The Ireland Under-20s face a shootout with Scotland for seventh place at the World Rugby U-20 Championship in Viadana. A third win in five games would see Nigel Carolan’s charges end the tournament on a high.
2015 WORLD RUGBY UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP – 7TH/8TH PLACE PLAY-OFF: Saturday, June 20
IRELAND UNDER-20s v SCOTLAND UNDER-20s, Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana, 1pm local time/12pm Irish time
Team News: The Ireland Under-20 team (sponsored by PwC) to face Scotland in the 7th-8th place play-off at the World Rugby U-20 Championship on Saturday has been named.
Head coach Nigel Carolan has made five changes to the side that lost to Wales in the 5th-8th place play-off earlier in the week.
Zack McCall and Conan O’Donnell will start in the front row, while Rory Moloney and Lorcan Dow return to the back row alongside stand-in captain Josh Murphy (pictured below). Billy Dardis starts at full-back.
Meanwhile, Scotland boss Sean Lineen has made four changes to the side that lost 31-21 to Australia last time out.
Murray McCallum returns to the matchday squad and slots in at loosehead prop, with Zander Fagerson occupying the tighthead berth. Sam James is promoted from the bench to replace Ross Graham at hooker.
Scott Cummings, who has worn the number 4 jersey for every game of the tournament, is partnered in the second row by Ally Miller.
The back row trio will be headed up by captain Jamie Ritchie, with the returning Neil Irvine-Hess packing down on the blindside flank and Magnus Bradbury retaining his spot at number 8.
The back-line remains unchanged from the previous two ties.
World Rugby U-20 Championship Fixtures/Results
IRELAND U-20: Billy Dardis (UCD/Leinster); Stephen Fitzgerald (Shannon/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Sam Arnold (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster); Joey Carbery (UCD/Leinster), Charlie Rock (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Zack McCall (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster), Conan O’Donnell (Sligo/NUIG/Connacht), David O’Connor (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Alex Thompson (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster), Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht), Lorcan Dow (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster).
Replacements: Adam McBurney (Ballymena/Ulster), Liam O’Connor (Cork Constitution/Munster), Oisin Heffernan (Terenure College/Leinster), Cian Romaine (Buccaneers/Connacht), Nick Timoney (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jack Cullen (Shannon/Munster), Fergal Cleary (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/Connacht).
SCOTLAND U-20: Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh); Robbie Nairn (Harlequins), Alec Coombes (London Scottish), Patrick Kelly (Le Parc), Richard Galloway (University of Birmingham); Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Ben Vellacott (Gloucester/Hartpury College); Murray McCallum (Aberdeen Grammar), Sam James (Bedford Blues), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/Glasgow Hawks), Ally Miller (Edinburgh/Watsonians), Neil Irvine-Hess (Melrose), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh) (capt), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh).
Replacements: Ross Graham (Hawick), Dan Elkington (Watsonians), Jack Owlett (Exeter University), Ruaridh Knott (Melrose), Lewis Wynne (Stirling County), George Horne (Glasgow Hawks), Tom Galbraith (Melrose), Archie Russell (Stirling County).
Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland U-20s to win: 1/3; Draw: 22/1; Scotland U-20s to win: 21/10
Pre-Match Quotes – Nigel Carolan (Ireland U-20s): “We are expecting another tough challenge ahead of us. Scotland have proved to be a formidable opponent, however, we are confident that we can finish the tournament on a high note.”
Sean Lineen (Scotland U-20s): “It’s been a long tournament but we’re extremely proud of the players’ efforts across the four games we’ve played. However, we need to keep improving, and we need to lift our performance again for this final match against Ireland.
“We’ve already played them in this competition and we expect another tight game. Against Australia, a lack of concentration cost us dearly so that’s something we’ve addressed on the run up to this game. To win games you need to play for the full 80 minutes and that’s something that we need to do, against Ireland.”
Pre-Match Links –
Ireland U-20s’ Fightback Falls Short Against Wales
In Pics: Ireland Under-20s 12 Wales Under-20s 22
In Pics: Ireland Under-20s 24 Scotland Under-20s 20
Gritty Scots Unable To Overcome Clinical Wallabies
Recent Meetings –
2014: U-20 RBS 6 Nations: Ireland U-20s 34 Scotland U-20s 7, Dubarry Park
2015: U-20 RBS 6 Nations: Scotland U-20s 17 Ireland U-20s 10, Netherdale; World Rugby U-20 Championship Pool C: Ireland U-20s 24 Scotland U-20s 20, Stadio San Michele, Calvisano
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