps on January 21/22/23. Exact dates 

of the pool stage fixtures, as well as kick-off times 

and TV coverage, will be announced by EPCR 

in the coming weeks. The eight highest-ranked 

clubs from each pool will qualify for the knockout 

stage which will consist of a Round of 16 on a 

home and away basis, quarter-finals and semifinals, 

with the final in Marseille on 28 May 2022. 

Thirteen Munster players were amongst a 

group of 50 players who took part in a one-day 

camp at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre 

last weekend as Andy Farrell prepares for the 

upcoming Autumn Nations Series matches 

against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina in 

November. The Munster players involved in the 

camp were Joey Carbery, Craig Casey, Andrew 

Conway, Shane Daly, Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, 

Conor Murray, Tadhg Beirne, Gavin Coombes, 

Dave Kilcoyne, Peter O’Mahony, John Ryan and 

Fineen Wycherley. 

URC TV NOW LIVE 

New for the 2021/22 season, URC TV is a 

new online streaming service giving fans the 

opportunity to watch every game live and on 

demand. You can register for free for access to 

a selection of on-demand video content or you 

can subscribe with an annual pass to watch all 

151 games live and on-demand. Matches will be 

broadcast in HD with English commentary. The 

service can be accessed across multiple devices. 

See more details here. 


7

UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 

GETS UNDERWAY 

Munster and the Cell C Sharks get their 

United Rugby Championship campaign 

underway this evening in the first ever 

meeting of these two sides. 

The United Rugby Championship 

welcomes four new South African teams, 

creating a 16-team competition across 

Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and South 

Africa. 

While the 16 teams will be battling for a 

play-off berth in the overall league table 

over 18 rounds, they will also be ranked in 

four regional conferences or ‘Shields’, each 

made up of four teams. Teams in the same 

conference will face home and away fixtures 

against each other and play either at home 

or away against the other 12 sides in the 

competition. 

“Right at the end again we got to the final 

and lost to Leinster. We lost to Toulouse 

who ended up winning the Champions 

Cup and I think we’re just a step away 

from clicking and competing again, really 

competing. 

“The mood is fantastic with the quality of 

players coming back from Lions squads, 

South African squads. Bringing in Zeebs 

has brought a real freshness to the group 

and we’ve a lot of young players who are 

hungry and competitive and it’s a great 

blend, I think.” 

The top 8 teams in the league will progress 

to the Play Offs at the end of 18 rounds, with 

quarter-finals, semi-finals and the first final to 

be played at the Aviva Stadium. 

Munster will be hoping to pick up where they 

left off after a strong season last time around. 

Speaking at the Championship launch last 

week, Munster’s Chris Farrell said: 

“The belief is really 

there from a personal 

point of view but 

also I think that 

sense is shared 

within the group in 

Munster. There’s an 

unbelievable buzz 

around the place and we have such a good 

squad, we’ve got great coaches, and I feel 

like last season we were really competitive. 

Chris Farrell 


Gavin Coombes 

Reniel Hugo 

COMPARISON MUNSTER CELL C SHARKS 

Last 3 URC results: 14 May - Connacht (H) L20-24 22 May - Stormers (H) L22-25 

28 May - Cardiff Rugby (H) W31-27 5 Jun - Lions (A) W33-21 

11 Jun - Zebre (A) W54-11 12 Jun - Bulls (H) L22-34 

URC 2020/21 Conf B: 1st – W14 D0 L2 - 64pts Rainbow SA: 2nd – W3 D0 L3 - 16pts 

Top try scorer 12 – Gavin Coombes 3 – Reniel Hugo, Kerron van Vuuren 

Top points scorer 98 – JJ Hanrahan 43 – Curwin Bosch 

MATCH FACTS 

• Munster lost just once in last season’s 

Rainbow Cup 20-24 to Connacht in Limerick 

on 14 May. 

• The last non-Irish team to defeat Munster 

in the Championship at Thomond Park was 

Scarlets, 21-30 in February 2017. 

• Munster’s record against South African 

teams in the Championship is won eight, 

lost one, with the defeat being 16-40 

against Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in 

October 2019. 

• Cell C Sharks reached the final of the Currie 

Cup earlier this month but lost 10-44 to 

Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria. 

• The Sharks most recent trip to the Northern 

Hemisphere was a 45-10 victory against 

the Sunwolves in Singapore in February 

2019 in Super Rugby 

• The two sides have never met in a 

competitive fixture before. 


9

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Proud Sponsors of Junior Munster Rugby Supporters Club. 

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Wasps v Munster 

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11

THE INSIDE 

TRACK 

JOHANN VAN GRAAN 

On how preparations for the new season have 

gone… 

“We’ve had a very nice break after the game we 

played against Zebre. We did one or two things 

differently in the pre-season which gave us good 

rewards. Everybody came back refreshed. We 

worked on certain parts of our game. Obviously, 

we had to re-adjust for the Red v Grey match 

when we couldn’t play against Bath. We had 

a good exercise against Exeter. We had the 

national players back in the last few weeks 

and it is great to have Conor and Tadhg back in 

the building and now we are looking forward 

to a brilliant new season, new competition, 

new teams, new format and new qualification 

process. Really looking forward to it and really 

excited to be part of it.” 

On the Cell C Sharks… 

“They are a very proud South African franchise. 

They had a really good season. They played 

in the last two Currie Cup finals alongside 

the Bulls. Both were unfortunately away for 

them. They are very tough to beat at home, 

specifically in the humid conditions of Durban. 

They’ve put together a very good squad. 

They have an excellent head coach in Sean 

Everitt. Structurally they’ve got a very good 

programme if you look at their academy and 

they’ve got some proper players. We are really 

looking forward to meeting them first up and it 

will be a first game up North for them as well. 

There’s a lot of respect from our side towards 

them.” 

On having the fans back… 

“We can’t wait to have our fans back. In the 

Reds v Grey match we had a few thousand 

supporters in and the noise was incredible 

when both teams ran onto the pitch, just to 

experience it. From a club perspective we 

love to play in Thomond Park and we can’t 

wait to play in front of our supporters from a 

competitive point of view. It will be great for the 

opposition and for ourselves to experience that 

Thomond Park feeling. We are really looking 

forward to it.” 

On what Zebo has brought to the squad… 

“Zeebs was always a class player, he just 

continued that way at Racing. I’d say he’s 

certainly developed his game even more from a 

maturity point of view, from a leadership point 

of view. Obviously the more you play the more 

experienced you become and just small little 

things in terms of back-three play, the way you 

attack and the way you defend and the running 

line and he’s really shared that with everybody 


around him. We’ve got a saying, we don’t 

compete with each other, we share with each 

other and he’s been really excellent with all the 

lads and the younger lads. If you look at our 

squad there’s some incredible competition in 

that back three and everybody’s bought in and 

so has he. So really good to have him around 

the building.” 

JACK O’DONOGHUE 

On pre-season training.… 

“I had a good pre-season. It was tough. The 

first two weeks were very much led by the S&C 

department. We got a lot of work done early on 

and then were able to focus on the rugby for the 

latter end of pre-season. It was very beneficial. 

The group as a whole has hit the ground running. 

You could see that from the performance and 

result against Exeter. The group of players that 

are here are a young ambitious group and are 

certainly hard working. We are looking forward 

to kicking off the season now on Saturday.” 

period. I see myself as one of the senior players 

within the group and being able to give some 

words of wisdom to the younger lads when you 

are on the field together is hugely beneficial. 

I’ve been there in that situation…an arm around 

the shoulder or a quiet word during the game 

goes a long way.” 

On his ambitions to represent Ireland again… 

“Absolutely. That’s a major driving factor for 

me personally and I think a lot of players in this 

squad. You are looking at a World Cup in two 

years’ time – to be 

in Andy Farrell’s 

squad for that is 

a huge ambition 

for someone like 

me anyway going 

forward.” 

On the younger players coming 

through… 

“It’s been a seamless transition for 

them. They might seem young but 

they are certainly a confident group. 

Their abilities are incredible, from the 

work that they’ve done in the Academy 

and the transition through that. Last 

year, with Covid, it brought us all 

closer together as a group. That has 

eased the transition for a lot of them. 

They might still be in the Academy or 

just moved up to the senior system 

but it feels like they’ve been around 

certainly for the last two or three years 

anyway.” 

On his own role in the squad… 

“Over the last few years I’ve been building 

into more of a leadership role. Unfortunately 

losing the likes of CJ, Billy, Tommy…these 

lads. They were huge men within our squad 

so there is that gap. Over the last 

few years there has been a transition 


13

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WOMEN’S RUGBY NEWS 

Niamh Briggs 

THE RETURN OF THE AIL 

The AIL returned earlier today with Ballincollig 

RFC hosting Suttonians at Tanner Park and UL 

Bohemian RFC at home to Cooke. 

Former international and UL Bohs players 

Fiona Hayes has been busy preparing her 

charges in Ballincollig after what has been a 

long wait: 

“We’ve been a long time waiting to get out 

on the pitch to prepare for the Energia AIL,” 

Hayes told IrishRugby.ie. "It was supposed 

to be in 2020 and it didn’t happen so people 

were training hard at home. 

“It’s that test that we’re excited about. I’ve 

been involved in the AIL as a player and a 

coach and now it’s about trying to show 

these players what it takes to survive and 

thrive at that level. We’re excited to test 

ourselves and see what it’s like playing 80 

minutes of non-stop rugby." 

Her former team mate at Ireland and 

UL Bohs, Niamh Briggs will lead 

Bohs for the first time as Head 

Coach having been appointed 

earlier this year, and has enjoyed 

recent interprovincial success as 

the Backs Coach with the Munster 

women’s team. 

Next Saturday, Oct 2, Ballincollig 

travel to Cooke while UL 

Bohemians travel to play 

Galwegians. 

#NothingLikeIt 

Fiona Hayes 

MUNSTER SENIOR CUP DRAW 

Eight teams throughout the province will 

contest this season’s Munster Senior Cup 

and the draw has brought about some 

exciting matchups with Munster’s two 

Women’s All Ireland League clubs, UL 

Bohemian RFC and Ballincollig RFC, facing 

off against each other in the first round. 

Tipperary Women and Dolphin RFC will be 

making their Munster Senior Cup debuts 

in what will be their first season after their 

respective adult teams were formed earlier 

this year. 

Competitions Sub-Committee member 

Grainne O’Connell said that the players can’t 

wait to get back to competitive action after 

such a long absence. 

“From speaking to all the teams, all the 

squads and all the players, they are just 

absolutely raring to go,” O’Connell said. 

“All divisional leagues will start next 

weekend and shortly followed by the first 

round of the Munster Senior Cup. The 

players literally cannot wait to get back 

and get playing again. There’s just great 

excitement among everybody for it.” 

2021/2022 MUNSTER WOMEN’S SENIOR CUP DRAW 

Waterpark RFC v Tipperary Women – Ballinakill, 1pm, 17 October 

Dolphin RFC v Kerry Women – Musgrave Park, 1pm, 17 October 

Skibbereen RFC v Shannon/LIT – Skibbereen, 1pm, 17 October 

Ballincollig RFC v UL Bohemian RFC – Tanner Park, 1pm, 17 October 

MUNSTER V CELL C SHARKS | 25.09.21 | THOMOND PARK 15

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TWO GAMES PLAYED AHEAD 

OF NEW SEASON 

As part of the build up to today’s URC 

opener, Munster played two pre-season 

games in recent weeks with 44 players 

involved over the two games. 

Munster had been expecting to play 

Bath on 4 September at Thomond Park, 

however, following the cancellation of 

that game, a 60-minute training match 

took place in front of the limited crowd in 

Thomond Park. 

The Munster Grey team, captained by Rory 

Scannell claimed a 38-21 win. 

Munster travelled to Sandy Park on 

11 September last and played out an 

entertaining clash against Exeter Chiefs in 

front of a big home crowd, with the visitors 

winning 31-19. 

The sides were level at 12-all after 40 

minutes. 

Thirty-one Munster players were involved 

on the day with tries from Rory Scannell, 

Calvin Nash (two), Neil Cronin and Roman 

Salanoa. Ben Healy and Jack Crowley 

added points off the tee. 

The clash saw Neil Cronin make a welcome 

return to action from a long-term knee 

injury. 

Jack O’Donoghue captained the side 

with Greencore Munster Rugby Academy 

quartet Mark Donnelly, Cian Hurley, Paddy 

Kelly and Paddy Patterson all featuring. 

MUNSTER TRAINING MATCH TEAMS 

Munster Red: Matt Gallagher; Seán French, Calvin Nash, 

Alex McHenry, Conor Phillips; Jack Crowley, Rowan 

Osborne; Liam O’Connor, Scott Buckley, Keynan Knox; 

Jean Kleyn, Fearghail O’Donoghue; Jack O’Donoghue (C), 

Jack Daly, Daniel Okeke. Replacements: Mark Donnelly, 

Roman Salanoa, Neil Cronin, Ben Healy. 

Munster Grey: Simon Zebo; Jonathan Wren, Liam 

Coombes, Rory Scannell (C), Ethan Coughlan; Jake 

Flannery, Paddy Patterson; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid 

Barron, Stephen Archer; Cian Hurley, Paddy Kelly; John 

Forde, Chris Cloete, Alex Kendellen. Replacements: Ronan 

Loughnane, James French, Alan Flannery, Darragh French. 

EXETER CHIEFS V MUNSTER 

Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Dan Goggin, Rory Scannell, 

Matt Gallagher; Ben Healy, Rowan Osborne; Jeremy 

Loughman, Niall Scannell, Keynan Knox; Jean Kleyn, 

Thomas Ahern; Jack O’Donoghue (C), Chris Cloete, Alex 

Kendellen. Replacements (all used): Diarmuid Barron, 

Liam O’Connor, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Mark 

Donnelly, Cian Hurley, Jack O’Sullivan, Paddy Kelly, Jack 

Daly, Neil Cronin, Paddy Patterson, Jack Crowley, Jake 

Flannery, Liam Coombes, Alex McHenry, Seán French. 

Calvin Nash runs 

in a try against 

Exeter Chiefs 


19

THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM 

DHL Express Ireland is proud to start the 2021-2022 

season as the Official Logistics Partner of Munster Rugby. 

Together we celebrate the passion and teamwork required 

for delivering excellence on and off the pitch, and we look 

forward to supporting the club as the TEAM behind the TEAM. 


VIRTUAL MUNSTER MASCOTS 

CILLIAN REIDY 

Age: 5 

School: St. Nicholas NS, Adare, Co. Limerick 

Hobbies: Rugby and swimming 

Favourite player: Conor Murray 

HARRY BARRON 

Age: 7 

School: St. John's NS, Cratloe, Co. Clare 

Hobbies: All sports especially rugby, soccer and 

GAA. Formula 1 fan. Liverpool fan. 

Favourite players: Keith Earls & Peter O'Mahony 

SSW Munster Rugby Halfpage.pdf 1 17/09/2021 11:15 

WITH ED & VALERIE 


21

MUNSTER RUGBY 

Lock 

22.02.00 

H: 2.06m 

W: 116.82kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

THOMAS AHERN 

STEPHEN ARCHER 

Prop 

29.01.88 

H:1.88m 

W: 118.18kg 

Hons: Ire (2 caps) 

Hooker 

06.08.98 

H: 1.93 m 

W: 98.18 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

DIARMUID BARRON 

TADHG BEIRNE 

Lock / Back Row 

08.01.92 

H: 1.98 m 

W: 113.18 kg 


JOEY CARBERY 

Flyhalf 

01.11.95 

H: 1.93m 

W: 85.91kg 


Scrum Half 

19.04.99 

H: 1.65 m 

W: 75.91 kg 


CRAIG CASEY 

Back Row 

15.02.91 

H: 1.75 m 

W: 105.91 kg 

Hons: ~ 

CHRIS CLOETE 

ANDREW CONWAY 

Full Back/Wing 

11.07.91 

H: 1.8 m 

W: 90 kg 


Back Row/Lock 

11.12.97 

H: 1.98 m 

W: 110 kg 


GAVIN COOMBES 

Wing 

01.05.97 

H: 1.91m 

W: 89.09kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

LIAM COOMBES 

Scrum Half 

06.12.92 

H: 1.73 m 

W: 83.18 kg 

Hons: Ire Clubs 

NEIL CRONIN 

Fly Half 

13.01.00 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 89.09 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JACK CROWLEY 

Back Row 

12.08.98 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 106.82 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JACK DALY 

Centre 

19.12.96 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 91.82 kg 


SHANE DALY 

DAMIAN DE ALLENDE 

Centre 

25.11.91 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 105 kg 

Hons: SA (53 caps) 

KEITH EARLS 

Universal Back 

02.10.87 

H: 1.78 m 

W: 86.82 kg 


CHRIS FARRELL 

Centre 

16.03.93 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 110 kg 


Fly Half 

07.06.99 

H: 1.83m 

W: 89.09kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JAKE FLANNERY 

Prop 

22.11.98 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 120.91 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JAMES FRENCH 

Universal Back 

14.08.99 

H:1.88m 

W: 99.09 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

SEAN FRENCH 

Full Back 

26.10.96 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 95.91 kg 

Hons: Eng U20 

MATT GALLAGHER 

DAN GOGGIN 

Centre 

10.12.94 

H: 1.88 m 

W: 86.82 kg 

Hons: Ire U20, 7s 

Full Back 

28.06.94 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 93.18 kg 

Hons: Ire (1 cap) 

MIKE HALEY 

Fly Half 

29.06.99 

H:1.91 m 

W: 96.82 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

BEN HEALY 


SQUAD 2021/22 

Back Row 

10.01.99 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 105kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JOHN HODNETT 

Lock 

02.12.95 

H: 2.03 m 

W: 124.09kg 

Hons: SA (1 cap) 

JASON JENKINS 

DAVE KILCOYNE 

Prop 

14.12.88 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 110.91 kg 


JEAN KLEYN 

Lock 

26.08.93 

H: 2.03m 

W: 120.91 kg 


Prop 

06.04.99 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 115 kg 

Hons: ~ 

KEYNAN KNOX 

Prop 

22.07.95 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 118.18 kg 

Hons: ~ 

JEREMY LOUGHMAN 

LIAM O'CONNOR 

KEVIN O'BYRNE 

CALVIN NASH 

CONOR MURRAY 

DECLAN MOORE 

ALEX MCHENRY 

Centre 

07.10.97 

H: 1.88 m 

W: 95 kg 

Hons: Ire U20, 7s 

Hooker 

20.04.89 

H: 1.84 m 

W: 112 kg 

Hons: ~ 

Scrum Half 

20.04.89 

H: 1.88 m 

W: 93.18 kg 


Wing 

08.08.97 

H: 1.78 m 

W: 90 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

Hooker 

16.04.91 

H:1.8m 

W: 105 kg 

Hons: ~ 

Prop 

13.07.95 

H: 1.78 m 

W: 110 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JACK O'DONOGHUE 

Back Row 

08.02.94 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 109.09 kg 


PETER O'MAHONY 

Back Row 

17.09.89 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 106.82 kg 


Back Row 

01.10.98 

H: 1.88 m 

W: 100 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JACK O'SULLIVAN 

Scrum Half 

03.11.96 

H: 1.7m 

W: 78.18kg 

Hons: Ire Sch 

ROWAN OSBORNE 

JOHN RYAN 

Prop 

02.08.88 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 120 kg 


Prop 

28.10.97 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 123.18 kg 

Hons: USA U20 

ROMAN SALANOA 

NIALL SCANNELL 

Hooker 

08.04.92 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 110.91 kg 


RORY SCANNELL 

Centre 

22.12.93 

H: 1.78 m 

W: 95.91 kg 


RG SNYMAN 

Lock 

29.01.95 

H: 1.2.06 m 

W: 116.82 kg 

Hons: SA (23 caps) 

Lock/Back Row 

11.12.97 

H: 1.93 m 

W: 111.82 kg 

Hons: Ire (1 cap) 

FINEEN WYCHERLEY 

Prop 

22.07.99 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 108.18 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JOSH WYCHERLEY 

SIMON ZEBO 

Wing 

16.03.90 

H: 1.88 m 

W: 99.09 kg 



23

MUNSTER RUGBY 

STARTING XV 

Dave Kilcoyne Niall Scannell John Ryan 

Jean Kleyn 

Fineen 

Wycherley 

Peter 

O'Mahony (C) 

Jack 

O'Donoghue 

Gavin 

Coombes 

Craig Casey 

Joey Carbery 

Simon Zebo 

Rory Scannell 

Dan Goggin 

Andrew Conway 

Mike Haley 

#MUNvSHA 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION 

Replacements 

16. Diarmuid Barron 17. Jeremy Loughman 18. Keynan Knox 19. RG Snyman 

20. Thomas Ahern 21. Rowan Osborne 22. Ben Healy 23. Chris Cloete 


CELL C SHARKS 

STARTING XV 

Khwezi Mona 

Kerron van 

Vuuren 

Thomas du Toit 

Le Roux Roets 

Gerbrandt 

Grobler 

Dylan 

Richardson 

Henco Venter 

Phepsi 

Buthelezi (C) 

Ruan Pienaar 

Boeta 

Chamberlain 

Thaakir 

Abrahams 

Marius Louw 

Werner Kok 

Yaw Penxe 

Curwin Bosch 

MATCH OFFICIALS 

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU) 

AR1: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU) 

AR2: Dermot Blake (IRFU) 

TMO: Jon Mason (WRU) 

Replacements 

16. Fez Mbatha 17. Ntuthuko Mchunu 18. Khutha Mchunu 19. Hyron Andrews 

20. Ruben van Heerden 21. Mpilo Gumede 22. Sanele Nohamba 23.Jeremy Ward 


25

THE SPIRIT OF 

UNITED RUGBY 

CHAMPIONSHIP. 

Enjoy responsibly 

DISCOVER THE SPIRIT WITHIN | 

#SAVOURTHEMOMENT 


THE LOWDOWN 

We take a look at tonight's opposition, the Cell 

C Sharks, on their first visit to Thomond Park. 

The side are based in Durban in the KwaZulu 

Natal Province and play in the Jonsson Kings 

Park Stadium, known as ‘The Shark Tank.’ 

Sean Everitt 

THE SQUAD 

The Sharks boast some of the most exciting 

talents preparing to make their mark in the URC, 

with Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi and captain 

Lukhanyo Am among the star names in their 

ranks. These three players, along with former 

Munster player Thomas du Toit, Ox Nche, Jaden 

Hendrikse, Sbu Nkosi and Aphelele Fassi were 

all selected for the 2021 Rugby Championship 

Springbok squad. Their squad added 12 new 

names including Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, an 

Argentinean outhalf from Leicester Tigers 

who has played four times for his country. The 

Sharks have also bolstered their squad with the 

addition of players such as Bongi Mbonambi 

and Ben Tapuai while Ruan Pienaar and Tian 

Meyer - both of whom have PRO14 experience 

on their CVs - have joined from the Cheetahs on 

short-term loan deals. Eduan Keyter and former 

Munster player Gerbrandt Grobler have also 

been added to their ranks. 

THE FORM GUIDE 

The Durban outfit reached the final of the 

Currie Cup but suffered a 44-10 defeat as the 

Bulls claimed the title. The Cell C Sharks gave 

the British and Irish Lions a scare in the second 

of their two matches against the tourists, going 

in 26-26 at half-time after a four-try first-half 

display before eventually falling to defeat. 

THOMAS DU TOIT 

Age: 26 

Position: Prop 

Sharks Appearances: 81 

Honours: Springboks (13 caps) 

Height: 189cm 

Weight: 130kg 

THE COACHING TICKET 

Sean Everitt is the Cell C Sharks Head Coach 

and came up through the ranks as a former 

youth coach and assistant coach to take the 

helm of the Currie Cup team in 2019 before 

becoming Head Coach of the Sharks in 2020. 

Former Leinster Academy manager, Noel 

McNamara is the attack coach. In 2018 he was 

appointed head coach of the Ireland U20 side, 

winning a Six Nations Grand Slam title in 2019. 

Belfast born John McFarland is the defence 

coach and previously coached at the Bulls with 

Heyneke Meyer from 2001-2012 during which 

time they won three Super Rugby titles. He has 

been to two World Cups with the Springboks as 

assistant coach. Forwards coach Etienne Fynn 

and skills coach Phiwe Nomlomo complete the 

coaching team. 

ONE TO WATCH 


27

MUNSTER RISING 



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MUNSTER RUGBY 


PARTNER OF 

MUNSTER RUGBY 


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29


MUNSTER RECLAIM 

INTERPRO TITLE 

Chloe Pearse’s power-packed brace of tries 

inspired Munster’s first Vodafone Women’s 

Interprovincial title in four years, as they 

boxed clever to beat Leinster 19-7 at 

Energia Park on September 11 last. 

Captain Sarah Quin lifted the trophy after 

Matt Brown’s well-drilled side completed 

a clean sweep of wins, adding to victories 

over Ulster and Connacht (31-7) on the 

previous weekends. 

With Ireland involved in Rugby World Cup 

qualifiers currently, this season’s Interpros 

were played without the international 

players. Twelve players made their senior 

rugby debuts for Munster throughout this 

Championship. 

The three weekends of action showed that 

the depth is growing under the national 

team, with a number of youngsters pushing 

through and previously-capped players like 

Pearse (five tries in all) and Nicole Cronin 

(26 points) both starring as the top try and 

points scorers respectively. 

A modest Pearse said afterwards: “If I’m 

scoring the tries, there’s 14 other people 

that put me in a good position to do so. 

They’ve done the hard yards, all I’m doing 

is dotting it down. 

“I don’t care if I don’t score any, as long 

as we win the Interpros, to be honest with 

you. Winning this (player-of-the-match) 

award is nothing compared to winning that 

(trophy) over there. 

Speaking after the final whistle, victorious 

skipper Sarah Quin commented: “It feels 

unbelievable. We waited three years for 

this. We just wanted it so much. As I said, it 

was three years in the making. 

"There’s a lot of us that felt pain in 2018 and 

2019 (losing to Leinster). And we just didn’t 

want to lose again, so it was just about that 

drive.” 

Click HERE for more reaction, videos and 

photos. 

In August, it was announced that Bank 

of Ireland have augmented their long 

association with the province to include 

primary sponsorship of the Women’s 

Senior Squad and the women’s game in 

Munster until 2023. 

As with their sponsorship of the Men’s 

Senior Squad, Bank of Ireland now appears 

on the front of the Women’s Senior Squad 

playing jersey, cementing their support of 

the province across both the men’s and 

women’s senior teams. 

Munster Captain 

Sarah Quin lifts the 

Vodafone Women's 

Interprovincial 

Championship trophy 


31


GETTING TO KNOW 

Rowan Osborne 

Rowan Osborne recently spoke to www.munsterrugby.ie about how he’s settling into 

life at Munster after joining the province over the summer. 

The scrum half lined out in the Munster Challenge Match and played in the pre-season 

clash against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. 

The 24-year-old Kildare native made 10 appearances for Leinster in the PRO14. 

ON SETTLING IN… 

“Very well. We’ve had a tough few weeks of 

pre-season but I’m enjoying it. Getting on 

with the lads and looking forward to getting 

into the proper season.” 

ON HIS RUGBY PATHWAY… 

“I started off playing rugby when I was 5 

or 6 years old and I’ve been playing ever 

since. I played through school and played 

Irish Schools. When I left school, I played 

Leinster U20s and then played AIL for 4 

years with Trinity. Off the back of a decent 

season in 2018/19 I went into Leinster and 

was there for two years.” 

ON HIS EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING IN 

THOMOND PARK FOR LEINSTER IN 

DECEMBER 2019… 

“It was a bit mad. I wasn’t supposed to 

play that game but one of the other scrum 

halves was sick so I ended up starting. It was 

the first game I started for Leinster as well 

so it was a bit of a cauldron. But it was a 

really amazing experience. The crowd were 

incredibly noisy that day and very hostile so 

it will be nice to be on the other side of it!” 

ON THE NEW TOURNAMENT FORMAT… 

“It’s great to have four really strong South 

African teams. Obviously, we have a couple 

of them coming up, but it will be great to 

have a new dimension in the league so 

looking forward to seeing what they bring. 

We saw a lot of their internationals on the 

Lions tour over the summer so there is a lot 

of quality there across the four really strong 

teams so looking forward to playing them 

up here and down there.” 

ON HIS HOPES FOR THE SEASON AHEAD… 

“I just look at it as try to get better every 

week, take it week by week and try to 

improve. Selection is sort 

of out of your hands so all 

you can do is put up your 

hand up in training and 

see what happens after 

that. I think we have a 

really strong squad of 

players here so I would 

think we would expect 

to be competing on 

both fronts for 

the season.” 

ON COMPETITION IN THE SQUAD… 

“The depth is really good at scrum half 

especially, but we will be driving each other 

on and driving standards. Murray coming 

back – obviously he had a great tour with 

the Lions – it will be great to learn from him. 

We will be pushing each other throughout 

the season. Competition is a good thing.” 


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35

RUGBY DEVELOPMENT NEWS 

SUMMER PROGRAMME REVIEW 

The Rugby Excellence Camp at Musgrave Park 

With restrictions surrounding outdoor training 

for both children and adult players easing at 

the beginning of the summer, participation 

programmes run by the Rugby Development 

department have been at the forefront 

throughout the province. 

The Bank of Ireland Munster Rugby Summer 

Camps were a huge success with 2,000 boys and 

girls attending camps throughout the province 

at 22 different venues during the months of July 

and August. The camps, which were run by fully 

accredited IRFU Mini Rugby coaches, provided 

a safe and fun environment for children aged 

6-12. 

At the end of July, 120 boys aged 13-16 took 

part in the Munster Rugby Excellence Camps 

which were held over a one-week period in 

both Musgrave Park and Thomond Park. The 

Excellence Camps provided a premium rugby 

experience and offered a week-long structured 

rugby development programme which included 

core skill development, game understanding, 

position-specific training, appropriate strength 

and conditioning training and teamwork. 

Throughout the summer, 36 ‘Rugby On The 

Green’ sessions took place throughout Cork 

with over 500 children taking part. Rugby On 

The Green is a part of Cork City Council and Cork 

Sports Partnership’s ‘Sports On The Green’ 

initiative which began last year in response to 

Covid-19 restrictions. The programme takes 

place on housing estate greens throughout the 

city and it aims to remove the barriers to sports 

participation. 

At the end of August, Munster Rugby held an 

Inclusion Camp at Ballincollig RFC. The camp 

was open to children of all disabilities aged 

6-12 and it focuses on adapting rugby to meet 

the needs of camp attendees to maximise their 

enjoyment. Twenty-one children participated in 

the Inclusion Camp. 


With children now back at school, it is hoped 

that many of those who experienced rugby for 

the first time throughout the summer will now 

seek out a club for further participation. 

Rugby Participation and Operations Manager, 

Damon Urlich, said: 

“Despite the challenges which were posed by 

Covid-19 and the associated restrictions, we 

experienced great participation in our various 

programmes, particularly the Bank of Ireland 

Munster Rugby Summer Camps. I’d like to say 

thank you to the public for their understanding 

and patience as we worked through the new 

procedures and protocols for the camps this 

year. Our appreciation also goes out to our 

staff who provided a brilliant experience to the 

children in all of the different programmes run 

throughout the summer.” 

energy, enthusiasm and planning of our staff. 

The feedback from parents was all about how 

good the coaches were to their children and 

the great rugby experience that was provided 

to them.” 

CLICK HERE for videos and content from the 

Summer programmes. 

Rugby on the Green in Blarney 

Participation Coordinator Ray Gadsden added 

that “the success of our camps were due to the 

CCRO INDUCTION DAY 

Munster Rugby held an induction day at 

Musgrave Park last week for this season’s Club 

& Community Rugby Officers (CCROs). 

The CCROs will be working with clubs and 

schools across the province over the next eight 

months, introducing rugby into the school 

through PE classes and helping to link the 

schools with their local clubs. 

The induction day allowed the CCROs to plan 

their schedules for the coming season and also 

to go through the various drills and games that 

they will be implementing with the playing 

groups throughout the year. 

These drills and games are designed with the 

aim that the players experience maximum 

enjoyment and a love of the sport. 

The role of a CCRO is very important as they 

are one of the first links between the schools 

and the clubs. 


37

Supporting the Red Army 

On & Off the Field 

Official Medical & Sports Injury 

Partner to Munster Rugby 

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@physiologix_sports 


ZEBO KEEN TO GET STUCK IN 

Simon Zebo returned to Munster during 

the Summer after three seasons with 

Racing 92 and featured in the recent 

training match here in Thomond Park. 

Munster’s all-time record try-scorer 

returns to the club where he made 144 

appearances and scored 60 tries between 

2010 and 2018. 

The Cork man is revelling in getting 

reacquainted with some familiar faces at 

the HPC and getting to know some new 

ones: 

“It’s great to be back. I haven’t stopped 

smiling since I’ve been back. Enjoying 

every minute of it. It’s been fantastic. Great 

group of guys. 

“There are some familiar faces in the mix 

as well. I’m very happy to be home.” 

Zebo has been very impressed with some 

of the young talent that has started to make 

their mark: 

“Some unbelievable young athletes and 

some really skilful guys here – the Jake 

Flannerys, the Jack Crowleys, Daniel 

Okeke…these guys have been pushing it 

on really far. There’s a great buzz around 

the camp, great buzz around the team. A 

great blend of youth and experience. I’m 

really looking forward to the new season.” 

In Paris, he made 60 appearances for 

Racing 92, scoring 21 tries. 

“There were some seriously talented 

players over at Racing. They brought a new 

mindset and a different way of thinking. It 

was a lot of fun to play with them. More 

importantly they were a great group of 

guys and I’ve made some friends for life, so 

I’ll take that experience with me for a very 

long time.” 

Zebo is excited about the season ahead 

and looking forward to seeing the fans 

return: 

“Just to get to run out in Thomond Park 

and put the boots on and run around with 

your friends again is what it’s all about and 

I’m very, very excited to do that. 

“We are building really nicely into the 

season. To be able to play back here with 

the fans here again will be very special. 

The last time I was here in a different jersey 

there was a full house. We are building 

towards it – not a full house yet – but I can’t 

wait for the day I put on the red jersey and 

play in front of a full house. I can’t wait to 

get stuck in.” 


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41


UPDATED COVID-19 GUIDANCE 

Sport Ireland have issued a guidance note 

to help the rugby community manage the 

easing of restrictions and put appropriate 

practises in place that will help us all 

emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. 

CLICK HERE to Download Sport Ireland 

Guidance Note 

This note supersedes all previous 

guidelines issued by both the IRFU and 

Sport Ireland. Where any doubt remains, 

clubs and schools are expected to abide 

by all public health guidelines and exercise 

their own judgement. 

In line with this document, use of pods 

is not required for rugby training from 

September 20th onwards. 

Clubs and schools should continue to have 

an up-to-date COVID-19 Health & Safety 

Plan inc. Risk Assessment. COVID-19 

Safety Officers, Compliance Officers and 

Committees are asked to remain in place. 

All members of the rugby community 

should continue to exercise the basics of 

COVID-19 safety that will continue to be 

effective, particularly in the winter season. 

These include staying at home/restricting 

movements if symptomatic, coughing and 

sneezing etiquette, hand hygiene and the 

wearing of face coverings in congregated 

indoor settings. 

The IRFU recommends use of the 

COVID-19 Tracker App throughout the 

2021/22 season. 

What measures will be in place from 

September 20 to October 22? 

Sport Ireland have mapped out a series 

of protective measures that will help keep 

clubs and schools safe from September 20 

to October 22. 

The measures outlined address: 

• Transport To and From Activities & 

Events 

• Showers / Changing Rooms / Sports 

Clubhouse Gyms 

• Indoor Meetings & Educational / 

Coaching Courses 

• Health Questionnaires 

• Substantial distance Among Pods 

• Sharing Of Equipment 

• Use of Masks 

• COVID Infrastructure Post October 22 

• Ventilation 

Rugby clubs are asked to note, in 

particular: 

Buses used by clubs and schools for 

rugby should operate at 75% capacity in 

line with private coach tour activity, not 

100% capacity in line with public transport 

capacity as previously advised. Protective 

measures on buses such as physical 

distancing and mask wearing should 

remain in place for this period. 

As previously advised by the IRFU, shower 

and changing facilities can reopen from 

September 20 with protective measures 

in place. Measures should include a time 

limit on use of facilities and restricting 

facilities only to those who need them. 

Physical distancing measures should also 

be in place e.g., making only every second 

shower/hanger available. 

Sport Ireland recommend the wearing 

of masks in shared indoor areas, with 

showers an exception. 

Indoor meetings should take place in line 

with government guidelines on indoor 

activity. 

Use of IRFU COVID-19 Personal 

Assessment Declarations should remain in 

place until at least October 22. 


43


FOUR TEAMS REMAIN IN 

MUNSTER SENIOR CHALLENGE CUP 

The semi-finalists of the Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Challenge Cup and Plate 

competitions are now known after the quarter finals were played last weekend. 

Highfield booked their place in the semifinals 

for a second successive season, 

beating Crescent 31-32 in a cracking game 

in Limerick. 

Holders Young Munster had a decisive 34- 

15 win over UL Bohemian at Tom Clifford 

Park. 

Cashel came from behind to beat Nenagh 

Ormond 10-7 with Garryowen brushing 

aside the challenge of Bruff with a 48-10 

win at Kilballyowen Park. 

In the Bank of Ireland Munster Senior 

Challenge Plate, Midleton lost 49-12 

away to Shannon at Coonagh while Cork 

Constitution defeated Dolphin 55-10. 

UCC defeated Clonmel 33-15 in what was 

a spirited performance from the Tipperary 

side. 

Sunday’s Well saw off the challenge of 

Kilfeacle with a 20-10 away win. 

BANK OF IRELAND 


Bruff 10-48 Garryowen 

Nenagh Ormond 7-10 Cashel 

Old Crescent 31-32 Highfield 

Young Munster 34-15 UL Bohemian RFC 

BANK OF IRELAND 

MUNSTER SENIOR CHALLENGE PLATE 

Clonmel 15-33 UCC 

Cork Constitution 55-10 Dolphin 

Kilfeacle 14-20 Sunday’s Well 

Shannon 49-12 Midleton 

SEMI-FINALS BANK OF IRELAND 


Cashel v Garryowen 

Highfield v Young Munster 

BANK OF IRELAND MUNSTER 

SENIOR CHALLENGE PLATE 

Shannon v UCC 

Sunday’s Well v Cork Constitution 


45


MUNSTER RUGBY 

SHOP THE 

2021/22 RANGE 


47

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48

Munster Rugby v Cell C Sharks Match Programme

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