‘A’ Men’s International Preview: England ‘A’ v Ireland ‘A’

‘A’ MEN’S INTERNATIONAL MATCH:

Sunday, February 23 –

ENGLAND ‘A’ v IRELAND ‘A’, Ashton Gate, Bristol, 1pm (live RugbyPass TV)

Team News: Ireland ‘A’ head coach Mike Prendergast takes charge of a matchday squad with an exciting mix of senior-capped internationals and young players who have played impressively for their provinces.

Captain Max Deegan is one of five players who have Test caps, alongside Shane Daly, Ciarán Frawley, Tom O’Toole, who returned from suspension for Ulster last week, Oli Jager, and Harry Byrne.

Daly, Frawley, and O’Toole all played in the Ireland ‘A’ team’s most recent match against the All Blacks XV in November 2022. Munster ace Daly features at full-back for this Bristol encounter, alongside Tommy O’Brien and Shayne Bolton in the back-three.

Talented youngsters Hugh Gavin (21) and Jude Postlethwaite (22) make up the centre pairing, and Frawley’s half-back partner is Ulster’s Nathan Doak, who was called into the squad this week after Ben Murphy was ruled out through injury.

Jack Aungier, who has been in Six Nations camp with Ireland, packs down with Diarmuid Barron and O’Toole in the front row, while Evan O’Connell, last year’s Ireland Under-20 captain, and Darragh Murray join forces in the engine room.

Leinster back rower Deegan skippers the ‘A’ team from blindside flanker, and the starting XV is completed by two players who toured with Emerging Ireland earlier in the season, Alex Kendellen and Sean Jansen.

There is a six-two split on the replacements bench where Byrne and Leinster scrum half Fintan Gunne are the back-line options. Jager, Stephen Smyth, Paddy McCarthy, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Alex Soroka, and Brian Gleeson provide the forward reinforcements.

Prendergast, who is also overseeing the Ireland ‘A’ attack, is supported in the coaching group by Jimmy Duffy (forwards), Sean O’Brien (defence), Mark Sexton (backs/assistant attack coach), and Colm Tucker (scrum/breakdown).

“There has been a good edge to training this week, and I’ve been really impressed by the application of the squad since meeting up on Monday,” said Prendergast.

“It’s an exciting challenge merging players from all four provinces for a one-off game, and we know that we are facing a real test against an England side who have a lot of Premiership experience in their ranks.

“Every time you get to pull on the green jersey it’s a special moment, and there are some players who have experience of being involved in the senior international set-up before.

“With a summer tour to Georgia and Portugal coming up, Sunday presents another chance to impress. The players are primed and ready to go.”

Meanwhile, Leicester Tigers scrum half Jack van Poortvliet skippers England ‘A’, with Northampton Saints’ Curtis Langdon their vice-captain for their second fixture of the campaign.

England ‘A’ were 38-17 winners over Australia ‘A’ at the Twickenham Stoop in November, and Joe Carpenter, Charlie Atkinson, Hugh Tizard, and Tom Pearson are retained in the starting line-up from that game.

Bath’s Lee Blackett has come in as the England ‘A’ head coach/attack coach for the visit of Ireland ‘A’, with his coaching team also including defence coach Haydn Thomas (Exeter Chiefs), forwards coach Louis Deacon (England Women), and scrum coach Matt Ferguson (Northampton Saints).

Capped sixteen times at senior level, van Poortvliet is one of four England ‘A’ starters with experience of Test rugby, along with his Leicester club-mate Ollie Hassell-Collins on the left wing, and Northampton forwards Langdon and Pearson.

Bath duo Max Ojomoh and Will Buth start together in midfield, with Atkinson, who recently signed a contract extension with Gloucester, handed the reins again at out-half.

Bristol’s own George Kloska, a product of the Bears Academy, gets the nod at tighthead prop. He is one of three England ‘A’ debutants in the starting pack, with Saracens prop Phil Brantingham and Northampton second row Tom Lockett also selected.

Alfie Barbeary, a try scorer for Bath against Leinster in the Investec Champions Cup last month, will pack down at number 8. Five different clubs are represented on the English bench, including Exeter Chiefs who have forwards Richard Capstick and Greg Fisilau involved.

ENGLAND ‘A’: Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks/West Park Leeds RUFC); Tobias Elliott (Saracens/Harrow Rugby Club), Max Ojomoh (Bath/Chippenham RFC), Will Butt (Bath/Wimborne RFC), Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers/Newbury RFC); Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester/Oxford RFC), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers/North Walsham RFC) (capt); Phil Brantingham (Saracens/Northern FC), Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints/Hornets Rugby Club), George Kloska (Bristol Bears/St. Brendan’s RFC), Hugh Tizard (Saracens/Guildfordians RFC), Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints/Northampton Saints), Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints/Bromyard Rugby Club), Jack Kenningham (Harlequins/Richmond RFC), Alfie Barbeary (Bath/Banbury RUFC).

Replacements: Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears/Walcot RFC), Tarek Haffar (Northampton Saints/Grasshoppers RFC), Luke Green (Northampton Saints/Richmond RFC), Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs/Taunton Rugby Football Club), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs/Devonport Services RFC), Will Porter (Harlequins/Amersham and Chiltern RFC), Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers/Southam RUFC), George Hendy (Northampton Saints/Shipston-on-Stour RFC).

IRELAND ‘A’: Shane Daly (Cork Constitution FC/Munster); Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh RFC/Ulster), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Shayne Bolton (Connacht); Ciarán Frawley (UCD RFC/Leinster), Nathan Doak (Banbridge RFC/Ulster); Tom O’Toole (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen FC/Munster), Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht), Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht), Max Deegan (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) (capt), Alex Kendellen (UCC RFC/Munster), Sean Jansen (Connacht).

Replacements: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Oli Jager (Munster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster), Harry Byrne (UCD RFC/Leinster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster).

Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU)
Assistant Referees: Joe James, Harry Walbaum (both RFU)

Pre-Match Quotes: Max Deegan (Ireland ‘A’) –

I feel like everyone wants to leave an impression in the coach’s head so when they are looking at the squads and the team at the end of the season it will be, ‘Jeez, he had a great week the last time he was in here’.

“Everyone is gunning for the same set-up, to be in the Ireland set-up and play for Ireland. It’s a massive opportunity for us.

“That’s going to be one of the biggest components to this game and something we have really focused on at the start of the week – first, making sure we are comfortable with each other’s names, and then knowing how each other plays because we’re not used to playing with each other and you only have one week.

“Every bit of work you do can add to the outcome. It’s something (defence coach) Sean O’Brien spoke about. We’re there to make each other look better.

“If everyone has the same idea about how to do that then we will all look better out there on the pitch.

“If people go out doing individual things, no one is going to look good and we’ll all struggle in the game. It’s all about making the guy beside you look good.”

Lee Blackett (England ‘A’) –

Players and staff from across the RFU and Premiership Rugby have embraced the challenge of working with three training days and implementing the brand of rugby we want to play.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with this talented and varied group this week. It’s kind of test you savour as a coach.

“Nine of the squad involved against Australia ‘A’ have since been involved in England senior camps, with four of them going on to achieve further caps. The opportunity in front of players this Sunday is clear.

“It’ll be great to take the Men’s ‘A’ side to another big rugby city in Bristol following on from Leicester and London in 2024, and we’re all excited for a strong, physical test against Ireland ‘A’ this weekend.”

Recent Meetings –

2013: ‘A’ Men’s International Match: Ireland Wolfhounds 10 England Saxons 14, the Sportsground

2014: ‘A’ Men’s International Match: England Saxons 8 Ireland Wolfhounds 14, Kingsholm Stadium

2015: ‘A’ Men’s International Match: Ireland Wolfhounds 9 England Saxons 18, Musgrave Park

Support Ireland ‘A’ on www.facebook.com/irishrugby, or search #ENGAvIREA and #TeamOfUs on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.