The unbeaten Ireland Under-20s travel to Colwyn Bay as they look to win their fourth game of the Championship and keep the destination of the title in their hands before they host England on the final day.
2017 UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 11
WALES UNDER-20s (3rd) v IRELAND UNDER-20s (2nd), Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay, 6.30pm (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (island of Ireland only)/S4C)
Team News: Head coach Nigel Carolan has named the Ireland Under-20 team, sponsored by PwC, to face Wales in Saturday’s U-20 Six Nations clash at Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay. There are three personnel changes and two positional switches.
In the back-line, Jordan Larmour will wear the number 15 jersey, having played on the wing in the Ireland U-20s’ opening three wins over Scotland, Italy and France.
Tommy O’Brien, the try-scoring man-of-the-match against the French, moves from the centre to the right wing, and Calvin Nash will again captain the side from the opposite flank.
There is a new centre pairing as Jack Kelly returns from the shoulder injury he sustained in Scotland to join UCD’s Ciaran Frawley in midfield.
Scrum half Jonny Stewart will again partner number 10 Bill Johnston, who kicked 11 points in Ireland’s 26-25 World Rugby U-20 Championship pool win over Wales in Manchester last June.
The front row remains unchanged, with hooker Tadgh McElroy (pictured below) packing down with props Joey Conway and Charlie Connolly, while Fineen Wycherley, who made his Munster senior debut in Cardiff last Saturday, returns to partner Oisin Dowling in the second row.
Flanker Gavin Coombes, one of three Young Munster players in the starting line-up, will make his first start of the campaign on the blindside. Paul Boyle and number 8 Caelan Doris complete the back row.
Ahead of the RTE Two-televised round 4 match, Carolan said: “The management team are very happy with how the side is progressing and developing so far in the Championship, but there is another big test ahead of us this Saturday in Colwyn Bay.
“Wales have been going well in the competition, and despite a loss to England, they had a very big win against Scotland in the last round so they will be coming into this game full of confidence.
“We’ve had a good two week build-up to this game and had another good (training) day with the senior side last week, so for us it’s now about getting out there and putting in a performance.”
Meanwhile, the Wales Under-20s have made a single change to their starting line-up for Saturday evening’s match against second-placed Ireland. They hammered Scotland 65-34 last time out, running in eight tries at Broadwood Stadium.
Imposing Cardiff Blues forward Shane Lewis-Hughes, who started every match in last season’s Grand Slam-winning campaign, is named at blindside flanker in his first appearance of this year’s tournament having recovered from injury.
Match Ticket Information: Tickets are priced at £15 (seated), £10/£5 (standing). Venue Cymru – www.venuecymru.co.uk, over the counter at the box office or by calling 01492 872000; WRU – www.wru.wales/tickets or by calling Ticketmaster on 0844 847 1881; Colwyn Leisure Centre – Terrace tickets can be bought over the counter or over the phone on 01492 577900.
Under-20 Six Nations Results/Fixtures
WALES U-20: Rhun Williams (Cardiff Blues); Corey Baldwin (Scarlets), Cameron Lewis (Cardiff Blues), Keiran Williams (Ospreys), Ryan Conbeer (Scarlets); Ben Jones (Cardiff Blues), Dane Blacker (Cardiff Blues); Rhys Carre (Cardiff Blues), Corrie Tarrant (Cardiff Blues), Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Blues), Alex Dombrandt (Cardiff Met), Sean Moore (Pontypridd), Shane Lewis-Hughes (Cardiff Blues), Will Jones (Ospreys) (capt), Aled Ward (Cardiff Blues).
Replacements: Owen Hughes (Newport Gwent Dragons), Steff Thomas (Scarlets), Chris Coleman (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jack Pope (Bridgend), James Botham (Cardiff Blues), Reuben Morgan-Williams (Ospreys), Phil Jones (Ospreys), Ioan Nicholas (Scarlets).
IRELAND U-20: Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster); Tommy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jack Kelly (Dublin University/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), Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster), Oisin Dowling (Lansdowne/Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster), Paul Boyle (Lansdowne/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (UCD/Leinster), Greg McGrath (Lansdowne/Leinster), Matthew Burke (Corinthians/Connacht), Jack Regan (UCD/Leinster), Marcus Rea (Queen’s University/Ulster), Jack Stafford (Shannon/Munster), Conor Fitzgerald (Shannon/Munster), Colm Hogan (Dublin University/Munster).
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe, Paul Burton (both England)
Television Match Official: David Sainsbury (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Wales U-20s to win: 2/5; Draw: 19/1; Ireland U-20s to win: 21/10
Pre-Match Quotes – Tadgh McElroy (Ireland U-20s): “From the Scottish game, everyone doubted us in the scrum but we did a lot of work on it and put some pride into it and that is starting to show now. There is a lot more to come from our pack in the next few games.
“I was very lucky to get a good run in the Lansdowne senior team this year. The physicality of training and in matches took me a little by surprise. I wasn’t really expecting it so I got through that phase in senior rugby and that has benefited me with the 20s.
“I was playing against men – guys who had played pro rugby and with the Academies and guys like me who were looking to get into Academies. It affected me in a really good way. The physicality was always there with me. It wasn’t a shock, it was just about getting comfortable with it.
“I wouldn’t have been called in if I wasn’t good enough to be there. I was always told that, so I banked on that. If Mike Ruddock had faith in me then that gave me a lot of confidence so I kept saying that to myself: ‘He has confidence in me, I have the ability to do this’.
“That led to me not really letting the games or the physicality get to me, or what league I’m in. It is just a rugby field and if Mike has confidence in me, I can do the job.”
Jason Strange (Wales U-20s): “The most pleasing aspect of that game in Scotland (a record 65-24 win) was our style of play, which is our biggest focus as a team. We’re starting to realise the way we want to play and the qualities we have as a side, so that’s something else I want to come to the fore at Parc Eirias on Saturday.
“As well as we played in Scotland, we also have a few things to correct which we’ll be looking to do this weekend. Our rate of progress from game one to game three has been excellent, though, which is mainly down to the players’ desire to get better.
“After the atmosphere the fans created in our last home game, the team can’t wait to get back to Colwyn Bay. Playing against a quality side like Ireland is also another opportunity for us to get better as we build towards the World Rugby U-20 Championship in the summer.”
Pre-Match Links –
Ireland v Wales: Facts & Figures
In Touch: March Edition Out Now
Electric Ireland Continue Sponsorship Of Under-20 Home Games
Three-Try First Half Inspires Ireland U-20s’ Third Win
Match Facts –
– The Wales Under-20s’ only defeat in their last ten U-20 Six Nations games was to England at Colwyn Bay in round 2 last month
– The Wales U-20s beat Scotland 65-34 in round 3, the most points ever accumulated (99) in an U-20 Six Nations match and a record total for Wales in the competition
– Ireland’s victory over France last time out was their sixth in a row in the U-20 Six Nations, equalling their best ever run in the tournament
– The Ireland U-20s have just twice before started a Six Nations campaign with four straight wins – in 2007, when they claimed the Grand Slam, and in 2012, when they did not
– Wales have won their last four matches against Ireland in the U-20 Six Nations, but during that sequence Ireland have beaten Wales twice in World Rugby U-20 Championship encounters
– The last time that the Ireland U-20s won in Wales was in 2009 at Parc y Scarlets, although they did draw 26-all at the same venue in 2011
Recent Meetings –
2015: U-20 Six Nations: Wales U-20s 19 Ireland U-20s 12, Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay; World Rugby U-20 Championship – 5th/8th Place Play-Off: Ireland U-20s 12 Wales U-20s 22, Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
2016: U-20 Six Nations: Ireland U-20s 24 Wales U-20s 35, Donnybrook; World Rugby U-20 Championship Pool A: Wales U-20s 25 Ireland U-20s 26, Manchester City Academy Stadium, Manchester
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