The Ireland Under-20s (sponsored by PwC) bring the curtain down on their Grand Slam-winning season with an U-20 Six Nations Summer Series play-off against Scotland in Treviso.
2022 UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS SUMMER SERIES – PLAY-OFF: Tuesday, July 12
IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th, Pool A) v SCOTLAND UNDER-20s (4th, Pool B), Stadio di Monigo, Treviso, 12pm local time/11am Irish time (live Under-20 Six Nations YouTube Channel)
Team News: Head coach Richie Murphy has announced the Ireland Under-20 team, sponsored by PwC, for Tuesday’s U-20 Six Nations Summer Series play-off match against Scotland.
Following on from last week’s thrilling bonus point win over England, captain Reuben Crothers and his team-mates face their Scottish counterparts in Treviso in their final outing of the tournament.
Murphy has made four changes to his starting XV, with winger George Coomber, scrum half Andrew O’Mahony, hooker Josh Hanlon and second row Charlie Irvine coming into the side for their first starts at this level.
Coomber, a lively replacement last time out, joins Patrick Campbell and Aitzol King in the back-three, while Fionn Gibbons, who has scored two tries in the Summer Series, and Daniel Hawkshaw continue together in midfield.
Sam Prendergast, Ireland’s late goal-kicking hero in that final pool game against England, is joined by UCC clubman O’Mahony at half-back.
In the pack, Ballynahinch hooker Hanlon comes into the front row alongside George Hadden and Scott Wilson, with Irvine, one of this season’s Under-19 contingent, selected in the engine room beside Adam McNamee.
The back row of Diarmuid Mangan, Crothers and Lorcan McLoughlin, who turned in an impressive try-scoring performance against England, remains unchanged.
There are three potential debutants on an extended Ireland bench – front rowers Dominic Rhys Hey and Joseph Mawhinney as well as Ballina out-half Harry West, who was involved with the Ireland U-19s earlier this season.
Meanwhile, Scotland head coach Kenny Murray has made four changes to the side that lost 55-17 to Georgia in their final pool fixture last Wednesday.
Results have been tough to come by for this Scottish squad, with defeats to Wales (45-14) and Italy (34-14) during the opening two rounds of the Summer Series.
Captain Rhys Tait and Gregor Hiddleston make positional switches, the latter going from hooker to openside flanker, with Exeter Chiefs’ Ollie Leatherbarrow packing down at number 8.
The ever-present second row pairing of Josh Taylor and Max Williamson backs up a freshened up front row that has Patrick Harrison and Callum Norrie reintroduced, packing down with loosehead Iain Carmichael.
The only change in the back-line sees Stirling County and Glasgow Warriors’ Euan Cunningham return at out-half. Outside him are Andy Stirrat and Duncan Munn who start their eighth consecutive game together in the centre.
Southern Knights’ Keiran Clark, who was a first half replacement in Scotland’s 59-5 Six Nations reversal in Cork, features again at full-back, with Kerr Johnston and Gabe Jones retained on the wings.
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), George Coomber (UCC RFC/Munster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Andrew O’Mahony (UCC RFC/Munster); George Hadden (Gorey RFC/Clontarf FC/Leinster), Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), 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 Hey (Gloucester Hartpury Rugby/IQ Rugby), Kieran Ryan (Shannon RFC/Munster), Joseph Mawhinney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), George Shaw (Cardiff University/IQ Rugby), Ronan O’Sullivan (Highfield RFC/Munster), Michael Moloney (UCD RFC/Leinster), Harry West (Ballina RFC/Connacht), Shay McCarthy (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Reece Malone (Loughborough University/Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Oisin Michel (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster).
SCOTLAND U-20: Keiran Clark (Southern Knights); Kerr Johnston (Gala RFC), Duncan Munn (Boroughmuir Bears), Andy Stirrat (Ayrshire Bulls), Gabe Jones (Brunel University/Ealing Trailfinders); Euan Cunningham (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors), Ben Afshar (Southern Knights); Iain Carmichael (Boroughmuir Bears), Patrick Harrison (Watsonians RFC/Edinburgh Rugby), Callum Norrie (Stirling County/Strathallan School), Josh Taylor (Ealing Trailfinders), Max Williamson (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors), Rhys Tait (Boroughmuir Bears/Glasgow Warriors) (capt), Gregor Hiddleston (Stirling County), Ollie Leatherbarrow (Exeter Chiefs).
Replacements: Duncan Hood (Bath University), Ali Rogers (Ayrshire Bulls), Gregor Scougall (Watsonians RFC), James Lascelles (Gloucester Rugby/Hartpury College), Jake Spurway (Stirling County /Durham University), Tim Brown (Ayrshire Bulls), Thomas Glendinning (Ayrshire Bulls), Ross McKnight (Stirling County/Glasgow Warriors), Liam McConnell (Boroughmuir Bears), Rudi Brown (Southern Knights/Edinburgh Rugby), Finlay Burgess (Stirling County).
Referee: Benoit Rousselet (France)
Watch
The game is live on the Under-20 Six Nations YouTube channel.
Pre-Match Quotes – Richie Murphy (Ireland U-20s): “Any tournament like this, if you lose your first two games you’re very much up against it. At least now we’re looking forward to the last game.
“Yes, we finished bottom of the group, but in a short tournament like this that can easily happen.
“We just want to try and go home with two wins from four which with the group that we have, with twelve Under-19s in the group, will be hugely beneficial for those guys for next year.”
Kenny Murray (Scotland U-20s): “We have scored some good tries throughout this tournament and we will look to take our opportunities in the same way again this time round.
“We know from the Under-20 Six Nations in the spring that Ireland are a very good side who will challenge us, but this group have worked hard throughout the campaign and know what they need to do to be able to put in a performance that they will be proud of.”
Recent Meetings –
2020: Under-20 Six Nations: Ireland U-20s 38 Scotland U-20s 26, Irish Independent Park
2021: Under-20 Six Nations: Scotland Under-20s 7 Ireland Under-20s 38, Cardiff Arms Park
2022: Under-20 Six Nations: Ireland Under-20s 59 Scotland Under-20s 5, Musgrave Park
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