Three Connacht club players named to play Italy-U18
The Ireland Under-18 Club team (Sponsored by PwC) to play Italy-U18 has been announced.
Under head coach Wayne Mitchell and assistant coaches, Brendan O’Connor and Jamie Turkington, the team will play three games this season with the match against Italy up first.
Irish Exile, Niall Saunders starts at scrumhalf and will be partnered by Skerries’ Ciaran Frawley in the half backs.
Buccaneers’ Luke Carty, brother of senior Connacht outhalf Jack Carty, and Mullingar’s Sean O’Brien make up the centre pairing while Navan’s Conor Nash, Cill Dara’s Peter Howard and Irish Exile, Otto Gray make up the back three.
Up front Wexford Wanderers’ Greg McGrath, Kilkenny’s Ben Devlin and Highfield’s Ian McCarthy form the front row with Enniscorthy’s Joe Carley and Birr’s Jack Regan named in the second row.
Navan pair, Conor Hand and Conor Farrell, join Gorey’s Paul Boyle in the back row to complete the pack.
On the bench, forward Matthew Burke from Ballinrobe RFC and back Darragh Cummins from Sligo RFC are named amongst the replacements.
The Ireland Under-18 Club team will compete in a 3 Union Festival, along with England and France to be held in Gloucestershire in April.
Gates open in Ashbourne RFC at 1pm on Saturday afternoon with tickets costing €5.00 per adult and free entry for children.
Ireland Under-18 Clubs v Italy Under-18 (Saturday 21st February, 2.30pm Ashbourne RFC)
15 – Conor Nash (Leinster – Navan)
14 – Peter Howard (Leinster – Cill Dara)
13 – Luke Carty (Connacht – Buccaneers)
12 – Sean O’Brien (Leinster – Mullingar)
11- Otto Gray (Exiles – Canford School)
10 – Ciaran Frawley (Leinster – Skerries)
9 – Niall Saunders (Exiles – London Harlequins /Epsom College)
1 – Greg McGrath (Leinster – Wexford Wanderers)
2 – Ben Devlin (Leinster – Kilkenny)
3 – Ian McCarthy (Munster – Highfield)
4 – Joe Carley (Leinster – Enniscorthy)
5 – Jack Regan (Leinster – Birr)
6 – Conor Hand (Leinster – Navan)
7 – Conor Farrell (Leinster – Navan) (Captain)
8 – Paul Boyle (Leinster – Gorey)
16 – Tadgh McElroy (Leinster – Dundalk)
17 – Eoin Corcoran (Leinster – Longford)
18 – Jack Aungier (Leinster – Suttonians)
19 – Dylan Reeves Wasik (Munster – Bruff)
20 – Matthew Burke (Connacht – Ballinrobe)
21 – Jack Combes (Exiles – Hartpury College)
22 – Darragh Cummins (Connacht – Sligo)
23 – Dom Gorard (Exiles – Ealing Trailfinders / St. Benedicts)
* Birr’s Christopher Maloney is named in the squad as the 24th Man.
Ireland Under-18 Management
Coach – Wayne Mitchell
Ass. Coach – Brendan O’Connor
Ass. Coach – Jamie Turkington
Manager – Dermot Kelly
Scrum Coach – Seamus Toomey
Strength and Conditioning Coach – Adam Sheehan
Analyst – Brian Fitzgerald
Doctor – Padraig Sheeran
Physio – Damien Mordon
Baggage Master – Mo Dempsey