Ireland U18 Clubs & Schools Team Selected For Second Canada Game

28th March 2018 By The Editor

CBC's Mark Donnelly starts at loose-head INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Nenagh’s Evan Murphy will captain the Ireland Under-18 Clubs & Schools team from the back row, as they look to complete a 2-0 series win over Canada Under-19s at Donnybrook this afternoon (kick-off 12pm).

Munster have 10 representatives in the side, including captain Murphy, Jack Hunt (Rockwell College), Tommy Downes (CBC Cork), Mark Donnelly (CBC Cork), Aaron Hennessy (The Alfa Project, Scariff/Ennis), Eoin O’Connor (Waterpark/Gaelcholaiste Phortlairge), Fionn Flanagan (Bruff), Paddy Kelly (St. Munchin’s College), Charlie O’Doherty (Newcastle West/Ard Scoil na Mhuire) and Ben Daly (Waterpark).

Having claimed a 56-17 victory over the Canadians at Templeville Road last Saturday, Mark Butler’s young side will get another chance to test themselves against the tourists when the teams meet on the 4G pitch at the newly-named Energia Park.

Evan Murphy, who takes the captaincy reins from lock Cian Prendergast, is one of five players retained in the starting line-up. Wingers Jack Hunt and Tom Bacon, who contributed three of Ireland’s eight tries between them the last day, will start again along with CBC Cork centre Tommy Downes and lock Eoin O’Connor from Waterpark.

Connacht Schools Senior Cup champions Garbally College are represented by Shane Jennings and Saul O’Carroll at full-back and outside centre respectively, while there are new half-backs in Methody’s Thomas Armstrong, who was an IRFU Under-18 Schools Interprovincial title winner with Ulster this season, and Shane Murphy from Skerries.

CBC Cork’s Mark Donnelly, the team’s vice-captain, Ennis’ Aaron Hennessy and Liam Winnett from Marist College form an all-new front row, with the latter’s Buccaneers club-mate Darragh Murray joining O’Connor in the second-row.

Ciaran Booth, one of the IQ Rugby players involved, skipper Murphy and Ed Brennan – fresh from helping Blackrock College win the Leinster Schools Senior Cup title – make up the loose forwards trio.

There are also a couple of new inclusions on an extended Irish bench, as St. Munchin’s lock Paddy Kelly, who played in both of the Ireland U-18 Clubs & Schools team’s victories over England Counties last year, and Waterpark out-half Ben Daly, a second half replacement in the Ireland U-18 Club side’s 46-27 defeat of Portugal last November, are part of the 26-man panel.

IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS Team & Replacements (v Canada Under-19s, Underage International Match, Energia Park, Donnybrook, Wednesday, March 28, kick-off 12pm):

15. Shane Jennings (Ballinasloe/Garbally College)
14. Jack Hunt (Rockwell College)
13. Saul O’Carroll (Buccaneers/Garbally College)
12. Tommy Downes (CBC Cork)
11. Tom Bacon (Henley College/Wasps/IQ Rugby)
10. Thomas Armstrong (Methodist College Belfast)
9. Shane Murphy (Skerries/St. Joseph’s Rush)
1. Mark Donnelly (CBC Cork)
2. Aaron Hennessy (The Alfa Project, Scariff/Ennis)
3. Liam Winnett (Buccaneers/Marist College)
4. Eoin O’Connor (Waterpark/Gaelcholaiste Phortlairge)
5. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Coláiste Chíaráin)