Ireland U-18 Clubs Team Named For Italy Game

The Ireland Under-18 Clubs team to play the Italy Under-18s in Rovigo on Saturday has been named. Under head coach Wayne Mitchell and assistant coach Jimmy Duffy, the Irish side will play three games this season with the match in Italy up first.

Monivea’s Caolin Blade starts at scrum half on Saturday while, at the same time, his older brother Darren will be leading the County Galway club in the Ulster Bank All-Ireland Junior Cup final against Tullamore.

Blade is partnered by Navan’s Fergal Cleary at half-back. Sean O’Hagan and Adam Byrne form the centre pairing while Alex Webb, James O’Sullivan and Adrian Enright make up the back-three.

Up front Peter Dooley, Paul O’Donnell and Jacob Walshe form the front row with Ballymoney’s Russell Blair and John Madigan of Charleville in the second row.

There are two Exiles in the back row – Frankie Taggart and Joe Bercis – with Waterpark’s Jack O’Donoghue at number 8.

IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS Team & Replacements (v Italy Under-18s, Badia Polesine, Rovigo, Saturday, February 18, kick-off 3pm local time/2pm Irish time):

15. Alex Webb (Merchiston/Exiles)
14. James O’Sullivan (Whitgift/Exiles)
13. Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
12. Sean O’Hagan (St. Benedict’s/Exiles)
11. Adrian Enright (Abbeyfeale/Munster)
10. Fergal Cleary (Navan/Leinster)
9. Caolin Blade (Monivea/Connacht)
1. Peter Dooley (Birr/Leinster)
2. Paul O’Donnell (Galwegians/Connacht)
3. Jacob Walshe (Ballinasloe/Connacht)
4. Russell Blair (Ballymoney/Ulster)
5. John Madigan (Charleville/Munster)
6. Frankie Taggart (Whitgift/Exiles)
7. Joe Bercis (Rugby Lions/Exiles)
8. Jack O’Donoghue (Waterpark/Munster)

Replacements:

16. Brian Cunningham (Navan/Leinster)
17. Stephen Dalton (Westcombe Park/Exiles)
18. Scott Flanagan (Buccaneers/Connacht)
19. Luke Connolly (Glamorgan/Exiles)
20. Killian Sweeney (Malahide/Leinster)
21. Killian O’Keefe (Crosshaven/Munster)
22. Seamus Keating (Dungarvan/Munster)
23. Jim White (Enniscorthy/Leinster)