Ireland Under-19 Team Announced For Australia Game
The Ireland Under-19 team, sponsored by PwC, to play Australia Schools & Under-18s at Energia Park on Saturday (kick-off pm) has been named.
The Ireland Under-19 team, sponsored by PwC, to play Australia Schools & Under-18s at Energia Park on Saturday (kick-off 2pm) has been named.
For their first international of the season the Ireland Under-19s will be captained by hooker John McKee, who led Campbell College to Ulster Schools Cup glory earlier this year and is now playing with Old Belvedere as a member of the Leinster sub-Academy.
McKee is joined in the front row by Harry Noonan and Charlie Ward, with Conor McMenamin, the reigning Ulster Youth Player of the Year, and Paddy Kelly, who gained Celtic Cup experience with Munster ‘A’ earlier this season, packing down together in the second row.
Cian Prendergast, Ciaran Booth, who has come through the IQ Rugby Programme, and David McCann, who has put in some impressive recent performances with Banbridge in All-Ireland League Division 1B, combine in the back row.
There is an all-Munster pairing at half-back where Crescent College Comprehensive’s Jack Delaney team up with fellow Limerick man Charlie O’Doherty, who also has ‘A’ team experience as does flying winger Aaron Sexton, who made his Ulster senior debut in pre-season and scored seven tries in the Celtic Cup.
Hayden Hyde, who lined out for IQ Rugby at the IRFU Under-18 Interprovincial Festival in August, and Tommy Downes link up in the centre with Sexton joined by Andrew Smith of St. Michael’s College and Connacht Academy member Oran McNulty in an exciting back-three.
The Ireland Under-19s are coached by former Ireland international Tom Tierney with Mark Butler and Colm Tucker as assistant coaches. Tucker guided the Connacht Under-18s to a memorable title win at the IRFU U-18 Interprovincial Festival.
IRELAND UNDER-19 Team & Replacements (v Australia Schools & Under-18s, Underage International Match, Energia Park, Donnybrook, Saturday, December 8, kick-off 2pm):
15. Oran McNulty (Galwegians/Connacht)
14. Andrew Smith (St. Michael’s College/Leinster)
13. Hayden Hyde (Cranleigh School/Harlequins/IQ Rugby)
12. Tommy Downes (Galwegians/Munster)
11. Aaron Sexton (Bangor Grammar School/Ulster)
10. Jack Delaney (Crescent College Comprehensive/Munster)
9. Charlie O’Doherty (Newcastle West/Munster)
1. Harry Noonan (Old Wesley/Leinster)
2. John McKee (Old Belvedere/Leinster) (capt)
3. Charlie Ward (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Conor McMenamin (City of Derry/Ulster)
5. Paddy Kelly (Young Munster/Munster)
6. Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College/Leinster)
7. Ciaran Booth (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby)
8. David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster)
Replacements:
16. Scott Buckley (CBC Cork/Munster)
17. Aaron Hennessy (UL Bohemians/Munster)
18. Liam Winnett (Buccaneers/Connacht)
19. Brian Deeny (Clontarf/Leinster)
20. Sean O’Brien (Blackrock College/Leinster)
21. Lewis Finlay (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
22. Dylan Prendergast (Ballina/Connacht)
23. Louis Bruce (PBC Cork/Munster)