Ireland U-20 Team Announced For Semi-Final
The Ireland Under-20 team (sponsored by PwC) has been named to face Argentina in the World Rugby U-20 Championship semi-final at the Manchester City Academy Stadium on Monday (kick-off 5.30pm).
Head coach Nigel Carolan has made 11 personnel changes to the side that defeated Georgia 35-7 to top Pool A last Wednesday.
Front rowers Andrew Porter, Adam McBurney and Ben Betts all return to the starting line-up, as does captain James Ryan, who has recovered from the thigh injury that kept him out of the Georgia match. He will be joined in the second row by Cashel clubman Sean O’Connor.
The back row is comprised of Max Deegan at number 8 and flankers David Aspil and Greg Jones. UCD talent Jones will be making his fourth start of the Championship.
Sligo’s Stephen Kerins will wear the number 9 jersey and will be partnered at half-back by Ulster Academy member Johnny McPhillips, who scored 18 points against the Georgians.
Conor O’Brien and Shane Daly resume their centre partnership, and the back-three is made up of full-back Jacob Stockdale and Matthew Byrne and Hugo Keenan on the wings. Stockdale (2) and Keenan scored three of Ireland’s 10 tries during the pool stages.
Speaking ahead of the last-four tie, Carolan said: “The players have done really well to get themselves into a World Championship semi-final. There’s a great belief amongst this group and they’ve shown what they can do as a team over the course of the last number of games.
“Argentina are going to present another big test for us. They have a lot of physicality up front as well as pace out wide so we are going to need to be at the top of our game tomorrow.”
The semi-final will be broadcast live on TG4 and Sky Sports 3 HD and will be refereed by England’s Craig Maxwell-Keys.
World Rugby Under-20 Championship – Ticket Information
World Rugby Under-20 Championship Fixtures/Results
IRELAND UNDER-20 Team & Replacements (v Argentina Under-20s, 2016 World Rugby Under-20 Championship Semi-Final, Manchester City Academy Stadium, Monday, June 20, kick-off 5.30pm):
15. Jacob Stockdale (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
14. Matthew Byrne (Terenure College/Leinster)
13. Shane Daly (Cork Constitution/Munster)
12. Conor O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)
11. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)
10. Johnny McPhillips (Queen’s University/Ulster)
9. Stephen Kerins (Sligo/Connacht)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)
2. Adam McBurney (Ballymena/Ulster)
3. Ben Betts (Young Munster/Munster)
4. Sean O’Connor (Cashel/Munster)
5. James Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster) (capt)
6. Greg Jones (UCD/Leinster)
7. David Aspil (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
8. Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Vincent O’Brien (Cork Constitution/Munster)
17. James Bollard (Dublin University/Leinster)
18. Adam Coyle (Naas/Leinster)
19. Evan Mintern (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20. Kelvin Brown (Shannon/Munster)
21. Niall Saunders (Harlequins/Exiles)
22. Brett Connon (Newcastle Falcons/Exiles)
23. Jimmy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster)
IRELAND’S WORLD RUGBY U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE:
Pool A –
Wales 25 IRELAND 26
Manchester City Academy Stadium
New Zealand 24 IRELAND 33
Manchester City Academy Stadium
IRELAND 35 Georgia 7
Manchester City Academy Stadium
Wednesday, June 15, 5.30pm
Semi-Final –
IRELAND v Argentina
Manchester City Academy Stadium
Monday, June 20, 5.30pm
Play-Offs
Manchester City Academy Stadium or AJ Bell Stadium, Salford
Saturday, June 25