Ireland will take on France in two games this coming Thursday at both under-18 and under-19 level in what is an important step in the development of young players.
The first game will see an Ireland under-18 clubs side take on a similar French selection. The Ireland side may be shallow on experience at this level, but will be able to call on two players who were part of the side last year, prop Peter Dooley and centre Adam Byrne.
The side will be captained by Jack O’Donoghue and coached by Wayne Mitchell, who has been involved with the team as an assistant coach with the side for the past two seasons. This will be the under-18 club team’s second game of the season, after losing their first 17-11 in a tight encounter with Italy in Rovigo in February.
The Ireland under-19 side will be playing their first game of the season and will be captained by Conor Joyce and coached by Leinster Academy Manager and former Ireland A international Colin McEntee. The side is made up of a mixture of players from both the schools and club teams and is seen as an important bridge between the under-18 and under-20 age groups to aid the identification of promising young players at the highest international level.
Both teams will also play a second game against their England counterparts on April 14th and are, along with the Ireland under-18 schools side which is also playing France this evening in the FIRA/AER European Championship in Madrid, part of the IRFU High Performance Pathway.
Ireland Under-18 Clubs v France Under-18 Clubs (Thursday 5th April, St. Mary’s College RFC – Kick off 12.00hrs):
15 – Rueben Pepperhobbs (Westport /Connacht)
14 – Adrian Enright (Abbeyfeale /Munster)
13 – Adam Byrne (UCD /Leinster)
12 – Sean O’Hagan (London Irish /Exiles)
11 – Seamus Keating (Dungarvan /Munster)
10 – Fergal Cleary (Navan /Leinster)
9 – Killian O’Keeffe (Crosshaven/Munster)
1 – Peter Dooley (Birr/Leinster)
2 – Paul O’Donnell (Galwegians /Connacht)
3 – Jacob Walshe (Garbally/Ballinasloe /Connacht)
4 – Russell Blair (Ballymoney/Ulster)
5 – John Madigan (Charleville/Munster)
6 – Killian Sweeney (Malahide /Leinster)
7 – Joseph Bercis (Rugby Lions/Exiles)
8 – Jack O’Donoghue (Waterpark /Munster) Captain
Replacements:
16 – Brian Cunningham (Navan/Leinster)
17 – Stephen Dalton (Westcombe Park/Ravens Wood Rugby Academy/Exiles)
18 – Scott Flannagan (Buccaneers/Connacht)
19 – Luke Connolly (Glamorgan Wanderers /Exiles)
20 – Francis Taggart (Whitgift School/Exiles)
21 – Caolin Blade (Monivea/Connacht)
22 – Jim White (Enniscorthy /Leinster)
23 – Eoghan O’Reilly (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Ireland Under-19 Team v France Under-19 (Thursday 5th April, St. Mary’s College RFC – Kick off 14.00hrs):
15 – Darragh Leader (Galwegians RFC / Connacht)
14 – Max McFarland (Clongowes Wood College /Leinster)
13 – Tom Farrell (Castleknock College/Leinster)
12 – Thomas Daly (Carlow RFC/Leinster)
11 – Rory Scholes (Belfast Harlequins RFC/Ulster)
10 – Steve Crosbie (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
9 – Dave Shannahan (Clontarf RFC/Leinster)
1 – Edward Byrne (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
2 – Bryan Byrne (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
3 – Jamie Dever (Westport RFC /Connacht)
4 – Ultan Dillane (Tralee RFC/Munster)
5 – Gavin Thornbury (Blackrock College/Leinster)
6 – Conor Joyce (Malone RFC/Ulster) Captain
7 – Josh Van Der Flier (UCD RFC/Leinster)
8 – Ryan Murphy (Dolphin RFC/Munster)
Replacements:
16 – John Andrew (Ballymena RFC / Ulster)
17 – Niall Horan (Crescent College /Munster)
18 – Christopher Taylor (Malone RFC/Ulster)
19 – Sean McCarthy (Rockwell College/Munster)
20 – Donagh Lawler (St. Michael’s College/Leinster)
21 – Barry Digby (Buccaneers RFC /Connacht)
22 – Harry McNulty (Dublin University RFC/Munster)
23 – Eoghan Quinn (Castleknock College/ Leinster)
