*Aoife Corey. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
A HISTORIC day for Clare rugby will transpire on Saturday as seven young athletes from the Banner will take on the iconic Barbarians in Thomond Park in the red of Munster.
With a number of international players competing in the World Cup in France for Ireland, opportunity knocks for two former Ennis RFC men to grow their credentials with Munster.
Ethan Coughlan, fresh from last week’s victory over Connacht, starts again at scrum-half where he will be alongside Joey Carbery at outhalf. Carbery’s replacement is Tony Butler, a Barefield native who played all his underage rugby with Ennis. Both were coached by Ken Butler, Tony’s dad and owner of Realprint in Ennis.
The game forms part of a double header in Limerick where the Munster women also take on a Barbarians selection. Ennis RFC products Aoife Corey, Eilish Cahill, Chisom Ugwueru, and Alana McInerney are all lining out at 13, 14 and 15 respectively. Kilkishen native Clodagh O’Halloran will also start in the second row for Munster, on what promises to be a historic day for Clare rugby.
Munster men (v Barbarians 4.30pm): S Daly; S McCarthy, A Frisch, R Scannell, C Nash; J Carbery, E Coughlan; J Wycherley, D Barron, S Archer; E Edogbo, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue (C), J Daly, G Coombes. Replacements: N Scannell, M Donnelly, J Ryan, T Ahern, B Gleeson, N Cronin, T Butler, F Gibbons.
Munster women (v Barbarians, 2pm): A Corey; C Ugwueru, A McInerney, S Nunan, S Carroll; K Flannery, M Wall; R Ormond, B Buttimer, E Cahill; D Wall (C), C O’Halloran; B Heylmann, J Clohessy, C Pearse. Replacements: C Farrell, F Reidy, G Coombes, C Bennett, M Óg O’Leary, A Salter-Townshend, A O’Shaughnessy, A Doyle.
