David McCarthy and injury replacement Liam Coombes will make their Ireland Under-20 debuts as Peter Malone’s side tackle semi-final-bound New Zealand in the final round of the World Rugby U-20 Championship’s pool stages.
2017 WORLD RUGBY UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP – POOL B: Thursday, June 8
IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th) v NEW ZEALAND UNDER-20s (1st), Kutaisi Stadium, Kutaisi, 3.30pm local time/12.30pm Irish time (live eir Sport 1/World Rugby live streaming in certain countries)
Team News: The Ireland Under-20 team (sponsored by PwC) to face Pool B winners New Zealand in the World Rugby U-20 Championship has been confirmed by head coach Peter Malone.
There are 12 personnel changes to the Ireland U-20 side that lost an eight-try thriller to Scotland last Sunday, with only Jack Kelly, who takes over from Paul Boyle as captain, Alan Tynan and Sean Masterson retained.
Kelly and Masterson have moved positions, starting at outside centre and number 8 respectively, while the raft of newcomers include U-20 debutants David McCarthy and Liam Coombes in the back-line.
There are also first starts at this age-grade for Shannon duo Conor Fitzgerald and Adam Moloney, Trinity flyer Michael Silvester and Lansdowne prop Greg McGrath.
Moloney and McGrath will pack down with UL Bohemians loosehead Joey Conway in the front row, with Gavin Coombes (pictured below) and Jack Regan pairing up in a new-look second row. Masterson will be joined in the back row by Marcus Rea and John Foley, the third Shannon player in the starting XV.
Fitzgerald, who was called up to the squad this week as an injury replacement, slots in at half-back alongside the returning Jonny Stewart from Queen’s University. Garryowen talent McCarthy, who has impressed for the Ireland U-19s this season, partners skipper Kelly in midfield.
Young Munster starlet Tynan will win his third U-20 cap from full-back, anchoring a back-three that is completed by Garryowen’s Liam Coombes, who arrived in recent days as an injury replacement, and Silvester who made his debut off the bench against the Scots.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s place in the semi-finals may already be assured but captain Luke Jacobson, Isaia Walker-Leawere and Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, in particular, will want to avenge their 33-24 defeat to Ireland at last year’s U-20 tournament in Manchester.
Following bonus point wins over Scotland (42-20) and Italy (68-26), Baby Blacks head coach Craig Philpott has rung the changes for this final match against Ireland, with most of them coming in the pack where only four players remain, Jacobson shifting back to number 8 having lined out at blindside flanker against the Italians.
There are only two changes behind the scrum with the return of scrum half Enari Ereatara and winger Tima Faingaanuku, the only player so far to score a hat-trick in the 2017 Championship.
World Rugby U-20 Championship – Ticket Information
World Rugby U-20 Championship Results/Fixtures
IRELAND U-20: Alan Tynan (Young Munster/Munster); Michael Silvester (Dublin University/Leinster), Jack Kelly (Dublin University/Leinster) (capt), David McCarthy (Garryowen/Munster), Liam Coombes (Garryowen/Munster); Conor Fitzgerald (Shannon/Munster), Jonny Stewart (Queen’s University/Ulster); Joey Conway (UL Bohemians/Munster), Adam Moloney (Shannon/Munster), Greg McGrath (Lansdowne/Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster), Jack Regan (UCD/Leinster), Marcus Rea (Queen’s University/Ulster), John Foley (Shannon/Munster), Sean Masterson (Corinthians/Connacht).
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (UCD/Leinster), Jordan Duggan (Naas/Leinster), Charlie Connolly (Dublin University/Leinster), Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster/ Munster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jack Stafford (Shannon/Munster), Conor Dean (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster).
NEW ZEALAND U-20: Will Jordan (Tasman); Tima Faingaanuku (Tasman), Braydon Ennor (Canterbury), Orbyn Leger (Counties Manukau), Caleb Clarke (Auckland); Tiaan Falcon (Hawke’s Bay), Ereatara Enari (Canterbury); Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Auckland), Asafo Aumua (Wellington), Alex Fidow (Wellington), Isaia Walker-Leawere (Wellington), Sam Caird (Waikato), Sam Slade (Auckland), Tom Christie (Canterbury), Luke Jacobson (Waikato) (capt).
Replacements: John Sauni (Auckland), Harrison Allan (Canterbury), Pouri Rakete-Stones (Hawke’s Bay), Adrian Choat (Auckland), Marino Mikaele-Tu’u (Hawke’s Bay), Kemara Hauiti-Parapara (Wellington), Thomas Umaga-Jensen (Wellington), Josh McKay (Canterbury).
Referee: Jaco van Heerden (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Television Match Official: Johan Greeff (South Africa)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland U-20s to win: 22/1; Draw: 100/1; New Zealand U-20s to win: 1/50
Pre-Match Quotes – Peter Malone (Ireland U-20s): “It’s been a difficult opening to the tournament for the team, but we have a young side and while everyone is disappointed that the results haven’t gone our way so far, the players will have gained a lot from those two games.
“There’s more players gaining their first Under-20s caps (today) so it gives them the opportunity to show what they can do in an Ireland jersey. New Zealand have looked impressive in their opening matches against Scotland and Italy, so we will need to take the ‘learnings’ from our opening games and be ready for a huge test.”
Craig Philpott (New Zealand U-20s): “We expect Ireland to play with passion and like they have nothing to lose, hence the team we have named to put on the park. We have picked Tima Faingaanuku and Caleb Clarke on the wings. They both have size and strength and we hope we will be able to bend them out wide.
“Our clear goal from this match is to bag five points, so we can get to 15 for the round robin and hopefully qualify as the top seed for the semi-finals.”
Pre-Match Links –
Semi-Final Places On The Line In Georgia
Five Things We Learnt From Day 2 In Georgia
Fitzgerald And Coombes Called Up To Ireland U-20 Squad
World Rugby Under-20 Championship – Pool B Preview
Law Trials To Be Rolled Out At U-20 Championship
Recent Meetings –
2014: IRB Junior World Championship – 3rd/4th Place Play-Off: New Zealand U-20s 45 Ireland U-20s 23, Eden Park, Auckland
2015: World Rugby U-20 Championship – Pool C: New Zealand U-20s 25 Ireland U-20s 3, Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
2016: World Rugby U-20 Championship – Pool A: New Zealand U-20s 24 Ireland U-20s 33, Manchester City Stadium, Manchester
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