Hogan And Carroll To Start For Ireland U-18 Schools Side
Colm Hogan and Tim Carroll have been added to the back-line for the Ireland Under-18 Schools team’s final match of the Rugby Europe U-18 European Championship – the 7th-8th place play-off against Scotland Under-18s on Easter Saturday.
The inclusion of Glenstal Abbey’s Colm Hogan at full-back and Tim Carroll (Cistercian College Roscrea) on the left wing are the only changes in personnel from the 14-9 midweek loss to Wales.
There are a number of positional switches in the backs as captain Bill Johnston reverts to out-half in place of Conor Dean, Calvin Nash moves to outside centre where he partners Jack Kelly, and Robert Lyttle, who touched down in the opening game against Georgia, swaps wings.
The unchanged pack sees Jonny Guy and Oisin Dowling pack down again behind the all-Ulster front row of Daniel Kealey, hooker Conor McEvoy and Peter Cooper, with St. Munchin’s number 8 John Foley flanked by Leinster pair Caelan Doris and Tom de Jongh in the back row.
Noel McNamara’s young side played Scotland in a warm-up match in Dundee last month. They lost 21-13 in a tight contest where Ireland scored a penalty try and skipper Johnston kicked their other points.
IRELAND UNDER-18 SCHOOLS Team & Replacements (v Scotland Under-18s, 2015 Rugby Europe Under-18 European Championship Elite 7th-8th Place Play-Off, Tournefeuille, France, Saturday, April 4, kick-off 12pm local time/11am Irish time):
15. Colm Hogan (Glenstal Abbey)
14. Robert Lyttle (Methodist College Belfast)
13. Calvin Nash (Crescent College Limerick)
12. Jack Kelly (St. Michael’s College)
11. Tim Carroll (Cistercian College Roscrea)
10. Bill Johnston (Rockwell College) (capt)
9. Jonathon Stewart (Wallace High School)
1. Daniel Kealey (Campbell College Belfast)
2. Conor McEvoy (Sullivan Upper School)
3. Peter Cooper (Sullivan Upper School)
4. Jonny Guy (St. Andrew’s College)
5. Oisin Dowling (St. Michael’s College)
6. Caelan Doris (Blackrock College)
7. Tom de Jongh (Belvedere College)
8. John Foley (St. Munchin’s College Limerick)
Replacements:
16. Peter Kelleher (Christian Brothers Cork)
17. Alexander Clarke (Ballymena Academy)
18. Dylan Murphy (Cistercian College Roscrea)
19. James Kendrick (Rockwell College)
20. Jack O’Sullivan (Presentation Brothers Cork)
21. Jonathan McKeown (Ballymena Academy)
22. Tim Foley (Cistercian College Roscrea)
23. Jack Lyons (Crescent College Limerick)
24. Conor Dean (Blackrock College)
25. Rory Butler (Campbell College Belfast)
26. Cillian Gallagher (Summerhill College Sligo)
IRELAND UNDER-18 SCHOOLS’ MATCHES:
Friday, March 27: Elite Quarter-Final: Ireland U-18 Schools 8 Georgia U-18s 8 (Georgia won 3-1 on penalty kicks), Montauban
Tuesday, March 31: Elite 5th-8th Place Play-Off: Ireland U-18 Schools 9 Wales U-18s 14, Balma
Saturday, April 4: Elite 7th-8th Place Play-Off: Ireland U-18 Schools v Scotland U-18s, Tournefeuille, France, 12pm local time/11am Irish time