Knee Injuries Force O’Sullivan And O’Toole Out Of Ireland U-20 Squad

The Ireland Under-20 management have confirmed two changes to the squad to travel to the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in France this weekend.

Back rower Jack O’Sullivan, who was one of Ireland’s leading players during this season’s Under-20 Six Nations Championship, suffered a knee injury at training last week and he is replaced in the France-bound squad by Garryowen’s Jack Daly.

Prop Tom O’Toole also suffered a knee injury, his while playing for the Ulster senior team against the Ospreys last Sunday afternoon. He will be replaced in the Ireland U-20 panel by UCC’s Bryan O’Connor, who was involved in Tuesday’s warm-up match against Japan.

Castleisland native Daly, who also got game-time against the Japanese, has worn the green jersey at Under-18 Clubs and Schools level, while O’Connor lined out for the Ireland Under-19s last season. Both players featured regularly for their clubs this year in the Ulster Bank League.

The Ireland Under-20s, sponsored by PwC, travel to France on Saturday, with their opening Pool C match against hosts France taking place on Wednesday in Perpignan at 9pm local time/8pm Irish time. They will then face South Africa (Sunday, June 3) and Georgia (Thursday, June 7) in their other pool fixtures, which will all be broadcast live on eir Sport 2.
 
IRELAND UNDER-20 Squad (2018 World Rugby Under-20 Championship, Perpignan, Narbonne & Béziers, France, May 30-June 17):

Backs (12) –

Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
Conor Dean (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Dan Hurley (Young Munster/Munster) *
James Hume (Banbridge/Ulster)
Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
Hugh O’Sullivan (Clontarf/Leinster)
Tom Roche (Lansdowne/Leinster) *
Michael Silvester (Dublin University/Leinster)
Jonny Stewart (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Peter Sylvester (UCC/Munster) *
Tommy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster)
James McCarthy (UL Bohemians/Munster)

Forwards (16) –

Matthew Agnew (Ballymena/Ulster)
Jack Aungier (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen/Munster)
Joe Byrne (Dublin University/Leinster) *
Matthew Dalton (Malone/Ulster)
Cormac Daly (Clontarf/Leinster)
Jack Daly (Garryowen/Munster) *
Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt)
Jordan Duggan (Naas/Leinster)
Jack Dunne (Dublin University/Leinster)
Joe Dunleavy (Malone/Ulster)
James French (UCC/Munster)
Aaron Hall (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Bryan O’Connor (UCC/Munster) *
Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster)
Dan Sheehan (Dublin University/Leinster) *

* Denotes uncapped player at this level

Unavailable due to injury:

Eoghan Clarke, Angus Curtis, Ronan Kelleher, Sean Masterson, Jack O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Peter Sullivan

IRELAND U-20s’ World Rugby Championship Fixtures:

Pool C –

France v Ireland (live eir Sport 2)
Stade Aime-Giral, Perpignan, Wednesday, May 30, 9pm local time/8pm Irish time

South Africa v Ireland (live eir Sport 2)
Stade d’Honneur du Parc des Sports et de l’Amitie, Narbonne, Sunday, June 3, 4.30pm local time/3.30pm Irish time

Ireland v Georgia (live eir Sport 2)
Stade d’Honneur du Parc des Sports et de l’Amitie, Narbonne, Thursday, June 7, 6.30pm local time/5.30pm Irish time

Semi-Finals –
Stade d’Honneur du Parc des Sports et de l’Amitie, Narbonne or Stade Aime-Giral, Perpignan, Tuesday, June 12

Finals –
Stade de la Mediterranee, Béziers, Sunday, June 17