Ireland coach Charlie McAleese has rung the changes once more for his side’s final match of the 2007 IRB Under-19 World Championship – the Ireland U-19s, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, take on Scotland on Saturday in a 9th-10th place play-off at Ravenhill (kick-off 3pm).
This will be the second meeting between the two teams, with Ireland squeezing out a 13-12 win over the Scots in the pool stages.
In the backs, Adam Craig returns at full-back after missing out on the last two games. Eoin O’Malley moves from out-half, where he played in the 31-10 victory over Japan in the team’s last outing, to his more familiar role at inside centre. Scott Deasy takes the vacated number 10 position and Harry McAleese also returns at scrum half, in place of Kris Greene.
In the pack, the entire front row has been changed, with Paul Karayiannis, Stephen Douglas and Patrick McCabe coming into the starting line-up in place of Ian Leonard, Michael Sherry and Matthew Nelson. The back row has also been remodelled with Jason Harris-Wright making his first start of the tournament at blindside flanker. Kieran Essex comes back into the team at number eight, with captain Paul Ryan moving to openside.
Ahead of the encounter, Ireland coach Charlie McAleese said: “In our last meeting with Scotland we did well to come out of the game with a win and I expect it to be every bit as tough this time out. We have moved the team around over the last two games to give other members of the squad a chance, but this team has the opportunity to end the tournament on a high.
“I expect Scotland will also want to do the same and the manner in which they lost to us last time out I am sure will be a factor in how they approach this game.”
IRELAND U-19 TEAM AND REPLACEMENTS (v Scotland U-19, IRB U-19 World Championship, Ravenhill, Belfast, Saturday, April 21, kick-off 3pm):
– Player/School/Club –
15 – Adam Craig (Instonians)
14 – Alan Gaughan (Buccaneers)
13 – Jamie Smith (Ballymena)
12 – Eoin O’Malley (UCD)
11 – Paddy Brophy (St. Michael’s College)
10 – Scott Deasy (Presentation Brothers College, Cork)
9 – Harry McAleese (Ballynahinch)
1 – Paul Karayiannis (RBAI/Queen’s)
2 – Stephen Douglas (Ballymena)
3 – Patrick McCabe (Dublin University FC)
4 – David Foley (UL Bohemians)
5 – Ian Nagle (Glenstal Abbey)
6 – Jason Harris-Wright (Blackrock College)
7 – Paul Ryan (Blackrock College RFC) (capt)
8 – Kieran Essex (Christian Brothers College, Cork/UCC)
Replacements:
16 – Michael Sherry (Ard Scoil Ris)
17 – Ian Leonard (St. Michael’s College)
18 – Matthew Nelson (Ballynahinch)
19 – Brian Cawley (UCD)
20 – Patrick Mallon (St. Michael’s College)
21 – Kris Greene (St. Mary’s College)
22 – Conor Cleary (St. Michael’s College)
23 – Niall Morris (Blackrock College RFC)
24 – Murray Kinsella (Newtown School, Waterford)
25 – Tommy Seymour (Down High School)
26 – Rajan Reilly (St. Michael’s College)
Management –
Head coach – Charlie McAleese
Manager – Gerard Slattery
Assistant coach – Bobby Byrne
Defence coach – Kurt McQuilkin
Fitness coach – Ray Egan
Doctor – Tim O’Flanagan
Physio – Shane Collins
Physio – Josh Hoopes
Technical Analyst – Derek Suffern
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