Wycherley out to impress for Munster in URC opener

While a fully-fit Dave Kilcoyne is likely to be the main man for Munster at loosehead prop this season, the next spot in the queue looks wide open.

It's a straight shootout between Josh Wycherley and Jeremy Loughman, with the former getting an early chance to plant his flag in the ground tomorrow afternoon against Cardiff (live on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player).

Wycherley starts in the season opener at the Arms Park, as Kilcoyne makes his return from long-term injury off the bench, Loughman the unlucky one to miss out.

Splitting Loughman from Wycherley is tough. Loughman's 21 games last season were two more than Wycherley, although it was the latter who got the big starts in both the URC and Champions Cup in the final third of the season.

And although 23-year-old Wycherley picked up his first bit of international recognition this week, named to the Emerging Ireland squad for their tour of South Africa, Loughman appears to be favoured by Andy Farrell, having been called up to the wider squad during the Six Nations, before impressing against the Maori All Blacks over the summer.

"A fresh season and you want to push on and obviously there is nothing guaranteed so you have to prove yourself again and push yourself into the team," Wycherley said, ahead of tomorrow's season opener.

"So it's exciting, it brings new competition, pushes everybody on from the start and it’s brilliant, I think, for the team.

"I suppose through injuries and that I was lucky to get a lot of gametime, particularly towards the back-end of that season.

"I think you come into a fresh season, with a few new coaches, just buzzing to kick on again this year. You can only do the process as you did last year and see where the season takes you."

A younger brother of Munster