Ireland U-18 Clubs Squad Named For FIRA-AER Tournament

The Ireland Under-18 Clubs squad (sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers) to take part in the FIRA-AER U-18 European Championship in Treviso has been named. The tournament runs from March 26 to April 4 and involves 24 European nations divided into three divisions, playing a total of 36 matches.

The Ireland Under-18 Clubs side are the second-ranked team in Group A and will open their campaign against Germany in San Dona on Sunday, March 28.

The winners of this game will face the winners of Romania v Georgia clash in a semi-final in Casale Sul Sile on Wednesday, March 31.

The Ireland U-18 Clubs side has performed well in this tournament, reaching two finals and a semi-final in recent seasons.

The 2010 crop of players have been preparing under head coach Greg Lynch, with a game against the Ireland U-18 Schools side and their annual trip to Languedoc in France.

Playing as the Combined Provinces U-18s, they defeated a Languedoc U-18 selection in France last month, in what was seen as excellent preparation for the tournament.

Several players from last season are included in the squad again and will bring their experience of the FIRA-AER tournament to bear.

Amongst them are Buccaneers pair Callum Boland and Jack Carty, Grant Connon and Kieran Marmion from the Exiles, Young Munster’s Jake Considine and Jonathan Murphy of Banbridge.

Keep up-to-date with news on the Ireland U-18 Clubs side on www.irishrugby.ie/u18clubs.

IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS Squad (FIRA-AER U-18 European Championship, Treviso, Italy, March 26-April 4):

Kieran Ball (Wellington College/Saracens – Exiles)
Callum Boland (Buccaneers – Connacht)
Jack Carty (Buccaneers – Connacht)
Conor Clancy (Stoneyhurst College/London Irish – Exiles)
Grant Connon (Newcastle Falcons – Exiles)
Jake Considine (Young Munster – Munster)
Thomas Daly (Carlow – Leinster)
Christopher Farrell (Clogher Valley – Ulster)
Tadhg Furlong (New Ross – Leinster)
Charles Gallagher (Banbridge – Ulster)
Joe Keane (UL Bohemians – Connacht)
Ferdia Kenny (Presentation Bray/Greystones – Leinster)
Akhlaque Khan (Navan – Leinster)
Conor Kindregan (Monivea – Connacht)
Shane Layden (Cistercian Coll. Roscrea – Connacht)
Daniel Mannion (Wicklow – Leinster)
Tom Margetson (Wellington College – Exiles)
Kieran Marmion (Kirkham GS – Exiles)
Eoghan Masterson (Portlaoise – Leinster)
Jonathan Murphy (Banbridge – Ulster)
Joe O’Brien (Castlenock College – Leinster)
Alan O’Connor (Skerries – Leinster)
Conor Ryan (Navan – Leinster)
Michael Sherlock (Skerries – Leinster)
Christopher Tonge (Skerries – Leinster)
Jack Walsh (London Wasps – Exiles)

Ireland Under-18 Clubs Management:

Greg Lynch – Head Coach
Willie Gribben – Manager
Wayne Mitchell – Assistant Coach
Jimmy Duffy – Assistant Coach
Eugene McEntaggart – Fitness Advisor
John Quinlan/Tim O’Flanngan – Team Doctor(s)
David Hanly – Physiotherapist
Tom Nyhan – Team Assistant