Ireland U-18 Schools Side Selected For Warm-Up Match Against Wales
All four provinces are represented in the Ireland Under-18 Schools team (sponsored by PwC) to play Wales at Clontarf Rugby Club on Sunday (kick-off 1pm), as they continue their preparations for the U-18 Men’s Six Nations Festival.
The upcoming Easter tournament in Vichy will see Michael Hodge’s young Ireland side face England on Friday, April 3, then Spain the following Tuesday, before wrapping up their tour with a clash with hosts France on Saturday, April 11.
For tomorrow’s uncapped fixture against their Welsh counterparts, players from Leinster’s PwC U-18 Schools Interprovincial title-winning squad dominate the back-line, including half-backs Michael Kenny and Johnny Woods, and Kilkenny College’s Finn Brennan at full-back.
Ardscoil Rís Limerick’s Ryan McCormack, who captained Munster this season, features at inside centre, while Herbie Boyle, younger brother of Leinster and Ireland prop Jack, will combine in the front row with Harry Heagney and Alex Stinson, an Ulster Schools Senior Cup finalist with Royal School Armagh last year.
Coláiste Éinde lock Dara Walsh, whose brother Seán now has three Connacht senior caps, has been chosen as captain. He played alongside Heagney for the Ireland U-18 Clubs team against Italy last October. Castletroy College’s Xavi Scanlan will pack down at number 8.
As these talented youngsters continue their development within the national pathway, newly-crowned Munster Schools Senior Cup champions PBC Cork, who won Wednesday’s final against St. Munchin’s, provide four players to the bench – captain Rian MacFarlane O’Shea, Tom Murray, Alex Moloney, and Daniel Murphy.
The Ireland U-18 Schools squad’s campaigns have been extended in recent seasons to include the U-18 Six Nations Festival – a crucial development platform providing invaluable experience in a high-performance environment – and more opportunities against elite opposition in the form of August’s U-18 International Series in South Africa.
From the IRFU’s U-18 national programme last year, Lee Fitzpatrick, Alex Lautsou, and Harry Waters were selected for the recent Ireland U-20 Six Nations squad, while their Triple Crown-winning captain Sami Bishti – and 16 others – came through the U-18 Schools pathway in 2024.
IRELAND UNDER-18 SCHOOLS Team & Replacements (v Wales Under-18s, Uncapped Under-18 Men’s International Match, Castle Avenue, Clontarf FC, Sunday, March 22, kick-off 1pm):
15. Finn Brennan (Kilkenny College/Leinster Rugby)
14. Matthew McCarthy (St. Michael’s College/Leinster Rugby)
13. Niall Fallon (Terenure College/Leinster Rugby)
12. Ryan McCormack (Ardscoil Rís Limerick/Munster Rugby)
11. Luke Kelly (Newbridge College/Leinster Rugby)
10. Michael Kenny (Newbridge College/Leinster Rugby)
9. Johnny Woods (Wesley College/Leinster Rugby)
1. Herbie Boyle (St. Michael’s College/Leinster Rugby)
2. Harry Heagney (Glenstal Abbey School/Clontarf FC/Munster Rugby)
3. Alex Stinson (Royal School Armagh/Ulster Rugby)
4. Dara Walsh (Coláiste Éinde/Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht Rugby) (capt)
5. Alex Ryan (Cistercian College Roscrea/Munster Rugby)
6. Thibault Campbell (Wesley College/Leinster Rugby)
7. Michael Smyth (Terenure College/Leinster Rugby)
8. Xabi Scanlan (Castletroy College/Munster Rugby)
Replacements:
IRELAND U-18 SCHOOLS MANAGEMENT TEAM –
Michael Hodge – Head Coach
Brendan O’Connor – Assistant Coach
Morgan Codyre – Assistant Coach
Brett Wilkinson – Assistant Coach
Stephen O’Hara – Team Manager
Prof. John Ryan – Team Doctor
David Lyons – Team Physio
Mark Synott – Athletic Development Coach
Alan Doonan – Team Analyst
Niall Brady – Performance Nutritionist
Gordon Crowley – Team Logistics