The Irish A team to play France A

The Irish A team to play France A at Stade Henri, Desgranges la Roches sur Yon, on Friday, April 5th at 8pm (local time) includes Frank Sheahan and Tyrone Howe who join from the senior squad

The game will be played in La Roche Sur Yon which is 50 kilometres south of Nantes (in the direction of Niort) towards the coast.

It’s a place some of the Irish players will be familiar with. Back in 1998 the Ireland Under 21 side that included current A members Frank Sheahan, Marcus Horan, Mick O’Driscoll and Leo Cullen, played their French counterparts there. The French won 36-28, to deny the Cullen led Ireland a grand slam.

Ireland.Paddy Wallace (Ulster/Ballymena); Anthony Horgan (Munster/Cork Constitution), Mike Mullins (Munster/Young Munster),
Jason Holland (Munster/Midleton), Tyrone Howe (Ulster/Dungannon); Paul Burke (Harlequins); Neil Doak (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins); Reggie Corrigan capt (Leinster/Lansdowne), Frank Sheahan (Munster/Cork Constitution), Simon Best (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins);
Leo Cullen (Leinster/Blackrock College), Bob Casey (Leinster/Blackrock College); Tony McWhirter (Ulster/Ballymena), Andy Ward (Ulster/Ballynahinch),
Victor Costello (Leinster/St. Mary’s College).
Replacements: 16 – James Blaney (Munster/Shannon) College), 17 – Marcus Horan (Munster/Shannon), 18 – Mick O’Driscoll (Munster/Cork Constitution), 19 – Johnny O’Connor (Connacht/Galwegians), 20 – Brian O’Meara (Leinster/Cork Constitution), 21 – Jeremy Staunton (Munster/Garryowen), 22 – Gordon Darcy (Leinster/Lansdowne).