Ruddock To Lead Ireland Under-20s In Second Pool Game
The Ireland Under-20 team (sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers) to take on New Zealand in their second IRB TOSHIBA Junior World Championship pool game in Nagoya, Japan on Tuesday (kick-off 11am Irish time) has been named.
Ireland Under-20 coach Allen Clarke has made three personnel changes to the team that accounted for Argentina on a 16-9 scoreline last Friday.
Rhys Ruddock will start at number 8 in place of regular captain Peter O’Mahony who is unavailable for selection after being suspended for one match following a citing during the Argentina game.
Leinster’s Jack McGrath moves from loosehead to tighthead prop with Adam Macklin filling the number 3 jersey and Paddy McAllister moving to the replacements.
Eamonn Sheridan makes his first start of the tournament at centre in place of Jonny Shiels, while Shane Gahan comes onto the bench to fill the vacancy left by Sheridan’s promotion.
Second row Ciaran Ruddock will captain the side in the absence of the suspended O’Mahony.
The team had a strong start to their campaign, overturning Argentina 16-9 in wet conditons at Nagoya’s Mizuho Rugby Ground.
The Irish scores came from a try by centre Nevin Spence and 11 points from the boot of out-half Ian McKinley.
The game against New Zealand tomorrow will be streamed live on the tournament website (www.IRB.com/jwc/video) and on Setanta Sports Ireland at 5pm.
IRELAND UNDER-20 TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v New Zealand Under-20s, IRB TOSHIBA Junior World Championship, Mizuho Rugby Ground, Nagoya, Tuesday, June 9, kick-off 7pm local time/11am Irish time):
15 – Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14 – David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
13 – Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
12 – Eamonn Sheridan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11 – Michael Keating (Clontarf/Leinster)
10 – Ian McKinley (UCD/Leinster)
9 – Matthew Healy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
1 – Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
2 – Thomas Sexton (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
3 – Adam Macklin (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
4 – Ciaran Ruddock (Neath/Exiles) (capt)
5 – Mark Flanagan (UCD/Leinster)
6 – Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
7 – Brian O’Hara (UL Bohemians/Munster)
8 – Rhys Ruddock (Millfield School/Exiles)
Replacements:
16 – David McGregor (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
17 – Paddy McAllister (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
18 – Joe Moran (Galwegians/Connacht)
19 – David O’Callaghan (UCC/Munster)
20 – Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)
21 – Andrew Burke (Garryowen/Munster)
22 – Shane Gahan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
IRB TOSHIBA Junior World Championship Pool A Matches (all times are local):
June 5 – Argentina 9 Ireland 16; New Zealand 75 Uruguay 0
June 9 – Argentina v Uruguay, Mizuho Rugby Ground, Nagoya, 5pm; Ireland v New Zealand, Mizuho Rugby Ground, Nagoya, 7pm
June 13 – Ireland v Uruguay, Mizuho Rugby Ground, Nagoya, 1pm; Argentina v New Zealand, Mizuho Rugby Ground, Nagoya, 3pm