Second Row Murray To Captain Ireland U-18 Clubs Team

Second Row Murray To Captain Ireland U-18 Clubs Team

Buccaneers lock Darragh Murray, who led the Connacht Under-18s to their historic Interprovincial title success in August, will captain the Ireland Under-18 Clubs team against the Italy U-18 Academy side in Treviso on Saturday (kick-off 4pm local time/3pm Irish time).
Buccaneers lock Darragh Murray, who led the Connacht Under-18s to their historic Interprovincial title success in August, will captain the Ireland Under-18 Clubs team against the Italy U-18 Academy side in Treviso on Saturday (kick-off 4pm local time/3pm Irish time). Fiach O'Loughlin, the former Shannon and Clontarf scrum half, has the coaching reins of the Ireland Under-18 Clubs squad this season, with the travelling party for Italy back-boned by 10 members of Connacht's Interpro title-winning squad. Returning for their second year at this level, Boyne's prodigious centre Karl Martin and captain Darragh Murray played in the Ireland U-18 Clubs team's 46-27 win away to Portugal twelve months ago. Martin went on to line out with the Ireland U-18 Schools side at the Six Nations Festival during Easter. Shane Jennings and Michael Cooke, who are also named in O'Loughlin's starting XV against Italy, were part of the Ireland U-18 Clubs & Schools squad last spring, along with Murray. The trio got game-time across four matches against Canada and England, and Jennings was an All-Ireland winner with the Galway minor hurlers in August. Saturday will be a particularly proud day for An Ghaeltacht Rugby Club with two of their young talents, Eoin de Buitléar and Ciaran Scanlon, featuring in the front row together. De Buitléar's Ireland U-18 debut comes just three weeks after his 20-year-old brother Colm made his senior bow for Connacht. The Connacht connection continues with Paul Boyle's young brother, Gorey flanker Mark, following in his footsteps by winning Ireland U-18 Clubs honours. Four players from the IQ Rugby programme are included, along with Munster scrum half Ethan Coughlan who played for Ennis in last April's IRFU Under-16 All-Ireland Cup final. The Ireland U-18 Clubs squad and management set up camp at the King's Hospital on Monday for a series of sessions before flying out to Italy this afternoon. Letterkenny and Ulster's Stephen Kelly withdrew with a calf injury and is replaced by Cathal Fleming (Monivea/Connacht) in the matchday 23. IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v Italy Academy Under-18s, Under-18 International Match, La Ghirada Centro Sportivo, Treviso, Italy, Saturday, November 4, kick-off 4pm local time/3pm Irish time): 15. Jamie Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster) 14. Josh O'Connor (Wexford Wanderers RFC/Leinster) 13. Shane Jennings (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht) 12. Karl Martin (Boyne RFC/Leinster) 11. Zach Kavanagh (SGS Filton College/IQ Rugby) 10. Michael Cooke (Newcastle Falcons RFC/Sedbergh School/IQ Rugby) 9. Aodha Hession (Creggs RFC/Connacht) 1. Monty Royston (Hartpury College/IQ Rugby) 2. Eoin de Buitléar (An Ghaeltacht/Corinthians RFC/Connacht) 3. Cian Scanlon (An Ghaeltacht/Corinthians RFC/Connacht) 4. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht) (capt) 5. Jay Traynor (Waterpark RFC/Munster) 6. Mark Boyle (Gorey RFC/Leinster) 7. Oisin McCormack (Ballinasloe RFC/Connacht) 8. Donnacha Byrne (Sligo RFC/Connacht) Replacements: 16. Dylan Murphy (Nenagh Ormond RFC/Munster) 17. Liam Bishop (Yorkshire Carnegie RFC/Trent College/IQ Rugby) 18. Darragh McCarthy (Cobh Pirates RFC/Munster) 19. Cathal Fleming (Monivea RFC/Connacht) 20. Hubert Costello (Corinthians RFC/Connacht) 21. Ethan Coughlan (Ennis RFC/Munster) 22. Cathal Forde (Corinthians RFC/Connacht) 23. Conor O'Shaughnessy (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)