The Dalriada Cup is up for grabs tonight as the cream of Ulster Bank League talent gets the opportunity to don the green jersey, representing the Ireland Club XV against Scotland Clubs under the Dubarry Park floodlights. The return match takes place at Netherdale on Friday, March 16.
ULSTER BANK CLUB INTERNATIONAL MATCH: Friday, February 23
IRELAND CLUB XV v SCOTLAND CLUBS, Dubarry Park, Buccaneers RFC, 7.30pm
Team News: Head coach Morgan Lennon and assistant coach Johne Murphy have named an exciting Ireland Club team (sponsored by Ulster Bank), with players drawn from 12 Ulster Bank League clubs.
The home side will be captained by Garryowen scrum half Neil Cronin, who returns for his fifth Club International campaign. He is one of the top points scorers in this season’s Ulster Bank League, with 135 points to his name.
Cronin will look to marshal a pack that sees Old Wesley’s Cronan Gleeson line up in the front row alongside former Canada Under-20 hooker Paddy Finlay and Colm Skehan, who picked up the Ulster Bank League Munster Club Player of the Year last season.
Terenure College provide the second row pairing, with Michael Melia and former Ireland Under-20 lock Alex Thompson packing down in the engine room. In the back row, Lansdowne’s Jack Dwan and Clontarf’s Michael Noone have both represented Ireland at Under-20 level, while Joe McSwiney has the distinction of winning league titles with both Lansdowne and Cork Constitution in recent seasons.
In the back-line, Cronin’s Garryowen team-mate Jamie Gavin will wear the number 10 jersey, and Clontarf’s Matt D’Arcy begins his fourth stint with the Club side, teaming up in midfield with Cork Constitution’s Niall Kenneally, who last season captained his club to success in the Ulster Bank League, the Bateman Cup and the Munster Senior Cup.
In the back-three, Lansdowne wingers Daniel McEvoy and Harry Brennan have combined for nine tries in the league this season, with McEvoy picking up the inaugural #UBLTry Of the Month award back in September. Terenure’s Jack Swaine lines out at full-back to complete the starting line-up.
Amongst the replacements, Ed Rossiter and Ciaran Ruddock are both captains of their respective clubs (Old Belvedere and St. Mary’s) this season, while well-travelled prop Michael Cromie, who has had stints playing with Rotherham Titans and Rodez, is one of the driving forces behind Banbridge’s promotion bid.
Strong-carrying back rower Paulie Tolofua is a former Naas Player of the Year winner and Division 2A Player of the Year nominee, and Trinity scrum half Angus Lloyd played for both Ulster and Munster last season, including an appearance off the bench for the latter against Toulouse in last April’s Champions Cup quarter-final win.
Corkman Eamonn Mills, who is in his third season at Lansdowne, was awarded the Ulster Bank League Leinster Club Player of the Year award last season.
This is the twelfth season of the Club International fixture between Ireland and Scotland, and as it stands, Ireland’s record is six wins and five defeats. The sides will compete for the Dalriada Cup, which was first introduced in 2011, and the Scots have lifted it on the last two occasions – 2015 at Netherdale and 2016 at Temple Hill.
Tickets for tonight’s Ireland v Scotland Club International are available via host club Buccaneers RFC and you can also pay the gate. Tickets are priced as follows: Stand €;12, Terrace €;10, Child & Students €;5 – under-16s are free when accompanied by an adult.
Meanwhile, Scotland Clubs head coach Rob Chrystie has selected the squad’s most-experienced player Fraser Thomson as the visitors’ captain. The Melrose full-back has pulled on the Scottish Club XV jersey twelve times in his career.
The visitors’ matchday squad includes players from club sides who have dominated Scotland’s BT Premiership this season. Many key figures from last year’s squad have retained their places, while Chrystie has named two new caps in the starting XV and three on the bench.
Currie Chieftains scrum half Charlie Shiel and Melrose out-half Craig Jackson are the starting debutants, and Ruairidh Leishman, Rory Drummond and Scott Lyle could win their first caps off the bench.
In the front row, Shawn Muir is named at loosehead prop and packs down alongside Ayr’s Steven Longwell and hooker Russell Anderson. Melrose’s Iain Moody gets the nod in the second row and partners Robert McAlpine, while Blair MacPherson links up with his Ayr club-mate Pete McCallum and Jack Turley in the back row.
The dynamic pairing of Jackson and Shiel will both make their Club International bows and will form a new half-back partnership. Robbie Nelson from Currie Chieftains teams up with Ross Curle in midfield, while captain Thomson has wingers Craig Gossman and Jordan Edmunds for company in the back-three.
IRELAND CLUB XV: Jake Swaine (Tenenure College); Harry Brennan (Lansdowne), Niall Kenneally (Cork Constitution), Matt D’Arcy (Clontarf), Daniel McEvoy (Lansdowne); Jamie Gavin (Garryowen), Neil Cronin (Garryowen) (capt); Cronan Gleeson (Old Wesley), Paddy Finlay (Dublin University), Colm Skehan (Young Munster), Alex Thompson (Terenure College), Michael Melia (Tenenure College), Jack Dwan (Lansdowne), Joe McSwiney (Cork Constitution), Michael Noone (Clontarf).
Replacements: Ed Rossiter (Old Belvedere), Tom O’Reilly (St. Mary’s College), Michael Cromie (Banbridge), Ciaran Ruddock (St. Mary’s College), Paulie Tolofua (Naas), Angus Lloyd (Dublin University), Mark O’Neill (Terenure College), Eamonn Mills (Lansdowne).
SCOTLAND CLUBS: Fraser Thomson (Melrose) (capt); Jordan Edmunds (Boroughmuir), Ross Curle (Stirling County), Robbie Nelson (Currie Chieftains), Craig Gossman (Ayr); Craig Jackson (Melrose), Charlie Shiel (Currie Chieftains); Shawn Muir (Hawick), Russell Anderson (Melrose), Steven Longwell (Ayr), Iain Moody (Melrose), Robert McAlpine (Ayr), Blair MacPherson (Ayr), Jack Turley (Heriot’s), Pete McCallum (Ayr).
Replacements: Michael Liness (Heriot’s), Nick Beavon (Melrose), Struan Cessford (Heriot’s), Ruairidh Leishman (Stirling County), Rory Drummond (Watsonians), Murdo McAndrew (Melrose), Scott Lyle (Ayr), George Taylor (Melrose).
Referee: Matthew Turvey (England)
Assistant Referees: Karol Collins, Daithi Flood (both Ireland)
Pre-Match Quotes – Rob Chrystie (Scotland Clubs): “Our focus within the Club XV has very much been on our group and making sure we perform to the best of our abilities. With any Irish team, you can expect a fight up front. They are pretty physical.
“I think we have picked a really robust forward pack who can hopefully go toe-to-toe with them and we also have a back-line who will take any opportunities that arise. I’m really excited to watch this group play.
“If there is one player who epitomises the club game then I would say it is Fraser (Thomson). He is very professional, he works incredibly hard on his game and has helped to create a really good team environment. He has all the leadership qualities that you would want in a captain and I think he will be a great leader for the Scotland Club XV squad.”
Ireland Club XV: Recent Matches –
2014: Ireland Club XV 28 Scotland Club XV 3, Temple Hill, Cork Constitution FC; England Counties 22 Ireland Club XV 23, Northern Echo Arena, Darlington Mowden Park RFC
2015: Scotland Club XV 23 Ireland Club XV 18, Netherdale, Gala RFC; Ireland Club XV 12 France Federale 37, Aviva Stadium
2016: France Federale 12 Ireland Club XV 16, Stade Jules Ladoumègue, Massy; Ireland Club XV 13 Scotland Club XV 19, Temple Hill, Cork Constitution FC
2017: Ireland Club XV 26 England Counties 34, Temple Hill, Cork Constitution FC
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