THE SIX Nations Championship, for which Ireland have been installed as favourites, opens with a visit to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff to tackle Wales on Saturday (kick-off 2.15pm).
Munster representations this time around is through Craig Casey (with 7 caps for the Red Army), Keith Earls (98), Conor Murray (100), Jack Crowley (2), Tadgh Beirne (36), Gavin Coombes (2), Dave Kicoyne (48), and Peter O’Mahony (89).
The Irish team is due to be announced this (Thursday) evening.
Although he missed out in Gregor Townsend’s selection for their Six Nations opener against England, another Munster regular, Ben Healy, is poised for participation with Scotland as the championship progresses.
Healy, of course, is himself Edinburgh-bound at the end of season.
Finn Russell is a player that has some homework filed on his new colleague (and rival for the Scotland number 10 shirt) having touched based with Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast and Simon Zebo.
“I don’t know him at all, but I chatted to Mike and Zebo a little bit about how good a guy he is and I’m looking forward to getting to know him and working with him over the next six or seven weeks,” Russell said of Healy.
“There’s always competition and Ben coming in from Munster will bring a different view of the game and how we can play and it will be good working with him and working together on what we can build in the Scotland squad.”
Meanwhile, Greencore Academy trio Ruadhan Quinn, Evan O’Connell, and Jack Oliver, along with Conall Healy, Danny Sheahan, Jacob Sheahan and Brian Gleeson, are part of the Ireland squad for the Six Nations Under-20 Championship, which starts against Wales in Colwyn Bay on this Friday night (7pm).
France are visitors to Musgrave Park on Friday week.
