Wycherley: I am ready to go again. I am excited to be back

FINEEN Wycherley can’t wait to run out in sold-out Páirc Uí Chaoimh for Saturday’s historic clash against the Crusaders (kick-off 5pm).

This novel fixture pits the 2023 United Rugby Championship winners Munster against the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific champions – and West Cork man Wycherley is counting down the hours to the big game.

‘We have talked about it all week, this is an historic game and it may not happen again. You have got two of the greatest clubs in the world, the URC champions against the Super Rugby champions,’ Wycherley told The Southern Star.

‘For Munster supporters, to have a New Zealand team in a packed stadium, it’s an historic day for the club and for us as players to be part of it. Hopefully we can be on the right side of the result.’

Wycherley has been out of action with a shoulder injury, but is back and named in the starting Munster team – he sees this as the ideal game to launch his season.

‘I have been fully training the last two or three weeks, with contact and everything, so I feel I am ready to go again. I am excited to be back. I missed the South Africa game at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last year through injury so I am raring to go now,’ he said.

Munster: Shane Daly; Seán O’Brien, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Shay McCarthy; Joey Carbery, Ethan Coughlan; Josh Wycherley, Eoghan Clarke, Stephen Archer; Gavin Coombes, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhán Quinn, Alex Kendellen (C), Jack O’Sullivan.

Replacements: Scott Buckley, Mark Donnelly, John Ryan, Kamil Nowak, Jack Daly, Daniel Okeke, Neil Cronin, Tony Butler, Rory Scannell, Colm Hogan.

• Don’t miss next Thursday’s Southern Star for the full Fineen Wycherley interview