Ireland U-20 Men’s Team Selected For World Championship Opener
Connacht Academy back rower Éanna McCarthy was ever-present as Ireland's captain during this year's Under-20 Men's Six Nations ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Head coach Neil Doak has announced the Ireland Under-20 Men’s team (sponsored by PwC) for Sunday’s opening Pool C match against Georgia at the 2025 World Rugby U-20 Championship in Italy.
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The action in Calvisano gets underway at 6pm local time/5pm Irish time, and there will be live coverage on RugbyPass TV. Tickets can be purchased here, and cover all three games at a venue on a match day.
Connacht’s Éanna McCarthy captains the Ireland U-20s after leading them through the recent U-20 Six Nations, but switches to openside flanker with the fit-again Luke Murphy making his return at number 8.
Limerick native Murphy, who missed this year’s U-20 Six Nations campaign as he recovered from a shoulder operation, played nine times for the Ireland U-20s last season.
He is one of four players in this weekend’s matchday squad with World U-20 Championship experience from 2024. The others are Alex Mullan, Billy Corrigan, and Mikey Yarr, while Henry Walker and Alex Usanov were sidelined for last summer’s tournament due to injury.
Charlie Molony starts at full-back, as he did against England in January’s U-20 Six Nations opener, while the wing spots are filled by debutant Paidi Farrell, who has impressed with nine tries in 13 games for Old Wesley, and Derry Moloney.
The centre pairing of Ciarán Mangan and Eoghan Smyth (pictured above) is retained from Ireland’s last competitive outing against Italy, and Garryowen youngster Tom Wood makes his third successive start at half-back, alongside Ulster Academy scrum half Clark Logan.
Hooker Walker, who has scored four tries in nine U-20 appearances, will pack down with Billy Bohan and Mullan in the front row. Directly behind them will be Corrigan, who led the way with 33 lineout takes during this year’s U-20 Six Nations, and Mahon Ronan.
Both ever-present across Ireland’s first five matches of the year, skipper McCarthy and Michael Foy feature again in the back row, but are joined for the first time in competitive action by Murphy, who was part of the squad that finished fourth in South Africa last July.
Emerging Ireland prop Usanov, Tom McAllister, Conor Kennelly, and Connacht Academy newcomers Yarr and Bobby Power are the forwards available to Doak and his coaching team on the bench.
Backs Will Wootton, Sam Wisniewski, and Daniel Green complete the squad for Sunday’s encounter. A last-gasp Finn Treacy try saw Ireland beat Georgia 22-16 during the pool stages in 2024, with Murphy, Yarr, and Mullan all involved.
IRELAND UNDER-20 MEN’S TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v Georgia Under-20s, 2025 World Rugby U-20 Championship Pool C, Stadio San Michele, Calvisano, Sunday, June 29, kick-off 6pm local time/5pm Irish time):
15. Charlie Molony (UCD RFC/Leinster)
14. Paidi Farrell (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
13. Ciarán Mangan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
12. Eoghan Smyth (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
11. Derry Moloney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
10. Tom Wood (Garryowen FC/Munster)
9. Clark Logan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
1. Billy Bohan (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
2. Henry Walker (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
3. Alex Mullan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
4. Mahon Ronan (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
5. Billy Corrigan (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
6. Michael Foy (UCC RFC/Munster)
7. Éanna McCarthy (Galwegians RFC/Connacht) (capt)
8. Luke Murphy (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
Replacements:
16. Mikey Yarr (UCD RFC/Leinster)
17. Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
18. Tom McAllister (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
19. Conor Kennelly (Highfield RFC/Munster)
20. Bobby Power (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
21. Will Wootton (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby)
22. Sam Wisniewski (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster)
23. Daniel Green (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)