Dalriada Cup Preview: Scotland Clubs v Ireland Club XV

Ireland and Scotland will both field new-look teams when they meet in the opening game of the Dalriada Cup Series in Galashiels, with the visitors now led by head coach Gearoid Prendergast and captain Alan Kennedy.

DALRIADA CUP – CLUB INTERNATIONAL MATCH: Friday, January 31

SCOTLAND CLUBS v IRELAND CLUB XV, Netherdale, Gala RFC, 7.30pm

Irish Rugby TV will have delayed coverage of the series opener in full as well as highlights across all Irish Rugby digital channels.

There will be a full recap and reaction right here on IrishRugby.ie with live updates across both Irish Rugby’s Twitter and Instagram channels.

Team News: Four Ireland players who took part in the 2019 fixtures return and are joined by three others with previous Club international experience, including last year’s victorious captain Niall Kenneally who has been added to the bench.

Newly-appointed captain Alan Kennedy featured against England Counties in 2017. The Young Munster clubman will start alongside Cork Constitution’s Brian Hayes in the second row. John Sutton and Andy Keating are named in the front row along with uncapped loosehead Conor Maguire from Old Wesley.

Terenure College’s Michael Melia starts his fifth consecutive Club international, making up a dynamic back row combination with former Ireland Under-20 forward John Foley, another of the Cookies contingent, and Paul Derham.

UCC’s James Taylor, last season’s Division 1A Rising Star award winner, forms an exciting half-back partnership with Aran Hehir. The latter’s Shannon club-mate, Pa Ryan, is rewarded for his nine Energia All-Ireland League tries so far with a start at outside centre.

Garryowen youngster Bryan Fitzgerald will line out on Ryan’s inside, having been called up to replace the injured Peter Sylvester. Jack Ringrose, younger brother of Garry, feature in the back-three along with Jamie Heuston and ex-Dublin University skipper Colm Hogan.

The Ireland Club XV have played 25 times since the programme’s inception in 2006 with a win rate of 52%, and Cork Con’s Gerry Hurley, the reserve half-back, has played in 10 of those games. The win rate actually goes up to 70% when the Aghada man is involved.

“It’s about getting out there and backing yourself as a player,” insisted Hurley. “That doesn’t take experience. You don’t have a full season to put structures in place. It’s about your skills, your instinct and your ability to play as a team.”

Meanwhile, nine Scottish Premiership clubs are represented in Scott Wight’s matchday squad, which will see 12 players in the starting line-up making their Scotland Clubs debut.

Head coach Wight has selected Hawick’s Shawn Muir and Calvin Henderson of Marr to support hooker and captain Fergus Scott in the front row. They are hoping to make a strong start ahead of next Friday’s return leg at Energia Park in Donnybrook (kick-off 7.30pm).

Selkirk are well represented by Ewan MacDougall at number 8 and Aaron McColm in the out-half’s hot seat. Currie’s Gregor Christie completes the half-back pairing, while Marr colleagues Conor Bickerstaff and Colin Sturgeon fill the midfield berths.

Conor’s brother Scott will line out on the right wing, supporting Grant Mollison and Callum Young in the back-three, and Edinburgh Accies’ Jamie Sol and Currie’s Wallace Nelson, in the loose forwards, and Mike Vernal (Currie) and Gregor Law from Jed-Forest, in the second row, have also gained starting spots.

SCOTLAND CLUBS: Grant Mollison (GHA); Scott Bickerstaff (Marr), Conor Bickerstaff (Marr), Colin Sturgeon (Marr), Callum Young (Jed-Forest); Aaron McColm (Selkirk), Gregor Christie (Currie); Shawn Muir (Hawick), Fergus Scott (Currie Chieftains) (capt), Calvin Henderson (Marr), Mike Vernel (Currie Chieftains), Gregor Law (Jed-Forest), Jamie Sole (Edinburgh Accies), Wallace Nelson (Currie Chieftains), Ewan MacDougall (Selkirk).

Replacements: Matt Carryer (Hawick), William Farquhar (Marr), Gary Strain (Glasgow Hawks), Robin Cessford (Aberdeen Grammar), Nathaniel Coe (Aberdeen Grammar), Patrick Boyer (Glasgow Hawks), Andrew Mitchell (Hawick), Steven Hamilton (Currie Chieftains).

IRELAND CLUB XV: Jamie Heuston (Garryowen); Colm Hogan (Dublin University), Pa Ryan (Shannon), Bryan Fitzgerald (Garryowen), Jack Ringrose (UCD); James Taylor (UCC), Aran Hehir (Shannon); Conor Maguire (Old Wesley), John Sutton (Cork Constitution), Andy Keating (Garryowen), Brian Hayes (Cork Constitution), Alan Kennedy (Young Munster) (capt), Michael Melia (Terenure College), John Foley (Young Munster), Paul Derham (Old Wesley).

Replacements: Adam Clarkin (Terenure College), Corrie Barrett (Garryowen), JP Phelan (Clontarf), Peter Claffey (Terenure College), Ryan Murphy (UCC), Gerry Hurley (Cork Constitution), Niall Kenneally (Cork Constitution), Matthew Byrne (Terenure College).

Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Ruairidh Campbell, Alistair Watt (both Scotland)

Pre-Match Quotes – Gearoid Prendergast (Ireland Club XV): “I’m excited to be working with this group of players. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last few weeks of preparation and I think they’re going to grab this opportunity with both hands. They’re young, they’re ambitious and above all talented.

“The challenge has been managing training camps alongside players being involved with their clubs (in the Energia All-Ireland League). Our extended squad has evolved quite a bit.

“We’ve sprinkled some experience in there, but a lot of these guys will be playing in a Club International for the first time so it’s massively exciting for them.”

Scott Wight (Scotland Clubs): “We’re expecting a tough physical encounter. There were some really tough calls to make as everyone put their hand up for selection during training sessions and showed what they could do.

“I believe we have a great balance of youth and experience within the squad to execute the game-plan against Ireland on Friday night.”

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

2019: Scotland Clubs 9 Ireland Club XV 23, Netherdale, Gala RFC; Scotland Clubs 19 Ireland Club XV 19, Energia Park