RUGBY:LEINSTER HAVE signed prop Ben Prescott from English division one team Nottingham until the end of the season.
Born in Libya and Ireland qualified, Prescott (32) was named in the divisional team of the year last season, and, in light of the departure of CJ van der Linde and the absence until well into the New Year of Stan Wright, goes straight into the Leinster squad for Friday’s Magners League opener away to Glasgow Warriors.
Prescott also played for Glasgow and Rotherham.
Leinster manager Guy Easterby commented: “We are pleased to complete a deal for Ben and he will add further competition to the pack, especially in light of the unfortunate long-term injury to Stan Wright.”
Three of Ireland’s summer tourists, John Fogarty, Jamie Heaslip and Shane Horgan, have also been named in an enlarged 24-man squad from which Joe Schmidt will finalise his starting line-up today for what is Leinster’s 300th game of the professional era.
Warriors’ coach Sean Lineen has been obliged to name a relatively inexperienced side due to a spate of injuries which have ruled out Johnnie Beattie, John Barclay, Chris Cusiter and lock Alastair Kellock, not to mention Kelly Brown and Dan Parks who have left.
Thus Ryan Wilson, making his debut, and Chris Fusaro (who has made one start), pack down, while Lineen also gives a league debut to last season’s Scotland Under-20 scrumhalf Henry Pyrgos and summer recruit from Saracens, lock Tom Ryder.
Marcus Horan and John Hayes are in line for their re-appearances after being included in a 27-strong Munster squad for their game against League debutants Aironi Rugby in Musgrave Park on Saturday (7.30pm).
Sam Tuitupou is in line for his competitive Munster debut.
Aironi’s summer signing from Munster, Nick Williams, believes the Italians’ “unpredictability” will be a positive, and adds: “I think if we just disrupt the set-pieces, I know we are capable of doing it; we’re just gonna pick the right times. Stop their lineouts and their scrum from giving them the momentum and using their backs is our aim, and if we can compete in the ruck we can go a long way.”
New Connacht head coach Eric Elwood will give fitness tests to the walking wounded who have been named in his 26-man squad who host the Dragons in Galway on Saturday. The inclusion of Sean Cronin and Gavin Duffy, back from international duty, is a boost given John Muldoon (arm), Robbie Morris (back) and Johnny O’Connor (back) are all out.
Because Munster’s game is being played in Musgrave Park on Saturday, the Cork Charity Cup tie between Dolphin and Sunday’s Well will now go ahead tomorrow night in Musgrave Park on the back pitch, kick off 6.45.
Due to the death of former Midleton president Bill Tait, the Charity Cup game between Highfield and Midleton has been put back from Saturday to next Tuesday at Woodleigh Park (6.15).
The game between Clonakilty and UCC will go ahead on Saturday at The Vale (2.30).
LEINSTER (squad v Glasgow Warriors): Forwards: J Fogarty, M Galarza, J Heaslip, N Hines, S Keogh, J McGrath, S O’Brien, E O’Donoghue, B Prescott, M Ross, D Ryan, S Shawe, R Strauss, H van der Merwe. Backs: I Boss, L Fitzgerald, S Horgan, I Madigan, F McFadden, N Morris, I Nacewa, P O’Donohoe, E O’Malley, E Sheridan
MUNSTER (squad v Aironi): D Hurley, F Jones, D Barnes, D Howlett, S Tuitupou, J Murphy, I Dowling, P Warwick, S Deasy, D Williams, P Stringer, W du Preez, Dave Ryan, M Horan, J Hayes, T Buckley, D Fogarty, D Varley, M O’Driscoll, I Nagle, B Holland, D Ryan, N Ronan, A Quinlan, P O’Mahony, T O’Donnell, D Leamy
CONNACHT (squad v Dragons): R Loughney, B Wilkinson, S Cronin, D Murphy, A Flavin, R Sweeney, J Hagan, D Nolan, M Swift, B Upton, M McCarthy, R Ofisa, M McComish, E Taylor, C Willis, A Kennedy, F Murphy, M Nikora, IKeatley, F Carr, K Matthews, N Ta’auso, T O’Halloran, A Wynne, T Nathan, G Duffy
GLASGOW: B Stortoni (capt); D van der Merwe, M Evans, G Morrison, F Aramburu; R Jackson, H Pyrgos; J Welsh, F Thomson, M Low, T Ryder, R Gray, R Wilson, C Fusaro, R Vernon. Replacements: P MacArthur, E Kalman, R Grant, A Muldowney, R Harley, D Weir, H O’Hare, P Murchie.
