Recent Munster debutant Calvin Nash will step up as the third Ireland Under-20 captain in as many U-20 Six Nations matches as they look to make home advantage count against France.
2017 UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday, February 24
IRELAND UNDER-20s (2nd) v FRANCE UNDER-20s (3rd), Donnybrook, 8pm (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (island of Ireland only))
Team News: Head coach Nigel Carolan has made five personnel changes to the Ireland side that edged out Italy 27-26 in Prato fortnight ago which maintained their winning start to the U-20 Six Nations Championship.
Ulster starlet Rob Lyttle has recovered from a shoulder injury and will win his first Ireland U-20 cap at full-back on Friday, linking up with wingers Jordan Larmour and Calvin Nash. The Munster-capped Nash will captain the side in the absence of injured duo Jack Kelly and Cillian Gallagher.
Tommy O’Brien (pictured below), who was a try scorer off the bench against Italy, will wear the number 13 jersey, lining out alongside his UCD and Leinster team-mate Ciaran Frawley in midfield.
Garryowen out-half Bill Johnston will make his first appearance for the Ireland U-20s since last June’s historic World Rugby U-20 Championship win over New Zealand. The Munster Academy ace takes over from the injured Johnny McPhillips, forming a new half-back partnership with Jonny Stewart.
The front row is unchanged from the Italy game, with Joey Conway, Tadgh McElroy and Charlie Connolly packing down together again. With Munster calling up Fineen Wycherley, UCD’s Jack Regan – son of Offaly All-Ireland-winning hurler Daithi Regan – comes in to make his first start in the second row alongside Lansdowne’s Oisin Dowling.
The back row sees Ulster’s Marcus Rea replace Gallagher (shoulder) at blindside flanker, with Paul Boyle and Caelan Doris retained at openside and number 8 respectively.
In the replacements, Leinster’s Ronan Kelleher – brother of Connacht senior player Cian Kelleher – will be looking to win his first Ireland U-20 cap against the French, while Peter Cooper returns to the squad having missed the round 2 victory through injury. Rory Mulvihill is the third front row reserve.
Gavin Coombes again takes his place among the replacements, with his Munster colleagues Jack Lyons and Conor Fitzgerald also looking to make their home bows for Nigel Carolan’s charges.
There are two more potential Ireland U-20 debutants in Connacht’s Sean Masterson, whose brother Eoghan has played over 30 times for the province at senior level, and versatile Cork Constitution back Alex McHenry whose father is former European Tour golfer John McHenry.
Meanwhile, with injuries also affecting his selection, France U-20 head coach Thomas Lievremont has made six changes to the team that secured a 36-8 bonus point victory at home to Scotland.
La Rochelle scrum half Arthur Retiere, who bagged two tries off the bench in the last round, comes in to start at half-back alongside 17-year-old talent Romain Ntamack. The son of former senior star Emile Ntamack had an impressive debut against the Scots.
The only other switch in the back-line sees Lyon’s Pierre-Louise Barassi get the nod at outside centre, while Kevin Tougne from Perpignan has been brought into the front row at loosehead prop.
There is also a strong family link to a former French favourite in the back row where Olivier Roumat’s son Alexandre will pack down at number 8, forming a new-look combination with Lyon’s Dylan Cretin and Julien Ruaud from Clermont Auvergne.
Match Ticket Information: Tickets can be bought via www.ticketmaster.ie or on the night at Donnybrook. Stand €;20, Terrace €;15, Children Terrace or Stand €;10, Family (Two adults and two children) Terrace €;30.
Under-20 Six Nations Results/Fixtures
IRELAND U-20: Rob Lyttle (Queen’s University/Ulster); Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Tommy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster), Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster) (capt); Bill Johnston (Garryowen/Munster), Jonny Stewart (Queen’s University/Ulster); Joey Conway (UL Bohemians/Munster), Tadgh McElroy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Charlie Connolly (Dublin University/Leinster), Jack Regan (UCD/Leinster), Oisin Dowling (Lansdowne/Leinster), Marcus Rea (Queen’s University/Ulster), Paul Boyle (Lansdowne/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (UCD/Leinster), Rory Mulvihill (UCD/Leinster), Peter Cooper (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster), Sean Masterson (Corinthians/Connacht), Jack Lyons (Young Munster/Munster), Conor Fitzgerald (Shannon/Munster), Alex McHenry (Cork Constitution/Munster).
FRANCE U-20: Romain Buros (Pau); Faraj Fartass (Stade Francais), Pierre-Louis Barassi (Lyon), Theo Dachary (Biarritz Olympique), William Iraguha (Massy Essonne); Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Arthur Retiere (La Rochelle); Kevin Tougne (Perpignan), Etienne Fourcade (Grenoble), Thomas Laclayat (Oyonnax), Florian Verhaeghe (Toulouse) (capt), Mickael Capelli (Grenoble), Dylan Cretin (Lyon), Julien Ruaud (Clermont Auvergne), Alexandre Roumat (Biarritz Olympique).
Replacements: Leo Aouf (La Rochelle), Florian Dufour (Agen), Georges Henri Colombe (Racing 92), Killian Geraci (Grenoble), Cameron Woki (Massy Essonne), Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon), Anthony Fuertes (La Rochelle), Theo Millet (Stade Francais).
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
Assistant Referees: Phil Watters, Hamish Smales (both England)
Television Match Official: Stuart Terheege (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland U-20s to win: 6/4; Draw: 16/1; France U-20s to win: 4/7
Pre-Match Quotes – Nigel Carolan (Ireland U-20s): “We’ve been forced to make a number of changes due to injuries this week, but that gives other players the opportunity to demonstrate what they can offer.
“The players trained with the Ireland senior squad last Friday in Monaghan and they will have taken a lot of positives from that session which they carried into training this week.
“The French bounced back well from their defeat to England to win convincingly against Scotland, so we have a big challenge ahead of us this Friday, however with the quick surface in Donnybrook, along with playing in front of our home fans, the players are looking forward to getting out there and are looking to put in a good performance.”
Tommy O’Brien (Ireland U-20s): “Training with the seniors was a bit of a step-up for everyone, and then with Joe Schmidt in the middle controlling it all, that was pretty cool. He demanded really high standards, so that was pretty cool.
“I was just trying to get involved as much as I could. Once you get into the warm-up and stuff, it kind of just becomes another training session – albeit against very high-standard opposition. You stick to your principles and see how they treat you.
“Obviously he (Schmidt) was keeping an eye more on the senior lads, but he was just kind of instilling basic principles in us. I was defending out on the wing so he was letting me know if Simon Zebo is breaking on the outside of me, I’ve got to keep my eye on the outside of him. Just little tips, so that was pretty cool that he’d take me aside and give us little tips.”
Pre-Match Links –
Tickets On Sale Now For Ireland Women And U-20 Home Fixtures
Boyle Try Drives Ireland U-20s To Gutsy Comeback Win
Three Tries Prove Just Enough For Ireland Under-20s
Inside Pass: The Week Of The French
Match Facts –
– Should the Ireland Under-20s beat France this weekend, they will equal their best ever run in the Six Nations of six wins between 2007 and 2008
– The last time that the Ireland U-20s began a Six Nations campaign with three successive victories was in 2012
– The France U-20s’ only defeat in their last four matches in the Six Nations was to England at Exeter in round 1
– The France U-20s have won just once on the road in their last four away games in the Six Nations: 36-21 in Scotland in round 4 last year
– The France U-20s’ lone defeat in their last five fixtures against Ireland in all tournaments was 37-20 at Athlone in 2015
– France’s only previous victory in Ireland in the U-20 Six Nations was in 2011 at Dubarry Park
Recent Meetings –
2014: U-20 Six Nations: France U-20s 23 Ireland U-20s 13, Stade Maurice Trélut, Tarbes; IRB Junior World Championship Pool B: France U-20s 19 Ireland U-20s 13, QBE Stadium, Auckland
2015: U-20 Six Nations: Ireland U-20s 37 France U-20s 20, Dubarry Park
2016: U-20 Six Nations: France U-20s 34 Ireland U-20s 13, Stade d’Honneur du Parc des Sports et de l’Amitié, Narbonne
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