Club International Preview: Scotland Clubs v Ireland Club XV

Back-to-back matches against their Scottish counterparts have the Ireland Club XV dreaming of lifting the Dalriada Cup for the first time since 2014, as the race for the All-Ireland League title takes a break over the next two weekends.

DALRIADA CUP – CLUB INTERNATIONAL MATCH: Friday, February 1

SCOTLAND CLUBS v IRELAND CLUB XV, Netherdale, Gala RFC, 3.30pm

Team News: Ireland Club XV head coach Morgan Lennon and assistant coach Johne Murphy have blended experience throughout the squad while naming seven debutants in the starting XV. Cork Constitution’s Niall Kenneally captains the side and is one of nine Irish players who featured in both games of the 2018 series.

Sligo man Kenneally starts at centre alongside former captain Matt D’Arcy who makes a record eighth start at this level. Old Belvedere flyer Jack Keating will make his Club international debut on the left wing, while Lansdowne duo Daniel McEvoy and Eamonn Mills complete the back-three.

Garryowen hooker Liam Cronin, brother of Leinster and Ireland’s Sean, will make his first start in the pack with the experience of Lansdowne’s Ian Prendiville and Old Wesley’s Cronan Gleeson either side of him. Prendiville’s first campaign was in 2015 and he made five consecutive starts before missing out on the 2018 series.

It is a new pairing in the second row where Cork Constitution team-mates Brian Hayes and Conor Kindregan combine. The current Division 1A leaders contribute six players in total to Ireland’s starting line-up this week, including Aidan Moynihan who has UCC’s John Poland alongside him at half-back.

Terenure College’s Michael Melia switches from the second row to the back row for the game where he packs down with Joe McSwiney and debutant Luke Cahill. Melia was man-of-the-match in the 26-23 win at home last season, with McSwiney, another of the Cork Con contingent, grabbing one of Ireland’s tries.

Tom O’Reilly and Michael Noone are the experienced forwards among the quintet on the bench, while Alan Bennie, Malone’s Callum Smith and Michael Brown of Clontarf will be hoping to make their debuts if called upon.

Today’s game has been switched to Netherdale due to a frozen pitch at Myreside Stadium. The return match is at Energia Park in Donnybrook next Friday (kick-off 7.30pm). Tickets for that fixture are available at Ticketmaster.ie. The Dalriada Cup will go to the side with the higher aggregate score across the two clashes.

Meanwhile, the Scotland Clubs selection will be captained by Ayr prop Peter McCallum, who was part of last year’s side that won the Dalriada Cup by six points on aggregate, although the Scots will be without 2018 captain Fraser Thomson who has been ruled out through injury.

Former Scotland Under-20 full-back Patrick Dewhirst has been included in the starting XV, and another U-20 cap, Patrick Anderson from Melrose, has also been brought into the squad, along with Glasgow Hawks’ Gary Strain who has previously represented both Glasgow Warriors and Newcastle Falcons.

Also included in the hosts’ matchday squad is the Heriot’s trio of Robbie Kay, Michael Liness and Stuart Edwards. Match tickets will only be available to purchase at the turnstiles from 2.30pm. Please contact the Scottish Rugby Ticket Centre (tel: 0131 346 5160) for further details.

SCOTLAND CLUBS: Patrick Dewhirst (Ayr); Craig Gossman (Boroughmuir), Robert Kay (Heriot’s), Robbie Nelson (Currie Chieftains), Kyle Rowe (Ayr); Gregor Hunter (Currie Chieftains), Murdo McAndrew (Melrose); Shawn Muir (Hawick), Michael Liness (Heriot’s), Steven Longwell (Ayr), Hamilton Burr (Stirling), Ruaridh Leishman (Heriot’s), Blair Macpherson (Ayr), Jack McClean (Heriot’s), Peter McCallum (Ayr) (capt).

Replacements: Fergus Scott (Currie Chieftains), Gary Strain (Glasgow Warriors), Struan Cessford (Heriot’s), Tommy Spinks (Ayr), Iain Wilson (Heriot’s), Andrew Simmers (Heriot’s), Stuart Edwards (Heriot’s), Patrick Anderson (Melrose).

IRELAND CLUB XV: Eamonn Mills (Lansdowne); Daniel McEvoy (Lansdowne), Niall Kenneally (Cork Constitution) (capt), Matt D’Arcy (Clontarf), Jack Keating (Old Belvedere); Aidan Moynihan (Cork Constitution), John Poland (UCC); Cronan Gleeson (Old Wesley), Liam Cronin (Garryowen), Ian Prendiville (Lansdowne), Brian Hayes (Cork Constitution), Conor Kindregan (Cork Constitution), Michael Melia (Terenure College), Joe McSwiney (Cork Constitution), Luke Cahill (Cork Constitution).

Replacements: John Sutton (Buccaneers), Tom O’Reilly (St. Mary’s College), Andy Keating (Garryowen), Jack O’Sullivan (Lansdowne), Michael Noone (Clontarf), Alan Bennie (Lansdowne), Callum Smith (Malone), Michael Brown (Clontarf).

Referee: Vivien Praderie (France)

Pre-Match Quotes – Morgan Lennon (Ireland Club XV): “The players are looking forward to it, they’re excited. We’ve had a good Captain’s Run. We’ve got some combinations there that guys are used to playing together – as well as against each other – but they’re certainly gelling together as a group.

“It’s going to come down to Dublin next week because it’s only going to be half-time come 5pm tomorrow (Friday). So that’s as important to us as this week, but it’s just about getting off to a good start which we didn’t do last year. It’s really up to Niall and his team-mates to take it on now and put in place what we’ve asked them to do.”

Rob Chrystie (Scotland Clubs): “We’ve picked a squad who have been performing week in week out in the Tennent’s Premiership. The squad have trained really well, and despite a few injuries, there are only two players who haven’t been involved from the start of our training schedule, so we’re in a good place.

“They’ve prepared really well and It’s a great opportunity for these players to play at the highest standard possible for them and a chance to represent not just our domestic players, but also their clubs.”

Ireland Club XV: Recent Matches –

2014: Ireland Club XV 28 Scotland Club XV 3, Temple Hill, Cork Constitution FC; England Counties 22 Ireland Club XV 23, Northern Echo Arena, Darlington Mowden Park RFC

2015: Scotland Club XV 23 Ireland Club XV 18, Netherdale, Gala RFC; Ireland Club XV 12 France Federale 37, Aviva Stadium

2016: France Federale 12 Ireland Club XV 16, Stade Jules Ladoumègue, Massy; Ireland Club XV 13 Scotland Club XV 19, Temple Hill, Cork Constitution FC

2017: Ireland Club XV 26 England Counties 34, Temple Hill, Cork Constitution FC

2018: Ireland Club XV 26 Scotland Club XV 23, Dubarry Park, Buccaneers RFC; Scotland Club XV 35 Ireland Club XV 26, Netherdale, Gala RFC