Head coach Noel McNamara has announced the Ireland Under-20
team, sponsored by PwC, to face
Scotland in the second round of the U-20 Six Nations at Netherdale in
Galashiels on Friday (kick-off 7.30pm).
Ireland’s starting XV shows just one change to the side that
defeated England 35-27 in Cork last week. Cormac Foley, the scorer of the
match-winning try in Cork, is promoted from the bench to start at scrum half,
replacing vice-captain Craig Casey
who is ruled out through injury.
Up front, props Josh Wycherley and Thomas Clarkson continue
alongside Corinthians hooker Dylan
Tierney-Martin, who touched down twice and was man-of-the-match
in the opening round. Vice-captain Charlie
Ryan and Niall
Murray resume their second row partnership.
Martin Moloney, the
Leinster-capped Scott Penny and
number 8 John Hodnett feature
again in the back row, while Harry
Byrne, the scorer of 15 points last Friday, is joined at
half-back by Foley. The rest of the back-line is unchanged with captain David Hawkshaw and Liam Turner paired together at
centre, and full-back Jake Flannery
combining with wingers Conor Phillips
and Jonathan Wren in
the back-three.
Shannon prop Luke
Masters and Buccaneers’ Colm
Reilly, who provides back-up for Foley at scrum half, have been
added to the replacements and both will be looking to win their first Ireland
Under-20 caps at the home ground of Gala RFC.
IRELAND UNDER-20 Team & Replacements (v Scotland
Under-20s, 2019 Under-20 Six Nations Championship, Netherdale, Gala RFC,
Galashiels, Friday, February 8, kick-off 7.30pm)
15. Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
14. Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
13. Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster)
12. David Hawkshaw (Clontarf/Leinster) (capt)
11. Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster)
10. Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster)
9. Cormac Foley (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
1. Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians/Connacht)
3. Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)
4. Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster)
5. Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)
6. Martin Moloney (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
7. Scott Penny (UCD/Leinster)
8. John Hodnett (UCC/Munster)
Replacements:
16. John McKee (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
17. Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster)
18. Luke Masters (Shannon/Munster) *
19. Brian Deeny (Clontarf/Leinster)
20. David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster)
21. Colm Reilly (Buccaneers/Connacht) *
22. Sean French (Cork Constitution/Munster)
23. Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster)
* Denotes uncapped player at Under-20 level
