Elwood Selects Ireland Under-20 Training Squad

The extended squad will attend training sessions in Dublin and Athlone over the coming months, as well as taking part in friendly matches against AIB League Division One club Greystones (this Saturday at Dr. Hickey Park) and the Leinster “A” side (December 20 at a venue to be confirmed).

These games will help the management whittle down the squad to 32 players and then the final squad will be announced towards the end of January.

On the agenda for the U-20s in 2008 is the Six Nations championship, which starts with a home game against Italy on February 1, and the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship, which will take place in Wales between June 1 and 22.

The initial squad is headed by players that represented Ireland at the 2007 IRB Under-19 World Cup in Belfast, including talented youngsters like Jamie Smith, Scott Deasy, Ian Nagle and Paul Ryan.

The 45-man panel includes all four captains from the recent U-20 Interpros series – Leinster’s Paul Ryan, who helped the province to their third successive Interpro title at the age grade, Connacht’s Trevor Conneely, Kieran Essex of Munster and Ulster skipper Stephen Douglas are all listed.

The provincial breakdown of the initial squad is as follows: Leinster (16), Munster (11), Ulster (11) and Connacht (6), with one Exile in Matthew O’Regan.

The Irish U-20s will again be coached this season by former Connacht team-mates Elwood and Dan McFarland, while ex-Irish international Phil Orr continues as team manager.

IRELAND UNDER-20S TRAINING SQUAD:

Forwards (25) –

Stephen Archer – tighthead prop (UCC/Munster)
Matthew Burke – back row (Ballymena/Ulster)
Brian Cawley – second row (UCD/Leinster)
Trevor Conneely – back row (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Stephen Douglas – hooker (Ballymena/Ulster)
Kieran Essex – back row (CBC/Munster)
David Foley – second row (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Jason Harris-Wright – hooker (unattached/Leinster)
Conor Higgins – tighthead prop (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Paul Karayiannis – loosehead prop (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Matt Kearney – hooker (UCC/Munster)
Ian Leonard – loosehead prop (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Patrick Mallon – back row (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Dermot Murphy – back row (Galwegians/Connacht)
Ian Nagle – second row (UCC/Munster)
Matthew Nelson – tighthead prop (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
David Nolan – second row (Galwegians/Connacht)
Rajan Reilly – back row (Lansdowne/Leinster)
John Ryan – loosehead prop (UCC/Munster)
Paul Ryan – back row (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
James Sandford – second row (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Eoin Sheriff – second row (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Michael Sherry – hooker (Garryowen/Munster)
John Southern – back row (Garryowen/Connacht)
Pat O’Regan – tighthead prop (UL Bohemians/Munster)

Backs (20) –

Paddy Brophy – winger (Wanderers/Leinster)
Conor Cleary – centre (Greystones/Leinster)
Chris Cochrane – winger (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Adam Craig – full-back (Instonians/Ulster)
Scott Deasy – centre (UCC/Munster)
Martin Dufficy – out-half (Dublin University/Leinster)
Alan Gaughan – full-back (Buccaneers/Connacht)
David Kearney – winger (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Murray Kinsella – centre (Newtown/Munster)
Ian Madigan – out-half (Blackrock College RFC/DIT/Leinster)
Harry McAleese – scrum half (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
David Moore – scrum half (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Niall Morris – full-back (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
Eoin O’Malley – centre (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Matthew O’Regan – full-back (Manchester RFC/Exiles)
Ian Porter – scrum half (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Sean Scanlon – winger/full-back (UCC/Munster)
Tommy Seymour – winger (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Eamonn Sheridan – winger (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jamie Smith – centre (Ballymena/Ulster)

Unavailable to travel to first session:

Andrew Burke – out-half (UCC/Munster)
Stanley Hayes – hooker (Shannon/Connacht)
Michael Entwhistle – back row (unattached/Ulster)