PwC Under-19 Men’s Interpros – Round 2 Previews

Leinster and Munster sit on five points each at the top of the PwC Under-19 Men’s Interprovincial Championship, ahead of this weekend’s second round matches in Belfast and Donnybrook.

PwC Under-19 Men’s Interpros: Player Rankings – Top Tens After Round 1

Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	Diff	TF	TA	TB	LB	Points
LEINSTER	1	1	0	0	33	8	+25	5	1	1	0	5
MUNSTER	1	1	0	0	34	12	+22	4	2	1	0	5
CONNACHT	1	0	0	1	12	34	-22	2	4	0	0	0
ULSTER	1	0	0	1	8	33	-25	1	5	0	0	0

PWC UNDER-19 MEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 2:

Saturday, August 23 –

ULSTER UNDER-19s (4th) v MUNSTER UNDER-19s (2nd), Newforge, 5pm

For their second successive home outing, Ulster Under-19 Men’s head coach Ricky Andrew has made four personnel changes to the team that fell to a 33-8 defeat at the hands of Leinster.

Joining Matthew Callaghan, the province’s lone try scorer last Sunday, in the back-three are Belfast Royal Academy’s James Murray, and Campbell College livewire Russell Lovo, who had one line break, three tackle breaks, and a turnover as a replacement against Leinster.

With Nathan Noble sidelined, the versatile Charlie Hargy shifts to the hooker position, while Ulster ‘A’ cap Owen O’Kane, who leads the team from out-half, continues his half-back partnership with IQ Rugby’s Fergus Callington.

Noah Bell’s move into the back row sees Ranaan Potter join Paddy Woods in an all-Campbell College second row pairing. Bell and Woods claimed four lineouts each last weekend.

Malone’s Dylan Fox is the final change for Andrew’s side, occupying the openside flanker berth. Sam Clarke, who had 16 attacking ruck arrivals in the first game, switches across from the blindside to pack down at the base of the scrum.

Meanwhile, Munster U-19 boss Aiden McNulty has stuck with the winning formula from the opening weekend, apart from the injured Robert O’Donnell, one of their try scorers against Connacht, making way for Michael Kennedy at outside centre.

Bandon Grammar School’s Kennedy will pair up in midfield with Rory Forde, the competition’s leading points scorer with 19 points. Tipperary natives Aaron Moloney and Kedagh Borderick are co-captains, featuring at scrum half and blindside flanker respectively.

In an unchanged pack, David Mac Coitir led the way with seven lineout takes, the highest across all four provinces. Number 8 Charlie Bramley was Munster’s top ball carrier with eight carries, while locks Mac Coitir and Tom Shanahan had two dominant tackles each.

The only alteration on the Reds’ replacements bench is James Brugger, the Kinsale scrum half. He played twice for the Ireland Under-18 Clubs team against Italy last autumn, starting the second match of the tour in Paese.

ULSTER U-19: James Murray (Belfast Royal Academy); Russell Lovo (Campbell College), Max Readman (Sullivan Upper School), Callum Largey (Methodist College Belfast), Matthew Callaghan (Regent House School); Owen O’Kane (Rainey Endowed School) (capt), Fergus Callington (IQ Rugby); Matthew Wright (Ballymena Academy), Charlie Hargy (Ballymena Academy), Angus Graham (Dalriada School), Ranaan Potter (Campbell College), Paddy Woods (Campbell College), Noah Bell (Banbridge Academy), Dylan Fox (Malone RFC), Sam Clarke (Enniskillen Royal Grammar School).

Replacements: Michael McCavery (Wallace High School), Luke Caskey (Rainey Endowed School), Don Farrell (Banbridge Academy), Harry Lamont (Ballymena Academy), Ryan McDowell (Larne Grammar School), Luke Gibson (RBAI), Reuben Allen (Ballymena Academy), Andrew Jackson (Banbridge Academy).

MUNSTER U-19: Keelan Dunne (Cistercian College Roscrea); Bobby O’Callaghan (PBC Cork), Michael Kennedy (Bandon Grammar School), Rory Forde (Kinsale RFC), Gerry Joyce (Crescent College Comprehensive); Daniel Coughlan (Bandon RFC), Aaron Moloney (Cistercian College Roscrea) (co-capt); Richie Whelan (Dungarvan RFC), Zach Piper (Bandon Grammar School), David Geoghegan (St. Munchin’s College), David Mac Coitir (CBC Cork), Tom Shanahan (Crescent College Comprehensive), Kedagh Broderick (Nenagh Ormond RFC) (co-capt), Cillian McNamara (Castletroy College), Charlie Bramley (Kilkenny College).

Replacements: Oscar Doody (Cistercian College Roscrea), Tomás Crotty (Dungarvan RFC), Solomon Delea (Cobh Pirates RFC), Jack O’Callaghan (CBC Cork), Evan Welham (Cobh Pirates RFC), Frankie Óg Sheahan (PBC Cork), James Brugger (Kinsale RFC), Sean Roche (Glenstal Abbey School).

Sunday, August 24 –

LEINSTER UNDER-19s (1st) v CONNACHT UNDER-19s (3rd), Energia Park, 3pm

Leinster have a couple of enforced changes with captain Cory O’Connor and Marcus McCarthy both missing out through injury. Matthew Brennan moves across to start at out-half, with Blackrock College’s Harry O’Neill coming in at hooker.

Portlaoise’s Cian Butler is another notable inclusion in the second row, fresh from his involvement with the Ireland Under-18 Schools squad. He played in their last two games of this month’s U-18 Men’s International Series, against South Africa and Georgia.

Conor Canniffe of St. Michael’s College also gets the nod at loosehead prop, and with O’Connor unavailable for selection, head coach Adam Griggs has handed the captaincy reins to Castleknock College flanker Ben O’Toole.

Presentation College Bray’s Sean McDonald is back to full fitness to start at scrum half, alongside Brennan whose positional switch from centre sees Alvaro Swords from Terenure College pairing up with Daniel Norval in midfield.

It will be a big day for the Mulligan family as Zach has been picked to start on the left wing, and his twin brother Josh is set to make his debut as one of the replacement forwards. Conor Cantwell from St. Mary’s College is the other newcomer waiting in the wings.

Meanwhile, the Connacht Under-19s have also been boosted by returning Ireland U-18 Schools lock Leo Anic. His tour to South Africa was hampered by injury, but he did get 43 minutes under his belt during Ireland’s draw with Georgia last Saturday.

With Philip Finnan and Luke Keaveny picking up injuries during the 34-12 loss to Munster, Oisin Berthoz will start on the left wing following his try-scoring cameo performance, and Galwegians’ Matthew McNamara fills the openside berth.

In further changes for the westerners, Dara Noone comes in for Ryan Duffy at tighthead prop, Anic links up with Dara Walsh in the engine room, and Pasha Thiam, the fifth starter from Galway Corinthians, reverts to the back row.

Castlebar’s Dylan Rice, another of Connacht’s Ireland U-18 Clubs players from last season, is also bumped up from the bench to feature at number 8. Galway Bay RFC’s Conor Dalton is one of the new replacements, along with Eoin O’Doherty and Ferdia Ó Braonáin.

LEINSTER U-19: James Curry (Wicklow RFC); Ryan Ovenden (Greystones RFC), Alvaro Swords (Terenure College), Daniel Norval (Wexford Wanderers RFC), Zach Mulligan (Gonzaga College); Matthew Brennan (Castleknock College), Sean McDonald (Presentation College Bray); Conor Canniffe (St. Michael’s College), Harry O’Neill (Blackrock College), Henry Maher (Cistercian College Roscrea), Michael Bolger (Suttonians RFC), Cian Butler (Portlaoise RFC), Shane McGuigan (Longford RFC), Ben O’Toole (Castleknock College) (capt), Arthur Ashmore (Clongowes Wood College).

Replacements: Jack McGovern (St. Gerard’s School), Louis Magee (Blackrock College), Lorcan Golden (Blackrock College), Max Egan (St. Mary’s College), Josh Mulligan (Gonzaga College), Alex Crawley (St. Mary’s College), Conor Cantwell (St. Mary’s College), Ethan Balamash (Terenure College).

CONNACHT U-19: Josh Kelly (St. Mary’s College); Peter Moran (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Mohill Community College), Oisin O’Donoghue (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College), Daniel Browne (Galway Corinthians RFC/St. Joseph’s Patrician College), Oisin Berthoz (Galway Corinthians RFC/St. Joseph’s Patrician College); Oisin Kelly (Suttonians RFC/St. Fintan’s High School), Tom Walsh (Buccaneers RFC/Clongowes Wood College) (capt); Cathal Moffatt (Sligo Rugby/Sligo Grammar School), Seán Glennon (Buccaneers RFC/Garbally College), Dara Noone (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Bhaile Chláir), Dara Walsh (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Éinde), Leo Anic (Creggs RFC/CBS Roscommon), Pasha Thiam (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Éinde), Matthew McNamara (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Éinde), Dylan Rice (Castlebar RFC/St. Gerald’s College).

Replacements: Eoin O’Doherty (Wexford Wanderers RFC/Good Counsel College), Oisin Meehan (Galway Corinthians RFC/Presentation College Athenry), Ryan Duffy (Buccaneers RFC), Simon Cantwell (Suttonians RFC/St. Fintan’s High School), Conor Dalton (Galway Bay RFC/Coláiste Éinde), Fiachra O’Neill (Connemara RFC/Clifden Community School), Billy Cross (Naas RFC/Newbride College), Ferdia Ó Braonáin (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Chroí Mhuire).

PWC UNDER-19 MEN’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS/FIXTURES –

Saturday, August 16 –

Connacht 12 Munster 34, Creggs RFC

Sunday, August 17 –

Ulster 8 Leinster 33, Affidea Stadium

Saturday, August 23 –

Ulster v Munster, Newforge, 5pm

Sunday, August 24 –

Leinster v Connacht, Energia Park, 3pm

Saturday, August 30 –

Connacht v Ulster, Creggs RFC, 1pm

Sunday, August 31 –

Munster v Leinster, Virgin Media Park, 5pm