Ireland U-18 Clubs Team Named For French Test
Ireland Under-18 Clubs team head coach Wayne Mitchell has confirmed the starting line-up for Wednesday’s encounter with France Under-18s in the International Triangular Festival at Hartpury College.
There are three personnel changes to the side that played Italy in February’s warm-up game in Ashbourne. Sligo’s Darragh Cummins takes over from Sean O’Brien (Mullingar) at inside centre, with Buccaneers’ Luke Carty making the move to full-back in a swap with Navan’s Conor Nash.
The Ireland Clubs team will field an all-Leinster starting pack, the two alterations from the Italian fixture seeing Dundalk’s Tadgh McElroy and Jack Aungier of Suttonians selected at hooker and tighthead prop respectively.
Navan’s Conor Farrell captains the side from openside flanker with Skerries clubman Ciaran Frawley (pictured below), who continues his half-back partnership with Exiles player Niall Saunders, chosen as vice-captain.
Team manager Dermot Kelly said: “Wayne (Mitchell), Jamie (Turkington), Brendan (O’Connor) and Seamus (Toomey), the coaches, have worked tirelessly throughout the year to identify players and working with them individually, as pods and as a whole squad, with the one aim of allowing the players to maximise their potential and for the squad to achieve.
“In the games, the coaches want to see the players perform to their potential and apply what they’ve learnt over the period of the five training camps.
“To play for your country is a major honour and we’re sure that this squad of players, led by their captain Conor Farrell, will perform with both intelligence and passion. We’re looking forward with great anticipation to seeing two great games of rugby this week.”
Hosts England opened the festival with their first win in three seasons, a hard-fought 7-5 defeat of France which came on the back of a terrific defensive display. Sebastien Camiade and James Spencer swapped early tries with Jamie Shillcock’s conversion splitting the sides over the remaining scoreless 61 minutes.
Ireland U-18 Clubs Squad All Set For Festival Opener
IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS Team & Replacements (v France Under-18s, 2015 International Triangular Festival, Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, Wednesday, April 1, kick-off 2pm):
15. Luke Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht)
14. Peter Howard (Cill Dara/Leinster)
13. Conor Nash (Navan/Leinster)
12. Darragh Cummins (Sligo/Connacht)
11. Otto Gray (Canford School/Exiles)
10. Ciaran Frawley (Skerries/Leinster)
9. Niall Saunders (Harlequins/Epsom College/Exiles)
1. Greg McGrath (Wexford Wanderers/Leinster)
2. Tadgh McElroy (Dundalk/Leinster)
3. Jack Aungier (Suttonians/Leinster)
4. Joe Carley (Enniscorthy/Leinster)
5. Jack Regan (Birr/Leinster)
6. Conor Hand (Navan/Leinster)
7. Conor Farrell (Navan/Leinster) (capt)
8. Paul Boyle (Gorey/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Conor Maguire (Boyne/Leinster)
17. Eoin Corcoran (Longford/Leinster)
18. Ian McCarthy (Highfield/Munster)
19. Sean Masterson (Portlaoise/Leinster)
20. Alan Fitzgerald (Young Munster/Munster)
21. Jack Combes (Hartpury College/Exiles)
22. Sean O’Brien (Mullingar/Leinster)
23. Liam Coombes (Skibbereen/Munster)
24. Dominic Gorard (Ealing Trailfinders/St. Benedict’s/Exiles)
IRELAND U-18 CLUBS’ FIXTURES:
Wednesday, April 1: Ireland U-18 Clubs v France U-18s, Hartpury College, 2pm
Saturday, April 4: England U-18 Counties v Ireland U-18 Clubs, Hartpury College, 11am