Anthony Foley

Anthony Gerard Foley

Foley in his early Ireland days
Full name	Anthony Gerard Foley
Date of birth	(1973-10-30)30 October 1973
Place of birth	Killaloe, County Clare, Ireland
Date of death	16 October 2016(2016-10-16) (aged 42)
Place of death	Suresnes, France
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	111 kg (17 st 7 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Number 8, Flanker Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1992–2007 Shannon RFC 88 (95) Correct as of 4 December 2011 Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1995–2008 Munster 202 (195) Correct as of 29 November 2011 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1995–2005 Ireland 62 (25) Correct as of 29 November 2011 Teams coached Years Team 2011–2014 2014–2016 Munster (Forwards Coach) Munster (Head Coach)

Anthony Gerard Foley (30 October 1973 – 16 October 2016) was an Irish rugby union player and head coach of Munster. He was attached to the same squad during his professional playing career. He was a member of the Munster team that won the 2002–03 Celtic League and was the winning captain during their 2005–06 Heineken Cup success. Foley played for Ireland from 1995 until 2005 and captained the squad on three separate occasions.

In March 1989, Foley led St. Munchin's College to win the Munster Schools Junior Cup. He later represented Munster and Irish schools on several occasions over two seasons, notably during the 1992 Irish schools tour of New Zealand. Winning six games out of eight, Ireland narrowly lost the final game to a New Zealand side featuring Jonah Lomu at number 8. A controversial Jeff Wilson penalty goal won the game in the final minutes.

Foley made his professional debut for Munster against Swansea in November 1995, a game that was also Munster's first ever Heineken Cup fixture. He was in the Munster team that lost 8–9 to Northampton Saints in the 2000 Heineken Cup Final, and was again the runner-up when Munster lost 15–9 to Leicester Tigers in the 2002 Heineken Cup Final. Foley was finally on the winning side when Munster won the 2002–03 Celtic League.

When Mick Galwey resigned as Munster captain, Foley narrowly lost to Jim Williams in a vote to decide the next captain. When Williams left Munster in 2005, Foley became the new captain, and in his first season in the position, he led Munster to victory over Biarritz Olympique in the 2006 Heineken Cup Final. Foley had played in all but one of Munster's first 78 Heineken Cup games until a shoulder injury sustained during Munster's 21–19 victory over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in their first game of the 2006–07 Heineken Cup caused him to miss his sides subsequent victory over Bourgoin, as well as back-to-back games against Cardiff in December 2006.