Fogarty To Start For Ireland ‘A’
With Jerry Flannery and Sean Cronin selected in the Ireland squad for Sunday’s Test match against Australia, Leinster hooker John Fogarty will start for the Ireland ‘A’ side in their international clash with Tonga at Ravenhill on Friday (kick-off 7pm).
When the Ireland ‘A’ team was initially named on Tuesday, a vacancy was left at hooker as there were still three hookers in the extended panel for Sunday’s GUINNESS Series opener against Australia and some fitness issues to iron out.
Following today’s senior team announcement, it has been confirmed that Leinster hooker John Fogarty will start for the Ireland ‘A’ side against Tonga on Friday, with his younger brother Denis on the replacements bench.
Looking forward to Friday night’s outing at Ravenhill, Ireland ‘A’ team manager Joey Miles said: “As Churchill Cup champions, we are up there to be shot down – there’s no doubt about that. Tonga certainly won’t lack any motivation to beat us.
“But the players in the squad we have selected have every motivation to deliver for us and rise to the occasion too.
“We’ve a combination of players we think can contribute and do a job against what will be a very competitive Tongan side and players the senior management wants to have a look at at this level by lifting them out of the comfort zone of their provincial set-ups.”
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IRELAND ‘A’ TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v Tonga, ‘A’ International, Ravenhill, Friday, November 13, kick-off 7pm):
15. Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht)
14. Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster) (capt)
13. Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
12. Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
11. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
10. Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster)
9. Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
1. Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)
2. John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster)
3. Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
5. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
6. Neil Best (Northampton Saints)
7. Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
8. Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)
Replacements:
16. Denis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Munster)
17. Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
18. Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
19. Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
20. Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
21. Ian Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht)
22. Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers)