Ireland Under-19 Team Announced

Following the recent 23-0 victory over Italy, the coaching staff has announced the Ireland Under-19 team, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, to play France in their second and final international of the season.

With no World championship at this level this season, Ireland Under-19 head coach Charlie McAleese and his coaching staff have worked closely with the provincial academies in an attempt continue the development of all the players involved.

While all 22 players made a significant contribution against Italy, the team for the French match shows four changes with Jack McGrath, Thomas Sexton, Adam Macklin and Ian McKinley making their first starts.

Centre Shane Gahan is ruled out through injury, so John O’Brien comes onto the replacements bench. The team will again be captained by Munster’s Peter O’Mahoney.

Commenting on the selection, McAleese said: “While the result against Italy was encouraging, the most pleasing aspect of the game was what we got out of it from a development perspective. Despite the gale force conditions the team units and all 22 players performed to a high level.

“Saturday’s opponents will provide a very different test. We have made a few changes to the starting line-up which we feel will give us the best platform on which to build another creditable performance  to which all squad members can contribute.”

IRELAND UNDER-19 TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v France U-19, Saturday, April 5, Jules Ladoumeque Stadium, Massy, Paris, kick-off 5pm local time):

15 – David McIlwaine (Queen’s University/Ulster)
14 – Johnny Shields (Coleraine AI/Ulster)
13 – Gary Foley (CBC Monkstown/Leinster)
12 – Ian McKinley (St Columba’s College /Leinster)
11 – Kyle Kirkpatrick (Ards/Ulster)
10 – Andrew Burke (Crescent College/Munster)
9 – Conor Murray (Young Munster/Munster)
1 – Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
2 – Thomas Sexton (Belvedere College/Leinster)
3 – Adam Macklin (Methody College Belfast/Ulster)
4 – Ciaran Ruddock (Neath/Exiles)
5 – Mark Flanagan (UCD/Leinster)
6 – Peter O’Mahoney (PBC Cork/Munster) (capt)
7 – Sean Dougall (Barnard Castle/Exiles)
8 – Michael Noone (CBC Monkstown/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 – David McGregor (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
17 – Gavin Duffy (UCC/Munster)
18 – Alan Whitten (Instonians/Ulster)
19 – Shane Grannell (CBC Monkstown/Leinster)
20 – Matt Healey (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21 – John O’Brien (Connemara/Connacht)
22 – David Funston (City of Derry/Ulster)