Burke Ruled Out Of Under-19 Team
Due to an injury, Crescent College out-half Andrew Burke has been ruled out of the Ireland Under-19 team to take on France on Saturday. As a result there has been a reshuffle in the back-line with Ian McKinley moving to number 10 and David Funston comes off the bench to start at inside centre. Elliott O’Brien has also been added to the squad.
Johnny Shields also moves into the centre from the wing with Gary Foley moving in the opposite direction in a move the coaches feel will give better balance to the back-line following the injury to Burke.
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 five changes with Jack McGrath, Thomas Sexton, Adam Macklin, Ian McKinley and David Funston 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.”
Anyone travelling to the game should note that the kick-off has been put back from 5pm to 6pm (French time).
IRELAND UNDER-19 TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v France U-19, Saturday, April 5, Jules Ladoumeque Stadium, Massy, Paris, kick-off 6pm local time):
15 – David McIlwaine (Queen’s University/Ulster)
14 – Gary Foley (CBC Monkstown/Leinster)
13 – Johnny Shields (Coleraine AI/Ulster)
12 – David Funston (City of Derry/Ulster)
11 – Kyle Kirkpatrick (Ards/Ulster)
10 – Ian McKinley (St. Columba’s College/Leinster)
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 – Elliott O’Brien (Henley Hawks/Exiles)
Manager – John McKibbin
Head Coach – Charlie McAleese
Forwards Coach – Bobby Byrne
Conditioning Coach – Ray Egan
Physiotherapist – Shane Collins
Doctor – Tim O’Flanagan
Kit Manager – Martin Searson
Technical Analyst – Eoin Toolan