Under-20 Summer Series: Ireland Under-20s v England Under-20s

The Ireland Under-20s’ final Pool A placing in the Under-20 Six Nations Summer Series will be confirmed after they wrap up the initial phase against England in Verona tonight.

2022 UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS SUMMER SERIES – POOL A: Tuesday, July 5

IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th) v ENGLAND UNDER-20s (2nd), Payanini Rugby Centre, Verona, 8pm local time/7pm Irish time (live Under-20 Six Nations YouTube Channel)

Team News: Ireland head coach Richie Murphy has made four changes to his starting XV for the round 3 fixture, bringing Ethan Coughlan, Scott Wilson, Adam McNamee and Lorcan McLoughlin back into the side.

Patrick Campbell, Aitzol King and Dylan O’Grady continue in the back-three, with Fionn Gibbons and Daniel Hawkshaw starting together in midfield for the third successive game.

Munster Academy scrum half Coughlan returns to the side to partner Sam Prendergast, who kicked seven points against South Africa, at half-back.

In the pack, Queen’s University clubman Wilson slots into the front row alongside George Hadden and James McCormick, with McNamee from Malone selected to pack down with Conor O’Tighearnaigh at lock.

Diarmuid Mangan switches from the second row to blindside flanker and McLoughlin, a lively half-time replacement in the last round, completes the back row alongside captain Reuben Crothers.

Murphy has plenty of options on the bench – including uncapped hooker Dominic Rhys Hey – with teams allowed to name an extended matchday squad of 26 players for the tournament in Italy.

“I think the guys have shown great character all through the Summer Series so far,” said Murphy. “Firstly with France, we got them on a really good day, and then South Africa were very big, very powerful.

“It’s a big learning curve for us. We’ve got a new group together, quite a few young lads have come in since the Six Nations.

“It’s going to be difficult (against England). It’s another massive, big physical challenge. England have size about them.

“We just have to look after ourselves, tidy our own game up and go back to the basics of ball carrying and looking after the ball, the clean out and imposing our game on England.”

Meanwhile, the England U-20 team remains largely unchanged from the side that beat France 29-20 last week, scoring four tries in the process to move up to second in the table.

Uncapped London Irish back Alex Harmes makes his first appearance on the left wing, and blindside flanker Ethan Staddon from Bath is promoted from the bench to start.

England head coach Alan Dickens commented: “I’ve spoken to their coaches and Ireland have got a few missing players through injuries from the Six Nations, so that’s certainly going to have weakened them.

“But we know that any side that Ireland puts on the pitch are going to be a quality side. You saw that they came back against South Africa and I know they’ll certainly push us and that it will be another good contest.

“In the three years I’ve been coaching Under-20s, whether we’ve won or lost against Ireland it’s a tough, tough game.”

Under-20 Six Nations Summer Series Fixtures/Results

Under-20 Six Nations Summer Series Table

IRELAND U-20: Patrick Campbell (Young Munster RFC/Munster); Aitzol King (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Fionn Gibbons (UCD RFC/Leinster), Daniel Hawkshaw (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Dylan O’Grady (UCD RFC/Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster); George Hadden (Gorey RFC/Clontarf FC/Leinster), James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), Adam McNamee (Malone RFC/Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Reuben Crothers (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) (capt), Lorcan McLoughlin (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster).

Replacements: Dominic Rhys Heys (Gloucester Hartpury Rugby/IQ Rugby), Kieran Ryan (Shannon RFC/Munster), Darragh McSweeney (Shannon RFC/Munster), Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Ronan O’Sullivan (Highfield RFC/Munster), Andrew O’Mahony (UCC RFC/Munster), Reece Malone (Loughborough University/Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), George Coomber (UCC RFC/Munster), Shay McCarthy (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), George Shaw (Cardiff University/IQ Rugby).

ENGLAND U-20: George Hendy (Northampton Saints); Iwan Stephens (Newcastle Falcons), Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Wasps), Ethan Grayson (Northampton Saints), Alex Harmes (London Irish); Fin Smith (Worcester Warriors), Charlie Bracken (Saracens); Tumy Onasanya (Sale Sharks), Ollie Fletcher (Newcastle Falcons), Jevaughn Warren (Saracens), Ewan Richards (Bath), Lewis Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Ethan Staddon (Bath), Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers) (capt), Toby Knight (Saracens).

Replacements: John Stewart (Bath), Archie McArthur (Wasps), Mikey Summerfield (London Irish), Charlie Rice (Bristol Bears), Chandler Cunningham-South (London Irish), Greg Fisilau (Wasps), Lucas Brooke (London Irish), Tom Carr-Smith (Bath), Jed Walsh (Leicester Tigers), Tom Litchfield (Northampton Saints), Sam Harris (Bath).

Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)

Watch

The game is live on the Under-20 Six Nations YouTube channel.

Pre-Match Quotes – Richie Murphy (Ireland U-20s): “We were probably a little bit disappointed after the South Africa game. We didn’t look after the ball well enough. We were a bit loose in our carry and our clean out.

“The great thing about a competition like this is that you have six days to turn it around and we have an opportunity to play against England. Hopefully we can tidy the lads up a little bit and fix a few things for the final pool game.”

Alan Dickens (England U-20s): “The players really gave it their all against France and to score four tries and secure a bonus point was well deserved.

“We know we will need to maintain focus on our discipline in the final pool game against Ireland who, as we experienced in the Six Nations Championship, are a strong side.”

Recent Meetings –

2020: Under-20 Six Nations: England U-20s 21 Ireland U-20s 39, Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton

2021: Under-20 Six Nations: Ireland U-20s 15 England U-20s 24, Cardiff Arms Park

2022: Under-20 Six Nations: England U-20s 27 Ireland U-20s 42, StoneX Stadium, Barnet

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