Ireland U18 Clubs & Schools Side Selected For Clash With England Counties

Ireland Under-18 Clubs & Schools head coach Mark Butler has made five personnel changes and four positional switches to the team to play England U-18 Counties at HMS Temeraire in Portsmouth on Wednesday (kick-off 2pm).

Almost all of the changes from last Saturday’s 51-12 victory over Canada U-19s are in the back-line, as the IQ Rugby trio of Oran McNulty, Hayden Hyde and Michael Cooke and Newcastle West’s Charlie O’Doherty claim starting spots.

McNulty forms an exciting back-three with Tom Bacon, who scored four tries in the two games against Canada, and Shane Jennings who shifts to the left wing from full-back. The latter’s Garbally College team-mate, Saul O’Carroll, pairs up with Hyde in midfield, while Cooke and O’Doherty get the nod at half-back.

Ciaran Booth’s selection for the Ireland Under-19s today prompts Blackrock College’s Ed Brennan move to blindside flanker and IQ Rugby’s Joshua Dunne comes back in at number 8. The rest of the pack, which is led by captain Evan Murphy from Nenagh, is unchanged from last weekend.

Full-back McNulty and replacement lock Paddy Kelly from St. Munchin’s College both played in last season’s two-match series against England U-18 Counties which the Ireland side won courtesy of 29-17 and 24-13 triumphs at Ashbourne. The 2018 teams will meet for a second time at the same Portsmouth venue on Saturday (kick-off 12pm).

IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS Team & Replacements (v England Under-18 Counties, HMS Temeraire, Portsmouth, Wednesday, April 4, kick-off 2pm):

15. Oran McNulty (Bath Academy/Millfield/IQ RUGBY)
14. Tom Bacon (Wasps/Henley College/IQ RUGBY)
13. Hayden Hyde (Harlequins Academy/Cranleigh School/IQ RUGBY)
12. Saul O’Carroll (Buccaneers RFC/Garbally College)
11. Shane Jennings (Ballinasloe RFC/Garbally College)
10. Michael Cooke (Sedbergh School/IQ RUGBY)
9. Charlie O’Doherty (Newcastle West RFC/Ard Scoil na Mhuire

1. Mark Donnolly (CBC)
2. Aaron Hennessey (Ennis RFC/The Arya Project Scarriff)
   3. Liam Winnett (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College)
   4. Eoin O’Connor (Waterpark RFC/Gaeilcholaister Phortlairge)
   5. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Colaister Chiarain)
   6. Ed Brennan (Blackrock College)
   7. Evan Murphy (Nenagh Ormond RFC/Nenagh CBS) captain
   8. Joshua Dunne (Nottingham Academy/Denstone College/IQ RUGBY)

Replacements
16. Mark Nicholson (Wicklow RFC/Colaister Chill Mhantain)
17. Fionn Flanagan (Bruff RFC)
18. Paddy McAlpine (Campbell College)
19. Paddy Kelly (St Munchin’s College)
20. Chris Moore (Beechen Cliff School/IQ RUGBY)
21. Shane Murphy (Skerries RFC/St Joseph’s Rush)
22. Thomas Armstrong (Methodist College Belfast)
23. Tommy Downes (CBC, Cork)