Ireland are defending the title which they won last year in France and come into the game on the back of a 25-12 warm-up win over Scotland last weekend.

St. Michael's College flanker Daniel Leavy has been named as Ireland's captain for the tournament in Spain.

Three players named in the original squad have withdrawn - Benjamin Alexander, Saba Meunargia and Ruairi O'Farrell. They have been replaced by Darragh Moloney, Stephen O'Neill and Aidan Slattery.

You can follow the team's progress on the FIRA/AER tournament website.

IRELAND UNDER-18 SCHOOLS Team & Replacements (v Portugal Under-18s, FIRA/AER U-18 European Championship Elite Group, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Friday, March 30, kick-off 12.15pm local time/11.15am Irish time):

15 - Cormac O'Donnell (St. Munchin's/Munster)
14 - Gregory O'Shea (Crescent College/Munster)
13 - Stephen O'Neill (Terenure College/Leinster)
12 - Harrison Brewer (Terenure College/Leinster)
11 - David Johnston (Rockwell College/Munster)
10 - Conor McKeon (Gonzaga College/Leinster)
9 - Bobby Holland (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
1 - Aidan Slattery (PBC Cork/Munster)
2 - Dylan Donnellan (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
3 - Shane Delahunt (Kilkenny College/Leinster)
4 - Shane Boyle (Sligo GS/Connacht)
5 - Darragh Moloney (CBC Cork/Munster)
6 - Rory Maloney (CC Roscrea/Leinster)
7 - Jack O'Neill (Castleknock College/Leinster)
8 - Peadar Timmins (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Max Abbott (PBC Cork/Munster)
17 - Charlie Slowey (CBC Cork/Munster)
18 - Eoghan McKeever (CBC Monkstown/Leinster)
19 - Ross Molony (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
20 - Sean O'Brien (CC Roscrea/Connacht)
21 - Daniel Leavy (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
22 - Josh Fullerton (CCB/Ulster)
23 - Gearoid Lyons (Crescent College/Munster)
24 - Rory O'Loughlin (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
25 - Cian Kelleher (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
26 - William Dardis (Terenure College/Leinster)

Ireland's FIRA/AER U-18 European Championship Fixtures:

Friday, March 30
M1: Ireland v Portugal, 12.15pm local time/11.15am Irish time

Tuesday, April 3
M5: Winners M1 v Winners M4, 5.30pm local time/4.30pm Irish time
M7: Losers M1 v Losers M4, 11am local time/10am Irish time

Saturday, April 7
M9: Winners M5 v Winners M6, 4.45pm local time/3.45pm Irish time
M10: Losers M5 v Losers M6, 3pm local time/2pm Irish time
M11: Winners M7 v Winners M8, 12.45pm local time/11.45am Irish time
M12: Losers M7 v Losers M8, 11am local time/10am Irish time

* All matches will be played at Ciudad Universitaria in Madrid