News article – Style E 4822

EXILES U18’S BEAT ULSTER & LEINSTER YOUTH

The Irish Exiles U18’s making their fifth annual trip to Ireland beat Ulster Youth by 20 points to 3 at Dungannon on Friday evening, 26th August, and Leinster Youth 26 points to 7 at Barnhall on Sunday 28th August.

Both victories were built around a dominant scrum, a strong forward performance and pace in the backs.

Although the players met for the first time on Thursday 25th August the coaches, Peter Halsall and Kevan Bell, soon established a pattern of play based around an attacking back three. The players were asked to play heads up rugby’ and to take responsibility for decisions on the field, based on what they saw in front of them.

A highlight for the young front row forwards was IRFU Committee man and former Ireland prop Feidlim MacLoughlin taking a masters’ scrummaging session with them on the Saturday. The young props felt they had learnt a lot and one was heard to remark it’s the first time I have been proud to say I was done by a senior citizen!’

SQUAD – Matthew Newman, Kerry O’Sullivan, Craig Kelly, Tom Young, Andrew Cassidy, Stephen MacConville, Peter Browne, Tom Burns, Seamus McKimm, Anthony Connor, Neil Sweeney, Jacob Abbott, Michael Rawlings, Joe Forde, Shaun Phillips, James McParltand, Elliott O’Brien, Tom Rayner, Conor Armstrong, Harry McDermott, Ted Lang, Paul McEllin, Daniel Wagner, Chris Jones, Matthew Betty, Rory Price.
COACHES – Peter Halsall, Kevan Bell. MANAGER – Ces Shaw