Munster hand new contracts to prop Stephen Archer and fly-half Ian Keatley
Munster prop Stephen Archer and fly-half Ian Keatley have both signed new two-year deals with the region.
Last Updated: 22/01/13 4:47pm
Archer, who celebrates his 25th birthday next week, and 25-year old Keatley have both featured prominently for the side during the RaboDirect Pro12 this season.
A Cork native and product of the Munster Rugby Academy, Archer secured a Development contract for season 2010/11 and moved on to a Senior contract at the start of season 2011/12.
He made his first Heineken Cup appearance off the bench against Castres at Thomond Park in January, and then went on to start for Ireland A against England at Sandy Park in 2012.
Dublin-born Keatley, educated at Belvedere College and UCD, was capped 57 times by Connacht having joined the Westerners in the 2008/2009 season from the Leinster Academy.
He recently started the Heineken Cup bonus-point win over Racing Metro that secured Munster's participation in the knockout stages of this season's tournament, in place of the suspended Ronan O'Gara.