Ireland U-18 Clubs And Schools Side Get Set For Canada Clashes
The Ireland Under-18 Clubs and Schools team, sponsored by PwC, has been selected for their first of two matches against the Canada Under-19s at Templeville Road on Saturday (kick-off 12pm).
Head coach Mark Butler, who is assisted by Colm Tucker and Adrian Flavin, has selected Paddy McAlpine, who is fresh from winning the Ulster Schools Senior Cup with Campbell College, Bruff loosehead Fionn Flanagan and Wicklow hooker Mark Nicholson as the starting front row.
Newbridge College’s Cian Prendergast captains the Ireland team from the second row where he is partnered by Eoin O’Connor from Waterpark. O’Connor’s Munster team-mate Evan Murphy, who captained the province to an Under-18 Clubs Interprovincial title earlier in the season, is joined by Exiles pair Chris Moore and Joshua Dunne in the back row.
Sedbergh School’s Michael Cooke and Charlie O’Doherty, who has come up through the minis and youth ranks at Newcastle West RFC, will lead the Irish back-line from half-back, with another Exiles-Munster pairing at centre where Hayden Hyde from the Harlequins Academy combines with Tommy Downes, who played for CBC Cork in last Sunday’s Munster Schools Senior Cup final defeat to Glenstal Abbey.
Bath Academy’s Oran McNulty, who was a try scorer for the Ireland U-18 Clubs team against Portugal in November, returns for a second year at this age-grade. He starts at full-back with Jack Hunt from Rockwell College and Wasps talent Tom Bacon filling the wing berths.
There is a strong Connacht representation on the replacements bench with four players from the west included – the Buccaneers trio of Liam Winnett, Darragh Murray and Saul O’Carroll as well as O’Carroll’s Garbally College team-mate Shane Jennings. Full-back Jennings was a try scorer in Garbally’s Connacht Schools Senior Cup final victory over Coláiste Iognáid on Tuesday.
Saturday afternoon’s fixture is the first of two matches between the Ireland and Canada sides, with the second encounter set for next Wednesday at Donnybrook.
With the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final between Blackrock College and Belvedere College taking place today due to last weekend’s postponement, players involved in that game who have been selected will join up with the Ireland U-18 squads next week.
IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS Team & Replacements (v Canada Under-19s, Underage International Match, St. Mary’s College RFC, Templeville Road, Saturday, March 24, kick-off 12pm):
15. Oran McNulty (Bath Academy/Millfield/IQ Rugby)
14. Jack Hunt (Rockwell College)
13. Hayden Hyde (Harlequins Academy/Cranleigh School/IQ Rugby)
12. Tommy Downes (CBC Cork)
11. Tom Bacon (Wasps/Henley College/IQ Rugby)
10. Michael Cooke (Sedbergh School/IQ Rugby)
9. Charlie O’Doherty (Newcastle West/Scoil Mhuire agus Ide)
1. Fionn Flanagan (Bruff)
2. Mark Nicholson (Wicklow/Colaiste Chill Mhantain)
3. Paddy McAlpine (Campbell College)
4. Eoin O’Connor (Waterpark/Gaelcholaiste Phortlairge)
5. Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College) (capt)
6. Chris Moore (Beechen Cliff School/IQ Rugby)
7. Evan Murphy (Nenagh Ormond/Nenagh CBS)
8. Joshua Dunne (Nottingham Academy/Denstone College/IQ Rugby)
Replacements:
16. Aaron Hennessy (Ennis/The Alfa Project, Scarriff)
17. Mark Donnelly (CBC Cork)
18. Liam Winnett (Buccaneers/Marist College)
19. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Coláiste Chíaráin)
20. Ciaran Booth (Sale Sharks/St. Ambrose College/IQ Rugby)
21. Shane Murphy (Skerries/St. Joseph’s Rush)
22. Saul O’Carroll (Buccaneers/Garbally College)
23. Shane Jennings (Ballinasloe/Garbally College)
IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS FIXTURES:
IRELAND U-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS v CANADA U-19s
Saturday, March 24, 12pm, Templeville Road
IRELAND U-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS v CANADA U-19s
Wednesday, March 28, 12pm, Donnybrook
ENGLAND U-18 COUNTIES v IRELAND U-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS
Wednesday, April 4, 2pm, HMS Temeraire, Portsmouth
ENGLAND U-18 COUNTIES v IRELAND U-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS
Saturday, April 7, 12pm, HMS Temeraire, Portsmouth