Ireland U-18 Club Side Named

The Ireland Under-18 Club team (sponsored by PwC) to play the Italy-U18s 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.

Highfield's Ian McCarthy starts at tighthead prop with Wexford Wanderers' Greg McGrath and Kilkenny's Ben Devlin completing the front row.

Enniscorthy's Joe Carley and Birr's Jack Regan are 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.

Irish Exile Niall Saunders starts at scrum-half and will be partnered by Skerries' Ciaran Frawley in the half backs.

Buccaneers' Luke Carthy 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.

Bruff's Dylan Reeves-Wasik is named among 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)

Replacements
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
Squad Coordinator – Sinéad Bennett

Ireland Under-18 Clubs Fixtures 2015
Sat 21st Feb 14.30 Ireland U18 Clubs v Italy U18 Ashbourne RFC

3 Union Festival
Wed 1st April Ireland Under-18 Clubs v France Under-18
Sat 4th April England Under-18 v Ireland Under-18 Clubs