Ireland U-18 Clubs Team Announced For England Encounter

The Ireland Under-18 Clubs team to play England in the Three Nations tournament on Wednesday afternoon shows one personnel change to the side that lost 7-3 to France.

Mullingar’s Conor O’Brien had to go off injured during the French game and has been ruled out of the clash with England at the French National Rugby Centre in Marcoussis, Paris.

Head coach Wayne Mitchell brings in Joe White from Clonakilty on the right wing with Josh Daly moving to outside centre alongside fellow Exiles player Kieran Joyce.

The rest of the starting line-up is unchanged with Randalstown hooker Adam McBurney featuring in the front row and Ardee’s Neil Reilly captaining the side again from number 8.

Wednesday’s opponents are a combined England U-18 Clubs and Schools team and this will be their first match of the tournament.

The sides met last year in Ashbourne where Ireland ran out 30-15 winners – O’Brien the only returning player from that squad.

Wayne Mitchell is joined in the management team by Jamie Turkington (backs coach), Brendan O’Connor (forwards coach), Seamus Twomey (scrum coach) and team manager Tom Nyhan.

IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS Team & Replacements (v England, Three Nations Tournament, Marcoussis, Paris, Wednesday, April 16, kick-off 3pm local time/2pm Irish time):

15. Ronan Wallace (Mullingar RFC/Leinster)
14. Joe White (Clonakilty RFC/Munster)
13. Josh Daly (Bristol RFC/Exile)
12. Kieran Joyce (Silhillians RFC/Exile)
11. Peter Howard (Cill Dara RFC/Leinster)
10. Brett Connon (Newcastle Falcon/Exile)
9. Andrew Feeney (Suttonians RFC/Leinster)
1. Philip Poillot (Clonakilty RFC/Munster)
2. Adam McBurney (Randalstown RFC/Ulster)
3. Ben Betts (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
4. Hugh Sloan (Bath RFC/Exile)
5. Sean O’Leary (Midleton RFC/Munster)
6. Matthew Cosgrove (Sligo RFC/Connacht)
7. Conor Farrell (Navan RFC/Leinster)
8. Neil Reilly (Ardee RFC/Leinster) (capt)

Replacements:

16. Tadgh McElroy (Dundalk RFC/Leinster)
17. Vakhtang Abdaladze (Coolmine RFC/Leinster)
18. Jake Byrne (Northampton Saints/Exile)
19. Josh Barnes (Tralee RFC/Munster)
20. Conor Hand (Navan RFC/Leinster)
21. Cameron Fulton (Coleraine RFC/Ulster)
22. Ciaran Frawley (Skerries RFC/Leinster)
23. Brian Fanning (Bruff RFC/Munster)

Management Team –

Wayne Mitchell – Head Coach
Tom Nyhan – Team Manager
Jamie Turkington – Backs Coach
Brendan O’Connor – Forwards Coach
Seamus Twomey – Scrum Coach
Adam Sheehan – Strength & Conditioning Coach
Damien Mordon – Physiotherapist
Padraig Sheeran – Team Doctor
Ross Martin – Video Analyst
Mo Dempsey – Baggage Master

U-18 THREE NATIONS TOURNAMENT FIXTURES:

France 7 IRELAND U-18 CLUBS XV 3
Saturday, April 12
Marcoussis

IRELAND U-18 CLUBS XV v England
Wednesday, April 16
Marcoussis, 3pm local time/2pm Irish time