IRFU Junior Men’s Interpros: Round 2 Preview

2024/25 IRFU JUNIOR MEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2:

Saturday, May 3 –

CONNACHT (4th) v ULSTER (2nd), Castlebar RFC, 2.30pm

Castlebar’s own Sean Tonra slots in at hooker as Connacht, eager to bounce back from a 32-8 defeat at home to Munster, make two personnel changes and two positional switches for the visit of title holders Ulster.

Experienced campaigner Tonra will have plenty of local support as he packs down between Sean O’Connell and Ian Staunton. Monivea’s Dean O’Reilly is also promoted from the replacements bench to start on the right wing.

Connacht head coach Kolo Kiripati has tweaked the back-line with Mark Purcell from provincial league winners Creggs moving to full-back. He swaps places with Tuam’s Conor O’Shaughnessy who joins vice-captain Eoghan Coyle in the centre.

Meanwhile, Damien Campbell brings in backs Sam Balfour (Enniskillen) and Drew Fleck (Portadown) for their first Ulster Junior appearances. Dromore hooker Harry Long and Bangor’s Conor Lusty are poised for their debuts off the bench.

In all, there are five changes to the Ulster side that claimed a thrilling 49-41 bonus point victory over Leinster in Gorey. Campbell’s charges started their title defence in free-scoring form, with the impressive Eddie Keys supplementing their six tries with 19 points from the tee.

Keys’ Enniskillen team-mates, Neil Rutledge and Michael Rooney, are added to the tight five, along with Cooke hooker Tom-Arthur Donnan, who played recently for Queen’s University against Shannon in Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1B.

CONNACHT: Mark Purcell (Creggs); Dean O’Reilly (Monivea), Conor O’Shaughnessy (Tuam), Eoghan Coyle (Creggs), Ethan Griffiths (Connemara); Shane Purcell (Creggs), Mark Dowd (Creggs); Sean O’Connell (Ballina), Sean Tonra (Castlebar), Ian Staunton (Connemara), Liam McNamee (Carrick-on-Shannon), Marty Cummins (Dunmore) (capt), James Brandon (Creggs), Tommy Mullen (Connemara), Brian Diffley (Creggs).

Replacements: Kolo Kiripati Jr (Creggs), Tom Farrell (Creggs), Alex Burke (Galway Corinthians), Sean Connolly (Castlebar), Michael Jordan (Ballyhaunis), Jacob Fleming (Sligo), Conor Burns (Dunmore), Liam Jones (Ballina).

ULSTER: Michael Orr (Portadown); Jonny Hunter (Dromore), Robbie Johnston (Ards), Dean Dillon (Dromore), Sam Balfour (Enniskillen); Eddie Keys (Enniskillen), Drew Fleck (Portadown); Neil Rutledge (Enniskillen), Tom-Arthur Donnan (Cooke), Matthew Millar (Dromore), James Wright (Portadown), Michael Rooney (Enniskillen), Henry Keys (Enniskillen), Curtis Pollock (Ballymoney) (capt), Gary Dillon (Dromore).

Replacements: Harry Long (Dromore), James Leary (Bangor), Orran McIlmurray (Lurgan), David Brown (Ballymoney), Jack Rutledge (Enniskillen), Angus Keys (Enniskillen), Conor Lusty (Bangor), Adam Keating (Dromore).

MUNSTER (1st) v LEINSTER (3rd), Waterpark RFC, 2.30pm

Munster head coach Eoin O’Connor has backed the winning formula from last Saturday, Championship opener, with the province set to field an unchanged matchday 23. Proud hosts Waterpark RFC have their own Ben Daly starting at full-back.

The Munster Juniors, who scored two tries in each half against Connacht last week, came from 10 points down to draw 20-all with Leinster in Kilkenny last year. Cobh Pirates flanker Ben Kennedy scored a crucial late try, which Shane Airey converted.

Munster’s most recent win in this match-up was in May 2022 when they triumphed 39-29 over Leinster to be crowned champions. Airey and Kilfeacle & District pair Ricky Whitney and Kevin Kinane, an inspirational figure as captain, have fond memories of that title-clinching result.

Meanwhile, Leinster are boosted by the inclusion of Craig Miller at out-half. He played a key role last week as Athy won their first Provincial Towns Cup in 41 years. Wes Shirley and Dan Crotty from Co. Carlow, the beaten Towns Cup finalists, also come into the squad.

Enda Finn’s men showed they have plenty of attacking firepower against Ulster, going down by eight points in a high-octane 12-try shootout. Four of their five try scorers from the first round are included again, led by skipper Eoghan Duffy from full-back.

There are eight personnel changes, with starts in the back-line for Miller, Craig Cantwell and Stephen Hendy, and a much-changed pack is led by vice-captain Tiernan Gonnelly (Dundalk) from number 8.

Balbriggan hooker Graham Reynolds and Boyne’s Hugh Carolan come into the front row, backed up by Seapoint clubman Eoin Mahon, a Leinster Junior debutant. A rejigged back row has Dylan Lynch at blindside flanker, and Cill Dara’s Conor Smyth at openside.

MUNSTER: Ben Daly (Waterpark); Brian P O’Sullivan (Kanturk), Brian J O’Sullivan (Kanturk), Laszlo Rabatin (Old Christians), Frank Horgan (Muskerry); Shane Airey (Newcastle West), Aaron Rice (Newcastle West); Nigel Clancy (Richmond), Tadgh McCarthy (Bantry Bay), Dave Jennings (Clonakilty), Ruairi O’Donnell (St. Mary’s), Jack Lonergan (Old Christians), Sonny Dwyer (Thurles), Ben Kennedy (Cobh Pirates), Kevin Kinane (Kilfeacle & District) (capt).

Replacements: Ricky Whitney (Kilfeacle & District), Rob Loftus (Sunday’s Well), Cian Walsh (Old Christians), Josh Brady (Bandon), John Willis (Mallow), Zac Allen (Bandon), Adam Guerin (St. Mary’s), Sam Glynn (Mallow).

LEINSTER: Eoghan Duffy (Boyne) (capt); Robbie Vallejo (Boyne), Craig Cantwell (Bective Rangers), Mikey Russell (Clondalkin), Oisin McKenna (Seapoint); Craig Miller (Athy), Stephen Hendy (Gorey); Scott Caldbeck (Tullow), Graham Reynolds (Balbriggan), Hugh Carolan (Boyne), Wes Shirley (Co. Carlow), Jake Caldbeck (Kilkenny), Dylan Lynch (Boyne), Conor Smyth (Cill Dara), Tiernan Gonnelly (Dundalk).

Replacements: Eoin Mahon (Seapoint), Dewald Barnard (Wicklow), Josh Evans (Kilkenny), Garry Dunne (Kilkenny), Gavin Kelly (Bective Rangers), Dan Crotty (Co. Carlow), Matt McKenna (Seapoint), Cormac Hurley (Seapoint).

TOP SCORERS AFTER ROUND 1:

POINTS –

19 – Eddie Keys (Ulster)

10 – Eoghan Duffy (Leinster), Henry Keys (Ulster)

8 – Michael Briscoe (Leinster), Shane Airey (Munster)

5 – Angus Christie (Ulster), Ben Daly (Munster), Brian J O’Sullivan (Munster), Brian P O’Sullivan (Munster), Davy Graham (Ulster), Graham Reynolds (Leinster), Isaac Porter (Leinster), Jake Caldbeck (Leinster), Kevin Kinane (Munster), Kolo Kiripati Jr (Connacht), Michael Orr (Ulster), Oisin McKenna (Leinster), Robbie Johnston (Ulster)

4 – Adam Guerin (Munster)

3 – Hugh Duignan (Leinster), Shane Purcell (Connacht)

TRIES –

2 – Eoghan Duffy (Leinster), Henry Keys (Ulster)

1 – Angus Christie (Ulster), Ben Daly (Munster), Brian J O’Sullivan (Munster), Brian P O’Sullivan (Munster), Davy Graham (Ulster), Graham Reynolds (Leinster), Isaac Porter (Leinster), Jake Caldbeck (Leinster), Kevin Kinane (Munster), Kolo Kiripati Jr (Connacht), Michael Orr (Ulster), Oisin McKenna (Leinster), Robbie Johnston (Ulster)