Munster Rugby v Zebre Rugby Match Programme

v ZEBRE RUGBY CLUB | MON 30 NOV 2020 | THOMOND PARK | 8.15PM 

MUNSTER v ZEBRE RUGBY CLUB | 30.11.20 | THOMOND PARK 

1

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME 

Park. Think of it as a game closer to the day 

when we will be there in person. 

Loved in Munster. 

Followed the world over. 

Always represented. 

The domestic game is still on hold while we wait 

for direction from the government. The IRFU are 

working hard on what the competitions might 

look like when rugby resumes and mapping out 

a plan for the rest of the season. Hopefully, we 

will have positive news soon. 

Taking a line from the IRFU website: There are 

more important things than sport, but sport has 

never been more important. 

This evening we welcome Michael Bradley and 

his Zebre team to Thomond Park for Round 8 of 

the Guinness PRO14. Zebre come to Thomond 

Park with 1 win from 7, a stat that Michael 

Bradley undoubtedly will be disappointed with, 

given that they have run some teams very 

close. 

Munster’s good run of form continued last 

Monday night against Glasgow at Scotstoun 

Stadium. This was a game that was played in 

extremely difficult conditions and was high 

tempo from the very start. Johann and all the 

team will be happy with the result and of course 

the hard-earned 5 points on the road. The win 

sees them on top of Conference B with a game 

at hand. Undoubtedly, this evening’s game is 

one that Johann and all the team will be fully 

focused on and will not be taking anything for 

granted. 

Congratulations to all of the Munster players 

involved in the Irish squad, especially Shane 

Daly who made his debut in the green jersey 

yesterday in Dublin in the win over Georgia. 

Once again, thank you to Bank of Ireland our 

main sponsor, adidas, our kit supplier and all 

our sponsors. Your continued support is much 

appreciated. 

Stay positive, stay strong and stay safe. 

To the brave and the faithful, nothing is 

impossible. 

Sean McCullough 

President Munster Branch IRFU 

As normal, for the moment at least, we will be 

in the comfort of our living rooms watching the 

game and wishing that we were in Thomond 

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 

2 WWW.MUNSTERRUGBY.IE 


3 

© 2020 adidas AG

EVERY FIXTURE 

EVERY TRY 

EVERY TACKLE 

WHY IT MATTERS 

EIMEAR CONSIDINE | IRELAND & MUNSTER 

From left: Máire Treasa Ní Dubhbgaill, Máire Ní Bhraonáin, Deirbhile Níc Bháird, Jenny Murphy, Eimear Considine 

ALL IN 

ONE APP 

Whether it’s international rugby or live 

broadcasting, nobody gets picked unless 

they’re good enough. Every team I’ve 

been on has been selected solely on 

merit. 

It was no different last Sunday when I was 

part of TG4’s all-female talent on their 

Leinster v Cardiff Blues broadcast for the 

Guinness PRO14. Yes, it was historic to see 

an all-female team and we all felt great 

pride (and pressure!), but every person 

had proven they were right for the job. 

Quite rightly, TG4 has picked up a lot of 

positive attention and hopefully this is a 

step in the right direction towards a new 

normal, where fans get opinions, analysis 

and commentary from people who have 

the experience to provide the insights – 

regardless of gender. 

I can’t imagine what my young teenage 

self would have made of this. When I look 

back to that time in Ireland, I can only 

think of Sonia O’Sullivan competing at the 

Olympics as a role model for girls. Now, 

women’s international sports have such 

a greater platform and aspiring female 

athletes today have so many stars to look 

up to. 

Twenty years ago, there were very few 

Katie Taylors, Emily Scarratts, Serena 

Williams or Megan Rapinoes like we 

have today – people who have become 

household names. 

None of this happens overnight. Women’s 

sport and female athletes have moved out 

of the shadows and into the same arenas 

and stadiums as their male counterparts 

through support from clubs, sports 

organisations, broadcasters and sponsors. 

It’s proven now that if you show women’s 

sport in prime-time slots, people will 

watch. 

For those of you from outside Ireland, 

TG4 are an Irish-language station that 

have been very progressive in their 

broadcasting of women’s sport and 

promoting female talent for over 20 years. 

Their support of Gaelic football has led 

to record attendances for women’s finals 

and they have been keen to put strong, 

capable women on their rugby broadcasts 

for a number of seasons now. In Ireland, 

they have certainly been part of the first 

waves of momentum we see today. 

An all-female line-up was not about 

courting publicity. I’ve been involved for 

three years with TG4 and during that time 

they have assembled and developed the 

talent to make it work. 

Our leading host, Máire Treasa Ní 

Dubhbgaill is a hugely recognisable face in 

Irish sports broadcasting and she has been 

phenomenal at her job for over a decade. 

Deirbhile Níc Bháird has played in the 

backs and the forwards, played for Ireland, 

played Sevens and she has an insight that 

very few can provide. 

Jenny Murphy conducted interviews 

and provided analysis and she has an 

accomplished rugby CV having won a 

Grand Slam, played Sevens for Ireland 

and represented the Baa-Baas. Máire 

Ní Bhraonáin, who works at Clongowes 

College where she gets to see the latest 

Leinster talent emerge, was our lead 

commentator and she has already got 

plenty of Guinness PRO14 games under 

her belt now. Our team at the RDS was 

well proven, that’s for sure. 

Earlier, I mentioned Emily Scarratt, who is 

the most talented player I’ve ever come 

across in rugby. When she won the Player 

of the Tournament award for the Six 

Nations, the announcement was made in 

tandem with Antoine Dupont’s win for the 

male award. Guinness’ decision to sponsor 

the Womens’ Six Nations has massively 

helped the profile of women’s rugby in 

Europe. 

We see it all the time now, especially 

with the England national team who play 

at Twickenham – usually on the same 

day as the mens’ team. Last year another 

Irish international, Louise Galvin, and 

myself were part of eir Sport’s World Cup 

coverage. 

I was fortunate to appear in a national TV 

advert alongside Tommy Bowe, Gordon 

D’Arcy and Peter Stringer – three icons of 

Irish rugby, and that again elevated the 

perception of female athletes. So much 

so, in fact, that because our training 

schedule for the national team limited our 

appearances – an expectancy was created 

and any time we were not involved, fans 

were asking about us. 

All of this visibility and support is making a 

real difference. 

My cousin’s daughter, Éowyn, has become 

obsessed with rugby because she can 

watch the women’s team play on TV. She 

can go see Munster and Ireland play live 

at proper stadiums that make it a great 

day out for families. Ahead of the men’s 

World Cup last year the national squad 

were doing an open training session in 

each province, but when she arrived at the 

event in Thomond Park she was distraught 

because it was the men’s team and not the 

women’s! 

That hits home because to her it’s normal to 

see women playing elite sport, it’s normal 

to see big crowds attending their games 

and it’s normal to see female TV analysts. 

In Ireland we have the 20x20 campaign 

(#CantSeeCantBe) urging everyone 

involved in sport to find ways to play their 

part and it is great to see TG4 being such 

leaders in 

this space. 

We’ve also 

received great 

support from 

our provinces and sponsors but I would 

challenge everyone to ask what more can 

they do to raise the profile of women in 

sport? What other broadcasters and media 

outlets can follow this path? 

We’ve proven that if she can see it, she can 

be it… but we can’t and we won’t stop there. 



5

MUNSTER v ZEBRE RUGBY CLUB 

ROUND 8 PREVIEW 

Munster have stormed into an 11-point lead 

at the top of Conference B despite having 

only played six matches - and will be hoping 

to continue an unbeaten start at home this 

evening playing a side they have beaten in each 

of the teams’ 15 previous meetings. 

Johann van Graan’s men saw off Glasgow 

Warriors 27-13 on their travels last week and 

return to home turf where they have not been 

defeated in any tournament in 2020. 

at the hands of Ulster and Connacht in their 

most recent outings has left them bottom of 

Conference A. 

Michael Bradley will be hoping his men can 

earn what would be only their second victory 

away at an Irish province, their first coming 

against Connacht in 2018. 

Tonight's referee, Welshman 

Ben Whitehouse 

Zebre impressed with 23-17 victory over 

Ospreys earlier in November, but two defeats 

CONFERENCE B TABLE 

POS TEAM PL W D L BP PTS 

1 Munster Rugby 6 6 0 0 3 27 

2 Scarlets 7 3 0 4 4 16 

3 Connacht Rugby 5 3 0 2 3 15 

4 Cardiff Blues 8 3 0 5 2 14 

5 Edinburgh Rugby 6 2 0 4 2 10 

6 Benetton Rugby 6 0 0 6 3 3 

HEAD TO HEAD 15 0 0 

Munster wins 

Zebre wins 

Draws 

MATCH FACTS 

• Munster have won their last 24 fixtures 

against Italian opponents in all tournaments. 

• Zebre have been defeated in each of the 

last three rounds of the Championship since 

beating Ospreys in Parma on 2 November. 

• The last time that Zebre won outside Italy 

in the Guinness PRO14 was on a trip to 

Dragons in November 2019, whilst their only 

previous victory away at an Irish province 

was on a visit to Connacht in February 2018. 

• Munster have won all 15 previous matches 

they have played against Zebre and 13 of 

those with a try bonus point. 



7

Shane Daly and Soso 

Matiashvili of Georgia 

RECOVER LIKE A PRO 

DEBUT FOR DALY 

IN WIN OVER GEORGIA 

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Shane Daly became Munster’s latest senior 

international when he came off the bench after 

62 minutes to win his first cap against Georgia 

yesterday, replacing his Munster team-mate 

Keith Earls. 

Daly was one of eight Munster players 

involved in the 23-10 win, with Chris Farrell, 

Conor Murray, Tadhg Beirne and CJ Stander 

all on the starting line-up alongside Earls, with 

Daly, John Ryan, and Peter O’Mahony involved 

off the bench. 

Ireland opened the scoring after 9 mins with 

Billy Burns accelerating through a gap to touch 

down after great hands from Chris Farrell. 

Burns extended Ireland’s lead to 10-0 four 

minutes later with a penalty kick. 

A stunning individual try from Georgia centre 

Kveseladze under the posts saw the visitors 

register their first points 16 minutes into 

the game, with the conversion leaving the 

score line 10-7 as the end of the first quarter 

approached. 

Burns added another three points after 22 

minutes before Hugo Keenan crossed for 

Ireland’s second try 11 minutes later which 

Burns converted to put Ireland 20-7 ahead. 

While Stuart McCloskey and James Ryan both 

crossed the line before the end of the first half, 

neither try was given. 

Half-time changes saw John Ryan entering the 

fray for the second half. 

Georgia added three points 7 minutes after 

the break to bring the score to 20-10, with 

replacement flyhalf Ross Byrne slotting over 

a penalty after 58 minutes to stretch Ireland’s 

lead to 23-10. 

Peter O’Mahony came off the bench after 61 

minutes, taking over as captain in what was his 

72nd appearance in the green jersey. 

No more scores were forthcoming in what 

proved to be a dogged last quarter, including a 

determined effort from Stander who was held 

up on the line in the closing stages. Stander 

proved top of the stats for carries, with an 

outstanding 24 carries and 61 metres in the 

game. 

Ireland’s final outing in the Autumn Nations 

Cup takes place next Saturday in Dublin 

against Scotland in the third place play-off. (KO 

2.15pm) 



9

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11

THE INSIDE 

TRACK 

Matt Gallagher joined Munster during the 

summer from Saracens and has already made 

an impression in his four appearances with 

two tries against Dragons. The versatile back 

lined out against Munster in last season’s 

Champions Cup in Thomond Park. A former 

England U20 and Saracens Academy Player 

of the Year, Matt is Irish qualified with 

grandparents from Limerick and Derry. 

On settling into Limerick… 

“I’ve really enjoyed it so far. Obviously coming 

over during Covid it has been a bit of a different 

setting to other years. But I’ve enjoyed it – the 

boys have made me feel really welcome and 

I’m happy to be playing a bit of rugby as well. 

It’s been tough enough with lockdown, but 

I’ve been to Limerick a few times before – my 

Granny lives here, so I’ve seen a bit of it before. 

The boys have been so welcoming, helping me 

out and helping me to settle in – it hasn’t been 

as hard as it may seem. I’m in a house with Dan 

Goggin at the moment. He’s been helping me 

settle in as well. It’s all been good so far.“ 

On knowing about Munster from a young 

age… 

“My family are into sport. My family are into 

rugby. I went to the European final in Cardiff 

in 2006. I was up in the top of the stand. I was 

loving it.” 

On the win in Glasgow on Monday night… 

“The conditions on Monday weren’t the best but 

I think the boys in general adapted really well. 

We put a lot of pressure on their kicking game. 

The boys in the pack especially dominated – 

three second rows scoring three of the tries. 

Getting the bonus point away in Glasgow is 

always a massive thing for us so that was very 

good.” 

On playing full-back v. on the wing… 

“There’s always little subtle differences. I’m 

used to playing full back more than on the wing 

but wherever Johann wants to put me, I just 

want to do my best for the team. My preference 

would probably be full back, but I made my 

debut at Munster on the wing, I made my debut 

at Saracens on the wing. Wherever is best for 

the team I’ll step up and play. I’ve played a little 

bit at 13 but not for awhile now so mainly wing 

and full back.” 

On running out in Thomond Park without the 

crowds… 

“It’s always a little bit difference isn’t it, running 

out to an empty stadium. Obviously, you want 

the fans there all the time – at the moment 

we can’t. The boys on the sideline have been 

doing their best to try and create some kind of 

atmosphere there but it’s nothing compared to 

a packed Thomond Park. Hopefully in the near 

future we will be able to get the fans back in. 

We know how passionate Munster is and the 

fans of Munster. We can’t wait for them to come 

back and show them the performances we can 

put in for them.” 

On playing Zebre this evening… 

“We will be sticking to our process. Firstly, we 

will be looking to get the win. Anything more 

than that is a bonus. We are putting 100% into 

this game.” 

On Munster’s great start to the season with 6 

wins from 6 games… 

“We want to keep winning. That’s something 

we have been speaking about since I’ve come 

here anyway. Johann talks to us about that a 

lot. We want to keep our momentum and keep 

sticking to our process. We are not going to get 

ahead of ourselves and hopefully the winning 

streak continues.” 

On competition within the squad and taking 

his chances during the international window… 

“All I can do is play the best that I can when I do 

play. Hopefully, that’s good enough to get on the 

team when everyone is back. Andrew and Keith 

are phenomenal players. I just want to play as 

much as I can and hopefully it’s good enough to 

play when they are back as well. Shane Daly is 

one of my closest mates since I’ve come here. 

Obviously delighted for him getting his first 

cap with Ireland. He’s been playing really well, 

trained really well in lockdown and taken his 

opportunities.” 

On playing in the PRO14 for the first time… 

“It’s a little bit different. Obviously, we travel a 

bit more compared to in England, so I’ve been 

getting my head around that. We went up to 

Glasgow on Monday morning and back on 

Monday night after the game. From what I’ve 

seen so far, I’ve enjoyed it. It’s competitive. We 

have to see how the rest of the season goes and 

see how we do, but I’ve enjoyed it so far.” 



13

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15

GETTING TO KNOW… 

DOB: 03 Mar 2001 (age 19) 

Position: No. 8 

From: Cork 

School: PBC 

Academy Year: 1st Year 

ALEX 

KENDELLEN 

Alex Kendellen is a recent addition to the 

Greencore Munster Rugby Academy, joining 

this summer having led PBC to the Munster 

Schools Senior Cup final. 

Prior to joining the Academy, he had already 

earned a number of representative honours at 

provincial and international level. Kendellen 

has lined out for the Munster U18s and U19s 

and captained the Ireland U18 Schools side in 

2019 as well as playing for the Ireland U18 7s 

team. 

The 19-year-old lined out for Munster A against 

Connacht at the Sportsground in September 

and has played for Munster at the IRFU 7s 

Tournament in recent weeks. 

On his rugby pathway… 

“I probably started a bit later than most 

people. I was 12/13 when I joined Cork Con. 

I was going into Pres and kind of fell in love 

with the game from then on. I really enjoyed 

my six years in Pres playing Junior Cup and 

Senior Cup, especially the last couple of years 

working with Ger Burke, Cian Bohane and 

playing with some of the lads who are in the 

Academy now – Jonathan Wren and Sean 

French. I played with them when I was in 4th 

Year. They’ve been very good to me for the 

last couple of years.” 

On his East London connections… 

“I would have played a lot of soccer and golf 

when I was younger. I come from a die-hard 

West Ham family. I grew up going across to 

Upton Park a lot. Dad is from East London so 

that’s the link.” 

On his Munster pathway… 

“I would have started with the Munster U18s. I 

played for a year at that level, and another year 

at Ireland U18s. I played two years at Munster 

U19s and another year at Ireland U18s. Since 

getting an Academy contract, all the lads have 

welcomed me in very well and the transition 

has been fairly seamless.” 

On his first impressions of the Academy… 

“Difficult at the start. It was minimal numbers 

but it was really enjoyable working with Peter 

Malone and Greig Oliver. I got a lot out of it. 

The facilities are unbelievable – its second to 

none. It has been very good training alongside 

the seniors. It has been really enjoyable. I have 

learned a lot. It’s extremely competitive and I 

think that’s why I have enjoyed it so much.” 

On playing with the Munster 7s team… 

“I played in the three recent tournaments 

as part of the IRFU Academy 7s Series 

with Munster 7s. It has been a very good 

experience. A completely difference game 

but really enjoyable. It was good to get a run 

out. There are not many games happening at 

the moment, so it was good to get out of the 

training mindset and into a match mindset. I 

have been finding my feet over the last few 

weeks. It’s been extremely competitive, but 

I’ve really enjoyed it.” 



17

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Supporters can join the growing Red Army of over 750 ‘Be There’ portraits at Thomond Park by 

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It’s a great way for supporters to be there, be part of match day and show their support for the 

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A number of our squad have also gotten involved and ordered pet portraits! 


MUNSTER v ZEBRE EDINBURGH RUGBY | 10.10.20 CLUB | 30.11.20 | THOMOND | THOMOND PARK PARK 

19

STEPHEN ARCHER 

Prop 

29.01.88 

H: 1.88m 

W: 120.91kg 

Hons: Ire (2 caps) 

Hooker 

06.08.99 

H:1.83m 

W: 98kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

DIARMUID BARRON 

TADHG BEIRNE 

Lock / Back Row 

08.01.92 

H: 1.98 m 

W: 113.18 kg 


Flanker 

15.02.91 

H: 1.76 m 

W: 98 kg 

Hons: ~ 

CHRIS CLOETE 

Back Row 

11.12.1997 

H: 1.98m 

W: 110kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

GAVIN COOMBES 

JAMES CRONIN 

Prop 

23.11.90 

H: 1.80 m 

W: 113 kg 


JOEY CARBERY 

Fly Half 

01.11.95 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 85kg 


Scrum Half 

19.04.99 

H: 1.65 m 

W: 75kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

CRAIG CASEY 

ANDREW CONWAY 

Full Back / Wing 

11.07.91 

H: 1.80 m 

W: 89 kg 


LIAM COOMBES 

Full Back / Wing 

01.05.97 

H: 1.91m 

W: 89 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

Scrum Half 

08.12.92 

H: 1.73 m 

W: 83 kg 

Hons: Ire Clubs 

NEIL CRONIN 

Wing / Centre 

19.12.96 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 91 kg 

Hons: Ire (1 cap) 

SHANE DALY 

Lock / Back Row 

03.08.85 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 111 kg 


BILLY HOLLAND 

DAVE KILCOYNE 

Prop 

14.12.88 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 112 kg 


JEAN KLEYN 

Lock 

26.08.93 

H: 2.03 m 

W: 125 kg 


Prop 

06.04.99 

H: 1.85m 

W: 115kg 

Hons: ~ 

KEYNAN KNOX 

Prop 

22.07.95 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 120 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JEREMY LOUGHMAN 

Hooker 

12.10.92 

H: 1.84 m 

W: 108 kg 

Hons: NZ U20 

RHYS MARSHALL 

DAMIAN DE ALLENDE 

Centre 

25/11/1991 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 105 kg 

Hons: SA (47 caps) 

KEITH EARLS 

Universal Back 

02.10.87 

H: 1.78 m 

W: 90 kg 


CHRIS FARRELL 

Centre 

16.03.93 

H: 1.93 m 

W: 110 kg 


Full Back 

26.10.96 

H:1.85m 

W: 95 kg 

Hons: Eng U20 

MATT GALLAGHER 

Centre 

10.12.94 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 100 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

DAN GOGGIN 

Full Back 

28.06.94 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 93 kg 


MIKE HALEY 

Hooker 

16.04.91 

H: 1.80 m 

W: 107 kg 

Hons: Ire U19 

KEVIN O’BYRNE 

Prop 

13.07.95 

H: 1.78 m 

W: 110 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

LIAM O’CONNOR 

TOMMY O’DONNELL 

Back Row 

21.05.87 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 107 kg 


JACK O’DONOGHUE 

Back Row 

08.02.94 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 107 kg 


PETER O’MAHONY 

Back Row 

17.09.89 

H: 1.91 m 

W: 106 kg 


Back Row 

01.10.98 

H: 1.88m 

W: 100kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

JACK O’SULLIVAN 

JJ HANRAHAN 

Fly Half / Centre 

27.07.92 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 93 kg 

Hons: Emerging Ireland 

Scrum Half 

25.03.95 

H: 1.8m 

W: 84 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

NICK MCCARTHY 

Centre 

07.10.97 

H: 1.88m 

W: 95kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

ALEX MCHENRY 

CONOR MURRAY 

Scrum Half 

20.04.89 

H: 1.88 m 

W: 94 kg 


Wing 

08.08.97 

H: 1.78 m 

W: 90 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

CALVIN NASH 

RORY SCANNELL 

Centre 

22.12.93 

H: 1.80 m 

W: 98 kg 


JOHN RYAN 

Prop 

02.08.88 

H: 1.83 m 

W: 117 kg 


Prop 

28.10.97 

H:1.83m 

W: 123.18kg 

Hons: USA U20 

ROMAN SALANOA 

NIALL SCANNELL 

Hooker 

08.04.92 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 109 kg 


RG SNYMAN 

Lock 

29.01.95 

H: 2.06 m 

W: 116 kg 

Hons: SA (23 caps) 

CJ STANDER 

Back Row 

05.04.90 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 114 kg 


Lock 

11.12.97 

H:1.93 m 

W: 111.82 kg 

Hons: Ire U20 

FINEEN WYCHERLEY 

Wing 

05.05.93 

H: 1.85 m 

W: 95 kg 


DARREN SWEETNAM 

FORWARDS 

BACKS 

Munster Rugby Squad - 2020/21 Season 



21

MUNSTER RUGBY 

STARTING XV 

ZEBRE RUGBY CLUB 

STARTING XV 

Josh Wycherley Rhys Marshall Stephen Archer 

Fineen 

Billy Holland (C) 

Wycheley 

Riccardo 

Brugnara 

Marco 

Manfredi 

Alexandru 

Tarus 

Gabriele 

Venditti 

Leonard 

Krumov 

Jack 

O'Donoghue (C) 

Chris Cloete 

Gavin Coombes 

Nick McCarthy 

JJ Hanrahan 

Mick Kearney 

Alessandro 

Mordacci 

Lorenzo 

Masselli 

Alessandro 

Fusco 

Paolo Pescetto 

Darren 

Sweetnam 

Damian de 

Allende 

Dan Goggin 

Calvin Nash 

Matt Gallagher 

Pierre Bruno 

Enrico Lucchin 

Giulio 

Bisegni (C) 

Giovanni 

D'Onofrio 

Junior Laloifi 

#MUNvZEB 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION 

MATCH OFFICIALS 

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU) 

AR1: Andy Brace (IRFU) 

AR2: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) 

TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU) 

Replacements 

16. Diarmuid Barron 17. Liam O’Connor 18. Keynan Knox 19. Thomas Ahern 

20. Jack Daly 21. Craig Casey 22. Ben Healy 23. Sean French 

Replacements 

16. Massimo Ceciliani 17. Andrea Lovotti 18. Matteo Nocera 19. Andrea Chianucci 

20. Oliviero Fabiani 21. Simone Marinaro 22. Alessandro Forcucci 23. Jamie Elliott 



23

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THE LOWDOWN 

THE FORM GUIDE 

Zebre’s standout result to date this 

season was a 23-17 win over Ospreys in 

Round 4, also running Scarlets close the 

following week as they lost out by just one 

point at Parc y Scarlets. Their opening 

game against Cardiff saw the Welsh side 

win 16-6 in Parma, with the Dragons 

winning 26-18 in Round 2. In Dublin in 

Round 3, Leinster notched up 63 points 

to Zebre’s 8. In recent weeks, Zebre have 

faced both Ulster and Connacht, both of 

whom have racked up bonus point wins 

in the process. 

What is clear is that Zebre are scoring 

tries and certainly capable of pushing 

teams hard – just ask Ospreys and 

Scarlets. Whilst they have scored tries in 

all games bar their opening round defeat 

to Cardiff, they have leaked 34 tries in 7 

games. 

Some familiar faces in their ranks include 

former Munster lock Ian Nagle and his 

teammate at Leinster Mick Kearney who 

also played almost 70 times for Connacht. 

THE COACHING TICKET 

Michael Bradley 

Former Munster and Ireland international 

Michael Bradley has been at the helm of 

the coaching team in Parma since 2017. 

Scrum half Bradley was capped 40 times 

for Ireland between 1984 and 1995. He 

moved into coaching in 2002, coaching 

the Ireland U21s in 2002 and taking over 

as head coach of Connacht and the Ireland 

A team in 2003, where he remained for 

7 years. He joined the Georgian national 

team for 2010-2011 before becoming 

head coach of Edinburgh in 2011. Periods 

with Scotland A, the Georgian national 

team and CSM Bucharest followed 

before he was appointed head coach of 

Zebre ahead of the 2017-18 season. Fabio 

Roselli and Andrea Moretti joined the 

coaching ticket in the summer – both had 

been working with the Italy U20s side. 

ONE TO WATCH 

ONE TO WATCH 

Junior Laloifi 

26-year-old Samoan Junior Laloifi is a 

former Australian Schools and Australian 

7s international and lines out at full 

back today. The versatile back made the 

move to Italy last year and has made 15 

appearances to date, including a Man 

of the Match performance against the 

Cheetahs in January. Coming into this 

round, he had gained 292 metres in 6 

appearances this season – 4th overall in 

the tournament. 



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27

NO STOPPING BREEN 

Enya in action against Ulster in 2019 

Ireland international and Munster centre Enya 

Breen recently spoke to Irish Rugby about 

what has been a whirlwind two years for the 

Skibbereen woman as she established herself 

on the international stage. 

21-year-old Breen made her Ireland debut as a 

19-year-old against France during the 2019 Six 

Nations and she has since earned eight caps 

for her country. 

“Last year was a bit of a whirlwind for me but 

it has been really good to settle down this year 

and get more confident, more game-time, just 

building into myself really,” Breen told Irish 

Rugby. 

“I feel like I’m improving week on week and 

with these great players around me, it’s just 

been great for me.” 

Breen is part of a strong Munster contingent 

in Adam Griggs’ Ireland squad and her rugby 

journey began by playing minis with Carrigaline 

before continuing her development with 

Bantry Bay. 

She recalls how she swiftly progressed 

through the Munster pathway which ultimately 

led to international honours. 

“I started with club and then went from there 

into Munster U18s. My second year in the 

Munster U18s I was on the underage Sevens 

as well. And then, I played with them for two 

years, with the Munster U18s and 15s as well. 

I just made the progression into the Munster 

seniors and into here (Ireland)!” 

Breen added: “The pathway has proven to 

be great. You have players like Beibhinn (Parsons), 

Dorothy Wall and Emily Lane making 

ground in the Sevens at the moment. The pathway 

is there and it’s bringing out great talent. 

Hopefully, it’s the start of many and there will 

be more names in the future that will be big.” 

Although it has been a hugely successful year 

for Breen as she established herself in Ireland’s 

midfield, she is determined to continue to 

grow as a player and earn more caps for her 

country. 

“Well, I just want to keep improving. I want to 

be the best player that I can be. Yes, the dream 

was always to play for Ireland but now the 

goalposts had to move. I want to keep playing 

in this green jersey for as long as I can. I just 

want to be the best player that I can be.” 

When the UL Bohemians club woman was 

asked what she would tell any aspiring young 

woman who has dreams of playing at the highest 

level, her advice was simple – work hard 

and believe in yourself. 

“Just back yourself and go after it. This has 

been my dream since I was a kid. It’s all I’ve 

ever wanted. I’ve worked hard. I think you 

just have to back yourself and absolutely go for 

it because, at the end of the day, hard work will 

get you there.” 

"I think you just have to back yourself and absolutely go for it 

because, at the end of the day, hard work will get you there.” 

Enya playing for Ireland against Wales in 2019 



29

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31

STAND UP 

AND FIGHT 

RUGBY DEVELOPMENT NEWS 

weekend, so if you’re interested in getting involved 

in refereeing, please contact Chris Harrington 

chris.harrington@irfu.ie. 

RUGBY’S ROLE IN KEEPING CHILDREN ACTIVE 

Eddie Hogan O'Connell 

MAR WELCOMES NEW TRIAL MEMBERS 

The IRFU new members induction course for 

the Munster Association of Referees took place 

on Saturday, October 31 last via Microsoft Teams. 

25 people, including five females, took part in 

the course which was conducted by the IRFU’s 

Referee Development Manager for Munster, Chris 

Harrington. 

Due to government restrictions, attendees 

completed pre-course modules such as Law & 

Concussion before the Microsoft Teams event took 

place. There was great interaction and enthusiasm 

from all of those who attended and it is pleasing 

that 21 of the 25 who attended have now graduated 

to becoming Trial Members with the Munster 

Association of Referees. These new members have 

already attended their weekly meeting and trial 

member workshop. 

Munster Rugby Development staff recently 

paid a visit to Tralee RFC to assist coaches 

in implementing skills sessions for the club’s 

U12s during the Level 5 restrictions. 

Due to these restrictions, training must be altered 

so that it is non-contact with many sessions 

consisting of catch-pass and evasion games. 

Not only is it important to focus on skill work 

but making sure that children continue to have 

an outlet and some level of structure in their lives 

is key as Club & Community Rugby Officer Brian 

O’Dowd explains: 

“It’s hugely important for the clubs but for the 

kids, for their own mental health, getting them 

out, keeping them active, engaging them with a 

ball with different skills instead of sitting at home 

running up the walls. Basically, it’s just to get them 

out and keep them somewhat in a normal routine.” 

Munster Rugby Development staff have continued 

this work throughout the province for a range of 

clubs and schools. 

A special mention must go to the Club Referee 

Coordinators who played a major role in this 

recruitment campaign. The clubs which were 

represented included Young Munster, UL 

Bohemians, Ballincollig, Old Crescent, Fermoy, 

Bruff, St. Senan’s, Crosshaven, Shannon, Killarney, 

Kilrush, Ennis, Cork Constitution, Mallow, 

Dungarvan, Midleton, Fethard & District, Clonmel 

and Newcastle West. 

Referees are vital to ensuring games continue to 

take place in Munster. Unfortunately, there are not 

enough MAR referees to officiate at all games every 

#MunsterStartsHere 



33

With 5 of the province’s 15 Academy players 

already featuring in the Guinness PRO14 this 

season, and potential PRO14 debuts tonight for 

Jack Daly and Sean French if sprung from the 

bench, there’s a lot of positivity coming from 

the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy. 

Elite Player Development Manager Peter 

Malone spoke earlier this week on the current 

state of play for the Academy, adapting to 

Covid-19 measures and provided an update on 

current injuries. 

On the Academy players making their mark in 

the PRO14... 

"We’ve said since the return of rugby in the 

summer that the Covid situation is going to take 

us all to new places and we have to adapt as 

best we can. 

"I’m very proud of how the Academy guys have 

stood up and trained very well, supported the 

senior squad and a lot of them are pushing very 

hard for inclusion to senior squads on merit. 

"Obviously, Ben Healy is the standout, but you 

look at guys like Josh Wycherley, John Hodnett 

and Tom Ahern coming on for his debut as well. 

"Then there are recent Academy graduates, it’s 

great to see guys who were with us a year or 

two ago now turning into senior leaders in the 

squad. 

"Guys like Craig Casey and Gavin Coombes are 

stepping up so that’s very positive and I think 

it bodes well for Munster that guys from the 

Academy are moving into leadership roles in 

the senior squad pretty quickly. 

"And for the guys in the Academy, they can see 

that if they are training hard and play well, they’ll 

get their opportunity and it’s a great carrot for 

players to have." 

On the lack of AIL rugby... 

"It is disappointing that there isn’t AIL rugby but 

it’s very understandable in the circumstances. 

There will also be restrictions on guys playing 

AIL rugby with players crossing over bubbles. 

"The plan at the moment is to play two ‘A’ 

Interpro fixtures in December to give as many 

players as possible game-time. 

"In fairness, I think most of the Academy guys 

have been in the mix for PRO14 selection, bar 

the injured players." 

On additional training for Academy players... 

"Along with training with the seniors, they also 

work with Greig Oliver and myself pre- and 

post-session on their work-on areas with catchpass, 

tackle technique and so on. 

"They’re getting the best of both worlds trainingwise 

because they’re still doing their individual 

skills programme with us and training with the 

seniors. 

"They are learning and developing the whole 

time and it is a very mature Academy group." 

38958 

ACADEMY PLAYERS 

STEPPING UP 

On John Hodnett’s unfortunate achilles 

injury... 

"It's very disappointing for John, he was on a 

great run of form and had taken his opportunity 

with the senior squad and he had a few big 

performances. 

"The surgery went well though and he’s a very 

adaptable fella, he’s in good form and looking 

forward to getting going with the rehab." 

Injury update... 

"James French (neck) has been back to full 

contact training and he will come back into 

contention in December. The operation went 

well, and he went extremely well in his rehab, 

he worked very hard with the S&C and rugby 

staff to get back in good condition and he has 

been back scrummaging since last week. 

"Eoghan Clarke (hooker) has had a calf issue 

that has dragged on for him unfortunately and 

he’s unavailable for the coming weeks." 



35

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FOLLOW 

ALL THE 

ACTION 

@PRO14Official 



@PRO14Rugby 





37

FINEEN 

WYCHERLEY5 

Passes completed: 33 

Metres gained: 136 

Carries: 108 

Tackles: 143 

Lineout wins: 49 

Lineout steals: 3 

Defenders beaten: 4 

Fineen Wycherley has made five appearances in red this season, scoring a try in the hard-fought 

win against Glasgow Warriors last Monday night. An impressive start to this season saw the 

versatile back row/lock included in the Ireland training camp in October. The Bantry native has 

played a total of 46 times for Munster after making his debut against Cardiff Blues in March 2017. 



39

CLANCY CALLS TIME 

ON INCREDIBLE CAREER 

professional games between refereeing and 

assistant refereeing and even TMO the odd 

time, that there’s such a wealth of incredible 

memories down through the years that I have 

been very, very lucky.” 

That would be the making of a good book. “I’d 

say a few fellas would be worried all right,” he 

laughs. 

When we ask Clancy what were his standout 

matches that he had the pleasure of refereeing, 

it will come as no surprise that the Limerick man 

details numerous examples. 

The 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand will 

always be special as Clancy had the privilege of 

officiating the opening game of that tournament 

– the All Blacks and Tonga on the hallowed turf 

of Eden Park. 

“The match was between New Zealand and 

Tonga, but you saw people there wearing 

Ireland jerseys, Australian jersey, Argentina 

jerseys. It hit home to me how important this 

game was from a world rugby perspective." 

“We’re in a really good place now and I think 

that has been reflected in the strides that have 

been made by the likes of Andy Brace and 

Frank Murphy. Obviously, Joy Neville is World 

Referee of the Year and she’ll go on to fantastic 

things as well. Sean Gallagher as well is making 

great strides.” 

Although Clancy will no longer be involved in 

the professional side of the game, he is eager 

to give back to something which has provided 

him with so much. Depending on the time 

commitments required for his new job in the 

Civil Service, the Limerick man would like to 

return to refereeing in the Munster Junior 

League and perhaps the All Ireland League. 

125 Guinness PRO14 fixtures, 75 Heineken 

Champions Cup fixtures, 46 internationals, Six 

Nations championships, Rugby Championships, 

two Rugby World Cups – Clancy has seen and 

experienced it all. 

It’s these experiences and memories which the 

43-year-old will look back on fondly once he 

finally steps away from the pro game. Although 

Clancy refereed his last professional game last 

month, he has had assistant refereeing gigs in 

November before stepping away from the pro 

game altogether. 

“It’s just been unbelievable. What rugby has 

given me over the course of the past 20 years 

as regards travelling the world and the people 

that I have met, the experiences that I’ve had 

along the way. Just to be involved at the highest 

level of the game has been incredible. I keep 

a daily diary for an everyday week. I haven’t 

even got a chance to go back through it, but 

you can imagine over the course of over 500 

Community Games was where Clancy got his 

first taste of the oval ball before he went through 

the underage grades at Bruff RFC. Clancy also 

played during his teenage years at the famed 

Limerick rugby nursery of St. Munchin’s College 

in Corbally. One of Clancy’s fondest memories 

as a player was winning the Munster Junior 

Challenge Cup in 1998. 

Trying to juggle his love of rugby and hurling 

with the addition of picking up the “odd niggle” 

saw Clancy drift away from the oval ball 

somewhat until his father, Seoirse, who was a 

referee himself in the 80s, encouraged his son 

to take up a role with the whistle. 

Clancy credits the mentoring he received from 

notable figures within the Munster Association 

of Referees as crucial in his development during 

the early years of his refereeing career. 

“We had really good guys in the Munster 

Association of Referees with regards to 

coaching and mentoring you along. People 

like Johnny Cole, Noel Moore, ‘Wiry’ Sexton – 

fellas like that who put in a huge amount of time 

into us. I know I’m leaving fellas out there but 

down in Cork, guys like Stan Fuller and people 

like that, Ronnie McDowell as well who would 

always have your back and bring you on as best 

you could. I’m forever grateful to those lads.” 

One occasion which Clancy will never forget 

took place a lot closer to home. Munster against 

the All Blacks in 2008 for the opening of the 

redeveloped Thomond Park. 

“One of the most incredible occasions was when 

Munster played the All Blacks for the opening of 

Thomond Park. I’ll just never forget that. I was 

the fourth official for the game. We got to be at 

pitch level when all of this was happening with 

the Munster haka, the New Zealand haka, the 

minute silence for Shane Geoghegan, god rest 

him, the match ball being dropped down by 

helicopter, the crowd. 

“That was just off the charts for me. I’ll never 

forget it. I was doing fourth official, like, but I 

remember walking back to the dugout, I got 

pins and needles in my hands, even. It was 

an experience I never had before or since at a 

rugby ground. People were saying that it was 

some occasion. You’d think the match would 

never live up to that after that but my god, it 

certainly did.” 

As Clancy steps away from the professional 

refereeing bubble, he reflects on the excellent 

progress that has been made at a provincial and 

national level in developing the next generation 

of elite referees in this country. 

One thing is for sure, the Limerick native is 

looking forward to having a more traditional 

schedule, including those weekends enjoying 

sport from a different perspective. 

“I was chatting to my wife there at the weekend 

and she was saying that she’s looking forward to 

seeing a game where it’s not stopped, started, 

rewound back a 100 times before we get to the 

end of the first half. I’m looking forward to that 

myself!” 



41

FIXTURES & RESULTS 2020/21 

Date Fixture Where to watch 

Sat 3 Oct Scarlets 27-30 Munster Parc y Scarlets 

Sat 10 Oct Munster 25-23 Edinburgh Rugby Thomond Park 

Mon 26 Oct Munster 38 - 27 Cardiff Blues eir Sport, TG4, Premier Sports 

Sun 1 Nov Dragons 16 - 28 Munster eir Sport, Premier Sports 

Sat 7 Nov Benetton Rugby v Munster Match Postponed 

Sun 15 Nov Munster 38-22 Ospreys eir Sport, S4C, Premier Sports 

Mon 23 Nov Glasgow Warriors 13-27 Munster Premier Sports, eir Sport 

Mon 30 Nov | 8:15pm Munster v Zebre Rugby Club eir Sport, Premier Sports 

Sun 13 Dec | 5.30pm Munster v Harlequins BT Sport, beIN Sports 

Sat 19 Dec | 6.30pm Clermont Auvergne v Munster beIN Sports, BT Sport 

Sat 26 Dec | 7.35pm Munster v Leinster eir Sport, Premier Sports 

Sat 02 Jan | 5.15pm Ulster v Munster eir Sport, Premier Sports 

Sat 09 Jan | 7.35pm Connacht v Munster eir Sport, TG4, Premier Sports 

Sat 16 Jan | 5.30pm Munster v Clermont Auvergne BT Sport, beIN Sports 

Sat 23 Jan | 5.30pm Harlequins v Munster BT Sport, beIN Sports 

Gilbert x Munster Programme Advert_165x12mm_5mm Bleed.pdf 1 06/10/2020 10:07 

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CM 

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CMY 

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