Munster A face English Championship side Moseley tomorrow at Clonmel who are coached by former Irish international Kevin Maggs.
Mick O’Driscoll exlained: “We are fielding a good blend of young guys and the more experienced senior squad members. It’s important that these guys get some game time and put in a performance because we want to be competing in the latter stages of the competition.
“I’ve seen a good bit of Moseley. They are a good side who are struggling a bit in the Championship which is always dangerous because you know they are due a performance. They are like any English side - big, physical and upfront.”
With players promoted to the PRO12 squad for tonight's Scarlet's encounter O'Driscoll is forced to reshuffle his squad from last weekend's friendly victory against Leinster, making seven changes to the starting team.
Alan Cotter and Rory Burke retain their places in the front row and are joined by Max Abbott who featured as a replacement hooker last Saturday, while in the second row Sean McCarthy stays put and is paired with Shane Buckley who makes the positional switch from blindside.
Tipperary native Paddy Butler is added to the squad this week and starts alongside Barry O’Mahony and Jack O’Donoghue. Rory Scannell moves from inside centre to outhalf and joins Cathal Sheridan in the halfback pairing while Luke O’Dea keeps his place on the wing in an otherwise changed back-line.
Young academy player Stephen Fitzgerald makes his B&I Cup debut at fullback, while Cork Con centre and former academy player Niall Kenneally joins Dan Goggin in the mid-field pairing with academy winger Greg O’Shea also lining out for his first B&I Cup appearance.
In the replacements O’Driscoll has called on the services of Cork Con hooker Andrew O’Driscoll and outhalf Tomas Quinlan, while Midleton prop and former contracted player Christy Condon is also included.
Plymouth Albion include two Irish players in their matchday squad for the British & Irish Cup against Leinster A, centre Ben Woods and flanker Eoghan Grace, the latter starting among the replacements.
Bedford Blues have named former Leinster Academy propspect Eoin Sheriff, on a season-long loan from Saracens, for their British & Irish Cup match against the Cornish Pirates.
Bristol have named a couple of Irish players in Jack Tovey and Darren Hudson in their squad for the game against the Connacht Eagles at Ashton Gate on Sunday. Former St Mary’s College schoolboy Hudson is set to make his first appearance for the club since joining from Leinster following a shoulder injury.
Former Seapoint and Lansdowne outhalf Peter Lydon continues at fullback for London Scottish while ex-Ireland Under-20 Six Nations winner Stewart Maguire is named at tighthead prop
Connacht Eagles: Shane Layden; Fionn Carr, Shane O'Leary, Peter Robb, Ciaran Gaffney; Miah Nikora, John Cooney; JP Cooney, Pat O'Toole, Jamie Dever; Andrew Browne, Danny Qualter; Steve McVeigh; James Connolly, Eoghan Masterson (capt). Replacements: Jack Dinneen, Jacob Walshe, Ultan Dillane, Cian Romaine, Caolin Blade, Conor McKeon, David Panter.
Munster A: Stephen Fitzgerald; Luke O'Dea, Dan Goggin, Niall Kenneally, Greg O'Shea; Rory Scannell, Cathal Sheridan; Alan Cotter, Max Abbott, Rory Burke; Shane Buckley, Sean McCarthy; Paddy Butler, Barry O'Mahony, Jack O'Donoghue (capt.). Replacements: Andrew O'Driscoll, Christy Condon, Darragh Moloney, Ryan Murphy, Jamie Glynn, Tomas Quinlan, Alex Wootton.
London Scottish: Peter Lydon; Charlie Dockery, Chris Auld, Connor Braid, Alex Coombes; Lee Millar, Matt Heeks; Mark Lilley, David Cherry, Stewart Maguire; Tai Tuisamoa, Gregor Gillanders; Alex Brown, Freddie Clarke, James Phillips (capt). Replacements: James Hallam, Todd Gleave, Max Maidment, Adam Preocanin, Chris Walker, Ben Calder, Matt Williams.
Plymouth Albion: Marc Koteczky; Elliot Clements-Hill, Ben Woods, Toby Howley-Berridge, Lewis Warner; Lawrence Rayner, Josh Davies; Luke Chapman, Tom Cowan-Dickie, Andy Tiedemann; Neale Patrick, Brett Beukeboom; Iain Grieve (capt), Rob Langley, Rhys Oakley. Replacements: Sam Matavesi, Tom Heard, Tom Jubb, James Gibbons, Eoghan Grace, Cameron Setter, Jake Henry.
Bedford Blues: Jim Wigglesworth; Pat Tapley, Michael Le Bourgeois, Viliami Hakalo, Dean Adamson; Steffan Jones, Darryl Veenendaal; Tom Williams, Jared Saunders, Camilo Parilli-Ocampo; Harry Wells, Eoin Sheriff; Joe Vandermolen, Justin Blanchet, Nick Fenton-Wells (capt). Replacements: Antonio Harris, Billy Moss, James Currie, Mike Howard, Josh Buggea, Peter White, Ollie Dodge.
Bristol: Jack Wallace; Ryan Edwards, Luke Eves, Mark Cooke, Charlie Amesbury; Adrian Jarvis, Craig Hampson; Kyle Traynor (capt), Chris Brooker, James Hall; Ben Glynn, Glen Townson; Nick Koster, Olly Robinson, Marco Mama. Replacements: Rhys Lawrence, Ellis Genge, Joe Joyce, Josh Ovens, Luke Baldwin, Jack Tovey, Darren Hudson.
