Foley And Keatley Start For Emerging Ireland

The Emerging Ireland team and replacements has been named to play Georgia in their opening game of the IRB Tbilisi Cup.

Munster's Ian Keatley and Dave Foley have been named in the starting XV with Ian Nagle named in the replacements.

Andrew Conway who joins Munster this summer has picked up a calf injury while training.

The Emerging Ireland side will be battling it out against some of the strongest developing nations in world rugby, Georgia, South Africa Presidents XV and Uruguay. Matches will be played in the Georgian capital with the teams competing in a round robin format.

Emerging Ireland play Georgia at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi on Friday at 4pm Irish time (7pm local).

Emerging Ireland Team:
15- David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
14- Niall Morris (Leicester/Exiles)*
13- Eoin Griffin (Galwegians/Connacht)*
12- Michael Allen (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
11- Tiernan O'Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht)*
10- Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
9- Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
1- Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s/Leinster)*
2- Robert Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster)*
3- Michael Bent (Leinster)
4- Lewis Stevenson (Malone/Ulster)*
5- David Foley (UL Bohemian/Munster)*
6- Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s/Leinster) Capt.
7- Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinste)*
8- Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster)*

Replacements:
16-Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
17-Richard Lutton (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)*
18- Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution/Munster)*
19- Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
20- John Cooney (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
21-Noel Reid (Clontarf/Leinster)*
22- Brendan Macken (Blackrock/Leinster)*

N.B. *denotes uncapped player

Emerging Ireland Fixtures – IRB Tbilisi Cup (All times are local):
Friday 7th June, 19.00 Georgia v Emerging Ireland, Avchala Stadium
Tuesday 11th June, 17.00 Emerging Ireland v South Africa President’s XV, Avchala Stadium
Sunday 16th June, 17.00 Uruguay v Emerging Ireland, Avchala Stadium