Ireland U-20 Team Selected For Samoa Match
Head coach Peter Malone has made 12 personnel changes to the Ireland Under-20 team (sponsored by PwC) for Tuesday’s World Rugby U-20 Championship 9th-12th place play-off against Samoa in Tbilisi.
The game will take place at Avchala Stadium in the Georgian capital (kick-off 1pm local time/10am Irish time), with live coverage on eir Sport 1 and also live streaming on www.worldrugby.org in certain countries.
Alan Tynan and Michael Silvester are the only survivors in the back-line, the pair combining with the returning Calvin Nash in the back-three. Jack Stafford and Conor Dean, who scored 13 points between them against Scotland, slot back in at half-back.
Ciaran Frawley and Gavin Mullin will renew their centre partnership for the sixth time this season. Skerries man Frawley is the most-capped member of the selected Ireland team with eight U-20 appearances to date.
Up front, Naas’ Jordan Duggan comes in for his second start at this level, featuring in the front row alongside hooker Ronan Kelleher and Belfast Harlequins clubman Peter Cooper, who is set for his first start of the tournament at tighthead.
There is a good deal of experience in the second row and back row where Fineen Wycherley and Oisin Dowling combine in the engine room and Paul Boyle returns to captain Ireland from openside flanker. Gavin Coombes switches to the blindside with Caelan Doris resuming at number 8.
Instonians’ Under-19 winger Mark Keane, who joined the squad over the weekend as an injury replacement, is poised to win his first Ireland U-20 cap off the bench.
At the Captain’s Run today in Tbilisi, Peter Malone said: “Things didn’t go to plan in the pool stages (with three defeats), but now it is about digging deep and looking to get a result against Samoa.
“That’s not going to be easy as they caused problems for their opposition throughout their pool games and we know they’re going to be very physical. The players know what lies ahead tomorrow and they’re very focused, and really up for this game.”
IRELAND UNDER-20 Team & Replacements (v Samoa Under-20s, 2017 World Rugby U-20 Championship 9th-12th Place Play-Off, Avchala Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, June 13, kick-off 1pm local time/10am Irish time):
15. Alan Tynan (Young Munster/Munster)
14. Michael Silvester (Dublin University/Leinster)
13. Gavin Mullin (UCD/Leinster)
12. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)
11. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)
10. Conor Dean (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9. Jack Stafford (Shannon/Munster)
1. Jordan Duggan (Naas/Leinster)
2. Ronan Kelleher (UCD/Leinster)
3. Peter Cooper (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
4. Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)
5. Oisin Dowling (Lansdowne/Leinster)
6. Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster)
7. Paul Boyle (Lansdowne/Leinster) (capt)
8. Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Adam Moloney (Shannon/Munster)
17. Joey Conway (UL Bohemians/Munster)
18. Charlie Connolly (Dublin University/Leinster)
19. Jack Regan (UCD/Leinster)
20. John Foley (Shannon/Munster)
21. Jonny Stewart (Queen’s University/Ulster)
22. David McCarthy (Garryowen/Munster)
23. Mark Keane (Instonians/Ulster) *
* Denotes uncapped player at U-20 level
IRELAND U-20s’ World Rugby Championship Fixtures/Results:
Pool B –
Ireland 21 Italy 22 – Match Report
Kutaisi Stadium, Kutaisi, Wednesday, May 31
Ireland 28 Scotland 32 – Match Report
Kutaisi Stadium, Kutaisi, Sunday, June 4
Ireland 3 New Zealand 69 – Match Report
Kutaisi Stadium, Kutaisi, Thursday, June 8
9th-12th Place Play-Off –
Ireland v Samoa, Avchala Stadium, Tbilisi, Tuesday, June 13, 1pm local time/10am Irish time
Play-Offs –
Avchala Stadium, Tbilisi, Sunday, June 18
2017 World Rugby U-20 Championship – Full Fixtures/Results/Pools