Ireland Under-20 Team Named For Donnybrook Game
The Ireland Under-20 team, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, to face the Italy U-20s has been named by new head coach Mike Ruddock. Thursday’s friendly match kicks off at 2.30pm at Donnybrook.
Mike Ruddock has named a starting line-up and an extended replacements bench as he runs the rule over players ahead of the 2011 RBS Under-20 6 Nations Championship.
The selected squad features a number of players who took part in the O2 Challenge – the first rugby match at the Aviva Stadium – back in July.
Ballymena’s Luke Marshall, who was named man-of-the-match in that game and recently made his Ulster debut, will start at centre, while Dungannon clubman Paddy Jackson and UCD’s Peter du Toit have been paired together at half-back.
Up front, Daniel Qualter from Buccaneers will partner Ian Henderson of Queen’s University in the second row.
Lansdowne’s Jordi Murphy, who featured in the Ireland Under-20 panel last season, will captain the side from the openside flank.
Indeed, Murphy, his Lansdowne club-mate Martin Moore and UCD hooker David Doyle all played for Ireland at last summer’s IRB Junior World Championship in Argentina.
IRELAND UNDER-20 Team & Replacements (v Italy Under-20s, Friendly International Match, Donnybrook, Thursday, November 4, kick-off 2.30pm):
15. Michael Sherlock (Clontarf/Leinster)
14. Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster)
13. Alex Kelly (UCD/Leinster)
12. Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster)
11. Sam Coghlan Murray (UCD/Leinster)
10. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
9. Peter du Toit (UCD/Leinster)
1. Andrew Warwick (Ballymena/Ulster)
2. David Doyle (UCD/Leinster)
3. Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster)
4. Ian Henderson (Queen’s University/Ulster)
5. Daniel Qualter (Buccaneers/Connacht)
6. Michael Kearney (Clontarf/Leinster)
7. Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) (capt)
8. Eoin McKeon (Galwegians/Connacht)
Replacements:
Corey Hircock (Moulton College/Munster)
JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Lukas Kunz (Garryowen/Munster)
Cathal Marsh (Dublin University/Leinster)
Mark Dolan (Corinthians/Connacht)
Aaron Spring (Sligo/Connacht)
James Rael Garryowen/Munster)
Kyle McCall (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Dominic Gallagher (Dublin University/Ulster)
Shane Buckley (Garryowen/Munster)
David Heffernan (Lansdowne/Connacht)