Leamy returns for Munster

LONG-TERM injury victims Denis Leamy, Donnacha Ryan and Ian Dowling have been included in Tony McGahan’s Munster squad for Friday night’s pre-season friendly clash with the Leicester Tigers at Musgrave Park (7pm).
Leamy, Ryan and Dowling join the likes of the recently arrived Sam Tuitupou and the returned Wian du Preez in the 26-strong squad for the meeting with the Premiership giants.


Back-row Denis Leamy has been out of action since undergoing a knee operation in the aftermath of his impressive display against Perpignan in the Heineken Cup in December.
Lock Ryan has been out of action since February following a shoulder operation while Dowling missed the closing games of last season with a knee injury.
All three players participated in Munster’s week-long warm weather training camp in La Manga. The squad returned home from Spain this Tuesday. Coach Tony McGahan said the camp had proved hugely beneficial ahead of the start of the competitive season.
“In terms of preparation the facility in La Manga was excellent and we managed to get in quality core rugby work along with valuable organisational matters,” Munster’s Tony McGahan said this week.
“Leicester Tigers on Friday and (the meeting with) Gloucester (seven days later) provides us with the ideal opponents ahead of the competitive start to the season.
“The game against Leicester on Friday will see the return to action of players such as Donnacha Ryan, Denis Leamy and Ian Dowling who missed large parts of last season through injury.
“We would also expect to see newcomers Sam Tuitupou and Wian du Preez continue their integration into the squad while the opportunity will also arise to expose some of the young talent coming through to top class opposition,” McGahan explained.
That ‘young talent’ includes the likes of Ian Nagle, Dave Foley, Dave Ryan, Mike Sherry, Peter O’Mahony, who impressed in the British & Irish Cup campaign last season, Ireland Under-20 World Cup players Paddy Butler and Simon Zebo, as well as Academy newcomer Corey Hircock who has recently arrived from Bedford.
Munster v Leicester Tigers, Friday, August 20, Musgrave Park, 7pm.
Munster squad: Denis Hurley, Felix Jones, Ian Dowling, Danny Barnes, Simon Zebo, Scott Deasy, Sam Tuitupou, Corey Hircock, Paul Warwick, Duncan Williams, Conor Murray, Wian du Preez, Dave Ryan, Stephen Archer, Darragh Hurley, Mike Sherry, Denis Fogarty, Billy Holland, Dave Foley, Ian Nagle, Donnacha Ryan, Paddy Butler, Tommy O’Donnell, Peter O’Mahony, James Coughlan and Denis Leamy.

Colm Kinsella