Under-18 Clubs Side Selected For Opener Against Russia

The Ireland Under-18 Clubs team to take on Russia in their FIRA-AER U-18 European Championship opener in Treviso on Sunday has been announced. The side is captained by Corinthians and Connacht prop James Robinson, who was part of last year’s successful Irish squad.

James Robinson is one of four players included in the Irish squad that played for the Under-18 Clubs side in last year’s competition in France – scrum half Adam Kennedy and replacements Niall Earls and Paul Molloy are the others.

The squad is coached once again by Greg Lynch with Willie Gribben as their manager. The Irish will be hoping to better their second place finish from last year’s tournament when they were edged out by France in a dramatic final, losing 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out.

For more information on the 2008 Irish squad and the tournament itself, please click here.

Our dedicated FIRA-AER U-18 European Championship section can be found here.

IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS SQUAD (v Russia, FIRA-AER U-18 European Championship, Sunday, March 16, Casale sul Sile, Treviso, kick-off 4pm local time):

15 – Luke O’Dea (Shannon/Munster)
14 – Tchad Collins Francois (Truro College/Exiles)
13 – Eoin Griffin (Corinthians/Connacht)
12 – David Lynch (Naas/Leinster)
11 – Robert Kennedy (Longford/Leinster)
10 – Callum McKie (Brentwood/Exiles)
9 – Adam Kennedy (Buccaneers/Connacht)
1 – James Robinson (Corinthians/Connacht) (capt)
2 – Declan Farrell (Leeds Carnegie/Exiles)
3 – Kieran Brookes (Fylde/Exiles)
4 – Shane Casey (Castlebar/Connacht)
5 – Dean Landy (Carrick-on-Suir/Munster)
6 – Aaron Spring (Sligo/Connacht)
7 – James Stephenson (London Irish/Exiles)
8 – Josh Bennett (Gloucester/Exiles)

Replacements:

16 – Fergal Lynch (Virginia/Ulster)
17 – Paul Molloy (Waterpark/Munster)
18 – Karl Egan (Corinthians/Connacht)
19 – James Simpson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
20 – Aidan Mulligan (Bective Rangers/Leinster)
21 – Dominic Gallagher (Lisburn/Ulster)
22 – Mark Dolan (Buccaneers/Connacht)
23 – Niall Earls (Wicklow/Leinster)
24 – Andrew Boyle (St. Brigid’s/Leinster)
25 – Gavin Nyawata (Naas/Leinster)
26 – Kailyn Domican (Naas/Leinster)