Ireland XV Team Named To Face England ‘A’ At Thomond Park

Head Coach Cullie Tucker has named the Ireland XV Match Day Squad, sponsored by Vodafone, for Friday night’s clash against England ‘A’ at Thomond Park (Kick-off 7.15pm, live on Premier Sports).

Leinster’s Max Deegan will captain the side as one of six senior capped Test internationals in the starting team.

Shane Daly, James Hume and Ciaran Frawley all add international experience to the backline, while Deegan, Gus McCarthy and Fineen Wycherley are named in the pack by Tucker.

Friday’s meeting with England ‘A’ is another valuable opportunity for players of national interest to stake their claim in a green jersey, with a number of players rewarded for their impressive Provincial form in recent weeks.

Daly, Zac Ward and Joshua Kenny start in Ireland XV’s back three, with Hume joined by Dan Kelly in midfield. There is an all Leinster half-back pairing as Fintan Gunne starts at scrum-half alongside Frawley at out-half.

In the pack, Billy Bohan, McCarthy and Scott Wilson are in the front row, while Charlie Irvine and Wycherley start in the engine room.

Deegan leads the side from blindside flanker and is joined in the back row by Bryn Ward at openside and Brian Gleeson at number eight.

On the bench, Diarmuid Barron, Sam Crean, Jack Aungier, Harry Sheridan, Paul Boyle and Sean Jansen provide the forward replacements, while backs Matthew Devine and Cathal Forde complete the Match Day Squad.

Friday’s match is live on Premier Sports in Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom, and available on IrishRugby+ for supporters in Europe, Australia and South Africa among other territories. A full list is available here.

General Sale tickets are available now on Ticketmaster.ie here.

Ireland XV:

15. Shane Daly (Cork Constitution/Munster)(2)
14. Joshua Kenny (Terenure/Leinster)
13. James Hume (Banbridge/Ulster)(3)
12. Dan Kelly (Munster)
11. Zac Ward (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
10. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(9)
9. Fintan Gunne (Terenure/Leinster)

1. Billy Bohan (Corinthians/Connacht)
2. Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(7)
3. Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster)
4. Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University/Ulster)
5. Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)(1)
6. Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(4)(captain)
7. Bryn Ward (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
8. Brian Gleeson (Garryowen/Munster)

Replacements:

16. Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen/Munster)
17. Sam Crean (Ulster)
18. Jack Aungier (Clontarf/Connacht)(1)
19. Harry Sheridan (Dublin University/Ulster)
20. Paul Boyle (Buccaneers/Connacht)(1)
21. Matthew Devine (Corinthians/Connacht)
22. Cathal Forde (Corinthians/Connacht)
23. Sean Jansen (Connacht).