Emerging Ireland Team Named For Final Match
The Emerging Ireland team to play Uruguay in their final game of the IRB Tbilisi Cup on Sunday afternoon has been named.
Allen Clarke’s selected side shows four changes from their last outing in the Georgian capital which they lost 19-8 to the South Africa President’s XV.
Eoin Griffin makes his return to the starting line-up at outside centre, as does Rob Herring who is named at hooker.
David O’Callaghan joins fellow Munsterman David Foley in the second row and number 8 Eoin McKeon makes his first start of the tournament in place of Robbie Diack, who is unavailable due to a calf injury.
Sunday’s match will be streamed live on the IRB website, and sees the Irish youngsters bidding to end the competition on a winning note.
Emerging Ireland are third in the standings on four points – a point behind hosts Georgia, who face the table-topping South Africans in the final round. Uruguay are bottom and without a point after losing to the South Africans (37-9) and Georgia (27-3).
EMERGING IRELAND Team & Replacements (v Uruguay, IRB Tbilisi Cup, Avchala Stadium, Tbilisi, Sunday, June 16, kick-off 4pm local time/1pm Irish time):
15 – David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster) *
14 – Niall Morris (Leicester Tigers/Exile) *
13 – Eoin Griffin (Galwegians/Connacht) *
12 – Noel Reid (Clontarf/Leinster) *
11 – Tiernan O’Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht) *
10 – Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
9 – John Cooney (Lansdowne/Leinster) *
1 – Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) *
2 – Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) *
3 – Michael Bent (Leinster)
4 – David O’Callaghan (Dolphin/Munster) *
5 – David Foley (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
6 – Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt)
7 – Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster) *
8 – Eoin McKeon (Galwegians/Connacht) *
Replacements:
16 – Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *
17 – Richard Lutton (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *
18 – Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution/Munster) *
19 – Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster) *
20 – Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) *
21 – Brendan Macken (Blackrock College/Leinster) *
22 – Peter Nelson (Dungannon/Ulster) *
* Denotes uncapped player
EMERGING IRELAND RESULTS/FIXTURES – IRB TBILISI CUP:
Friday, June 7: Georgia 15 Emerging Ireland 20, Avchala Stadium
Tuesday, June 11: Emerging Ireland 8 South Africa President’s XV 19, Avchala Stadium
Sunday, June 16: Uruguay v Emerging Ireland, Avchala Stadium, 4pm local time/1pm Irish time