Head coach Noel McNamara has named the Ireland Under-20 team, sponsored by PwC, to play France in the opening round of the U-20 Six Nations at Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux on Friday (kick-off 9pm local time/8pm Irish time).
Debutant tighthead Jack Aungier joins returning prop Jordan Duggan and hooker Ronan Kelleher in an all-Leinster front row, while the other five starting forwards – Cormac Daly, Jack Dunne, Matthew Dalton, Aaron Hall and Jack O’Sullivan – are also new caps.
Flankers Dalton and Hall recently helped Ulster ‘A’ qualify for the British & Irish Cup quarter-finals, as did experienced scrum half Jonny Stewart who will win his eleventh Ireland Under-20 cap having made his senior debut for Ulster in October.
Stewart will be partnered at half-back by Harry Byrne, the teenage brother of Leinster out-half Ross Byrne, with Byrne’s UCD colleague Tommy O’Brien taking on the captaincy role in his second season with the Ireland U-20s. The new skipper starts in midfield alongside Garryowen and Munster ‘A’ centre David McCarthy.
The back-three is made up of Munster Academy member James McCarthy and Lansdowne’s Peter Sullivan, who both touched down for the Ireland U-20s against the Munster Development side last month, and previously-capped full-back Michael Silvester who has scored seven tries for Dublin University in the Ulster Bank League this season.
There are nine new caps in Ireland’s starting XV and five more potential debutants on the replacements bench, including Shannon second row Ronan Coffey and versatile Ballymena back Angus Kernohan who captained the Ireland Under-18 Sevens team to a European title in September.
Speaking ahead of the Irish squad’s departure for France, Noel McNamara said: “We’ve had a good build-up over the past few months, and it’s an exciting time for the players as well as the coaching team.
“France is never an easy place to go to play, and we’re expecting a large and noisy crowd at the game, but it’s a good challenge for the players everyone involved is looking forward to getting the campaign underway on Friday night.”
Friday’s first round match between the Ireland and France Under-20s will be broadcast live on RTE Two.
IRELAND UNDER-20 Team & Replacements (v France Under-20s, 2018 Under-20 Six Nations Championship, Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, Friday, February 2, kick-off 9pm local time/8pm Irish time):
Player/Club/Province/Caps –
15. Michael Silvester (Dublin University/Leinster) 4
14. Peter Sullivan (Lansdowne/Leinster) *
13. David McCarthy (Garryowen/Munster) 4
12. Tommy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) (capt) 5
11. James McCarthy (UL Bohemians/Munster) *
10. Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster) *
9. Jonny Stewart (Queen’s University/Ulster) 10
1. Jordan Duggan (Naas/Leinster) 4
2. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster) 8
3. Jack Aungier (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) *
4. Cormac Daly (Clontarf/Leinster) *
5. Jack Dunne (Dublin University/Leinster) *
6. Matthew Dalton (Malone/Ulster) *
7. Aaron Hall (Ballynahinch/Ulster) *
8. Jack O’Sullivan (UCC/Munster) *
Replacements:
16. Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen/Munster) 1
17. James French (UCC/Munster) *
18. Tom O’Toole (Banbridge/Ulster) *
19. Ronan Coffey (Shannon/Munster) *
20. Sean Masterson (Corinthians/Connacht) 4
21. Hugh O’Sullivan (Clontarf/Leinster) *
22. Angus Curtis (Queen’s University/Ulster) 1
23. Angus Kernohan (Ballymena/Ulster) *
* Denotes uncapped player at Under-20 level
IRELAND UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS FIXTURES:
France Under-20s v Ireland Under-20s, Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive, Friday, February 2, 9pm/8pm Irish time – click here to buy match tickets
Ireland Under-20s v Italy Under-20s, Donnybrook, Friday, February 9, 7.15pm – click here to buy match tickets
Ireland Under-20s v Wales Under-20s, Donnybrook, Friday, February 23, 7.15pm – click here to buy match tickets
Ireland Under-20s v Scotland Under-20s, Donnybrook, Friday, March 9, 7.15pm – click here to buy match tickets
England Under-20s v Ireland Under-20s, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Friday, March 16, 8pm – click here to buy match tickets
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