Under-19 Squad: Backs Profiles

…St. Munchin’s and Ireland Under-19 centre Keith Earls…

IRELAND UNDER-19 SQUAD: BACKS:

SCRUM HALVES –

David Drake (Instonians RFC)

Born: 15/2/1987

Height: 5ft 8in/173cm; Weight: 11st 9lbs/74kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v Argentina

*Has played for the Instonians’ Firsts this season. Was recently allocated to Ballymena RFC by the Ulster Branch from their Development squad, so Drake will be playing his rugby at Eaton Park next season.

*Former pupil at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. Was a member of the RBAI side that won the 2005 Ulster Schools Senior Cup.

*Drake has been capped by the Ulster Schools, Ireland Under-18s and Ulster Under-19s. Was on the bench for the Irish Under-19s’ two spring internationals against Wales and England.

…Scrum half Paul O’Donohoe in action for Belvedere…

Paul O’Donohoe (Belvedere College)

Born: 27/8/1987

Height: 5ft 8in/173cm; Weight: 13st 1lb/83kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v England, v France, v Samoa

*A member of the Leinster Under-19 Schools squad this season. Captained Belvedere College in 2005/06.

*Helped Belvedere win its first Leinster Schools Senior Cup for 33 years in March 2005.

*O’Donohoe started against England in the March defeat at the Twickenham Stoop. Scored a try in Belvedere’s 38-0 Senior Cup win over Gonzaga. The champions bowed out to Blackrock in the semi.

…Brian Collins kicking against Australia Schools in December…

OUT-HALVES –

Brian Collins (Castleknock College)

Born: 12/7/1987

Height: 5ft 8in/173cm; Weight: 12st 8lbs/80kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v England (4 pens), v France (1 con, 2 pens), v Samoa (1 con, 3 pens), v Argentina (1 con, 4 pens)

*Captained Castleknock College this season. Played for the Irish Under-19s against Australian Schools at Ravenhill in December. Kicked three penalties before being injured in the 32-9 defeat to England in March.

*Scored a try, conversion and drop goal as Castleknock bowed out of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup in a 13-10 second round loss to St. Mary’s College. Also scored tries for Castleknock in the autumn against Templeogue, Clongowes and Crescent College.

*Captained the Leinster U-19 Schools squad this season. Collins is currently the second top points scorer at the IRB U-19 World Championship in Dubai (45 points). Member of the Irish Schools side that won the Triple Crown in 2005.

Ian Keatley (UCD)

Born: 1/4/1987

Height: 5ft 9in/176cm; Weight: 12st 13lbs/82kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v England, v France, v Argentina (sub)

*Hails from Dublin. Is on a sports scholarship at UCD. Helped the College win its fourth Leinster Under-20 League title in a row in February.

*His kicking helped Belvedere College win the Leinster Schools Senior Cup in 2005.

*Was one of only six players to start both of the Irish Under-19s’ spring internationals against Wales and England. Played at out-half for the Irish Under-18s last season.

CENTRES –

Keith Earls (St. Munchin’s College)

Born: 2/10/1987

Height: 5ft 10in/177cm; Weight: 13st 10lbs/87kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v Japan (sub) (2005), v England (try), v France, v Samoa, v Argentina

*Scored the all-important try in St. Munchin’s Munster Schools Senior Cup win (7-3) over PBC Cork on St. Patrick’s Day. Scored a brace of tries in the quarter-final win over Rockwell.

*Is the son of former Young Munster and Munster flanker Ger Earls. Was a member of the Ireland Schools side that won the Triple Crown last season. Scored a try in the Ireland Under-19 ‘A’ team’s defeat to Australia Schools in December.

*Played one match at the 2005 IRB U-19 World Championship in Durban. Earls, then 17, came off the bench for the 36-18 win over Japan in the 9th-12th place play-off.

…Ian Whitten tackles Gareth Maule of Wales U-19 to the ground during the sides’ meeting at Stradbrook in February…

Ian Whitten (Queen’s University Belfast)

Born: 5/6/1987

Height: 6ft 1in/186cm; Weight: 16st 8lbs/105kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v Argentina

*Is on a silver scholarship with the Rugby Academy at Queen’s University Belfast.

*Former pupil at Wallace High School, Whitten heled Wallace reach last season’s Ulster Schools Senior Cup semi-finals, where they bowed out to Methody (19-8). Played at inside centre for the Ireland Under-18s last season.

*On the bench for the Irish Under-19s’ spring internationals against Wales and England.

Aidan Wynne (Blackrock College)

Born: 26/5/1987

Height: 5ft 8in/172cm; Weight: 13st 10lbs/87kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v France (sub), v Samoa

*Helped Blackrock College to the Leinster Schools Senior Cup title on St. Patrick’s Day. Wynne kicked two conversions in the 14-12 defeat of St. Michael’s in the final.

*Originally from Ferbane in County Offaly, Wynne helped St. Saran’s win the Connacht Schools Senior Cup for the first time in 2004. Playing at out-half, he kicked two penalties and two conversions for a 20-0 win in the decider over Sligo Grammar School.

*Previously captained the Connacht Schools side. Played at outside centre for the Ireland Under-18s last season and was capped for the Ireland Under-19 ‘A’ team against Australia Schools in December. Wynne has played club rugby for Athlone RFC.

Ivan Dineen (Christian Brothers College Cork)

Born: 25/7/1987

Height: 6ft 1in/185cm; Weight: 12st 6lbs/79kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v Samoa

*At outside for CBC Cork’s Munster Schools Senior Cup campaign this year. Christians lost to bitter rivals PBC Cork in the semi-final. Dineen was also in the number 13 shirt for CBC’s 6-3 final defeat to PBC in 2004/05.

*Played at full-back in the CBC Cork team that reached the Munster Junior Cup semi-final in 2003.

*Started at outside centre in the Irish Under-19s’ defeat to England on St. Patrick’s Day.

WINGS –

Shane Monahan (Dublin University)

Born: 28/4/1987

Height: 6ft 3in/193cm; Weight: 14st 9lbs/93kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v England, v France, v Samoa (sub), v Argentina

*Was a member of the Ireland Under-18 squad last season – played his club rugby with Boyne RFC before taking up a rugby scholarship with Trinity College Dublin. Studies Product Design at DIT.

*Played for the Leinster Under-19s this season, scoring a try in the 46-3 defeat of Munster in September – a win which secured the inaugural IRFU U-19 Championship for Leinster.

*Monahan made his debut on the right wing for the Irish Under-19s against England on St. Patrick’s Day. This season, he has helped the Trinity Seconds reach the Leinster Junior 1 Metro League semi-finals and the quarter-finals of the Under-20 McCorry Cup.

Michael Barker (Queen’s University Belfast)

Born: 29/1/1987

Height: 5ft 11in/181cm; Weight: 13st 12lbs/88kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v England, v France, v Samoa, v Argentina

*Is on a silver scholarship with the Rugby Academy at Queen’s University Belfast. Formerly a pupil at Bangor Grammar School.

*Started on the left wing for the Irish Under-19s v England in March. Lasy year, Barker lined out for the Ulster Schools side and the Ireland Under-18s.

*One of only six players to start both of the Irish Under-19s’ spring internationals against Wales and England.

FULL-BACKS –

Sean Carey (St. Joseph’s College Garbally)

Born: 1/11/1987

Height: 5ft 10in/178cm; Weight: 12st 2lbs/77kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v England, v France (try), v Argentina

*Helped Ballinasloe RFC will the Connacht Under-18 and All-Ireland Under-18 Club titles this season. Is a son of Matt Carey, the joint-President of Buccaneers RFC in 2004/05.

*Captained St. Joseph’s during their 2005/06 Connacht Schools Senior Cup campaign. Carey also played at Senior level for the Garbally School in 2004 and 2005.

*Started at full-back in the Irish Under-19 side that lost to England in March.

Niall O’Connor (Limavady Grammar School)

Born: 7/7/1987

Height: 6ft/183cm; Weight: 13st 1lb/83kg

Caps – IRB U-19 WC – v Samoa

*Played at out-half for the Ulster Under-19s this season. Lined out in the number 10 shirt for the Irish Under-19 ‘A’ team v Australia Schools in December.

*O’Connor’s younger brother Mark also plays at full-back for Limavady GS.

*Has signed a development contract with Ulster and is set to play his rugby for Belfast Harlequins next season. O’Connor is currently studying for his ‘A’ levels. He helped Limavady GS to the final of the Ulster Schools Senior Bowl competition, where they lost 22-19 to Foyle & Londonderry College.