UNDER-20 INTERNATIONAL/IRELAND V WALES:DUBARRY PARK was kind to this Ireland team when they beat Scotland 17-12 in their last outing. Still, coach Eric Elwood has made two changes to that successful side, one of those because of injury.
Towering secondrow James Sandford has been ruled out because of injury and his place has been taken by David Nolan, who moves up from the replacements. Local Buccaneers player Trevor Connelly will take the vacancy on the bench left by Nolan.
In the backline, Conor Cleary moves from the replacements to team up with Eoin O'Malley at inside centre, with Eamonn Sheridan moving to the bench. Interestingly, David Kearney, having been selected on the wing, has been installed at fullback just like his older brother Rob, who lines out at fullback in Croke Park as Girvan Dempsey and Geordan Murphy are injured.
"We have lost James (Sandford) to injury, but David (Nolan) is a ready-made replacement for him so I do not see any issues in that department," said Ireland coach Elwood. "With regard to the change in the centre, we thought that Conor Cleary might offer us something a little bit different for Friday night. This game is another jump up again in terms of the level of opposition as Wales have won two on the bounce and been impressive in beating Scotland and Italy so I think we will need a disciplined 80-minute performance if we are to get a win."
Wales coach Patrick Horgan has made seven changes, one of them positional. Behind the scrum Scarlets fullback Daniel Evans returns to the starting line-up in place of Jason Tovey and Nathan Rees starts on the left wing in place of Jimmy Norris. In the pack, Rhys Lawrence and Patrick Palmer begin at hooker and tight-head prop respectively, while Walian Haydn Pugh returns to the secondrow ahead of Ashley Sweet. Lloyd Phillips returns at number eight, with Josh Turnbull moving to blindside flanker.
The Welsh selection policy has been to look at all their players with a view to the Junior World Cup which they host in June.
IRELAND UNDER-20: D Kearney; S Scanlon, E O'Malley, C Cleary, C Cochrane; Martin Dufficy, D Moore; P Karayiannia, J Harris-Wright, B Barclay, D Nolan, E Sherriff, K Essex, P Ryan (capt), P Mallon. Replacements: S Douglas, S Archer, I Nagle, T Connelly, I Porter, I Madigan, E Sheridan WALES UNDER-20: D Evans; L Halfpenny, J Davies, G Owen, N Rees; D Biggar, R Webb; R Bevington, R Lawrence, P Palmer, J Groves (capt), H Pugh, J Turnbull, N Cudd, L Phillips. Replacements: S Hobbs, R Prosser, S Andrews, A Sweet, J Tipuric, L Evans, R Williams.
