Damian de Allende: Springbok centre included in Munster squad for trip to South Africa
Damian De Allende of Munster during the Guinness PRO14 Round 9 match between Munster Rugby and Leinster Rugby at Thomond Park in Limerick, Ireland on January 23, 2021 (Photo by Andrew SURMA / SIPA USA)
Munster have received a boost ahead of their upcoming United Rugby Championship fixtures in South Africa with the news that Springbok centre Damian de Allende was included in a 33-man travelling squad.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup winner has been sidelined since early January with an abdominal injury but was declared fit for the matches against the Bulls and Lions.
Johann van Graan’s side will face the Bulls in Pretoria this Saturday before taking on the Lions in Johannesburg on March 19.
With Peter O’Mahony on Six Nations duty with Ireland, Jack O’Donoghue will captain the travelling squad that includes six members of the Munster Rugby Academy.
Academy forwards Scott Buckley (hooker), Mark Donnelly (prop), Cian Hurley (lock), Eoin O’Connor (lock) and Alex Kendellen (back-row) travel along with scrum-half Paddy Patterson.
Shannon RFC’s Aran Hehir, who joined the squad as scrum-half cover in recent weeks, is also included in the travelling squad.
Jeremy Loughman did not travel having been called up to the Ireland senior squad for the first time with Craig Casey and Gavin Coombes returning to international camp.
Munster squad:
Forwards: Stephen Archer, Diarmuid Barron, Scott Buckley, Chris Cloete, Mark Donnelly, John Hodnett, Cian Hurley, Alex Kendellen, Jean Kleyn, Keynan Knox, Eoin O’Connor, Jack O’Donoghue (c), Jack O’Sullivan, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Fineen Wycherley, Josh Wycherley
Backs: Liam Coombes, Neil Cronin, Jack Crowley, Shane Daly, Damian de Allende, Chris Farrell, Jake Flannery, Matt Gallagher, Dan Goggin, Mike Haley, Ben Healy, Aran Hehir, Calvin Nash, Paddy Patterson, Rory Scannell, Simon Zebo
READ MORE: United Rugby Championship: Munster hammer disappointing Dragons, while Leinster move back top