Ireland under-20 head coach Neil Doak has named seven players with previous experience at this age-grade level in a 31-man squad for the upcoming Six Nations Championship that begins on Thursday, January 30th, with a sold-out clash with the reigning world champions England in Cork.
Doak takes over from Willie Falloon – Richie Murphy coached Ireland in last year’s Six Nations before leaving to take up his current position as head coach with Ulster – who led Ireland to fourth place in last summer’s World Championship in South Africa with Andrew Browne and Seamus Toomey joining Ian Keatley as assistant coaches.
Cork-born Connacht academy prospect Éanna McCarthy will captain a squad that includes prop Alex Usanov, secondrows Alan Spicer and Billy Corrigan and hookers Henry Walker and Mikey Yarr, who played in one or other tournament. Sale Sharks scrumhalf Will Wootton, younger brother of former Munster and Connacht wing Alex, was part of last year’s squad before picking up an injury.
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Coming off successive Grand Slams, Ireland won four and drew one match in last season’s tournament, a 32-32 thriller with the eventual Six Nations champions England saw Murphy’s charges pipped to a third title in a row by a single bonus point.
The Irish 20s beat Italy and a Leinster Development XV in warm-up matches. Walker, Wootton and Daniel Green, an outhalf-cum-fullback, came through the IQ programme.
Enniscorthy centre Connor Fahy, Tullamore-born flyer Páidí Farrell, who has played Sevens for Ireland at underage level, Ciarán Mangan, younger brother of Diarmuid, Usanov, Spicer, Corrigan, Boyne secondrow Mahon Ronan, number eight Aaron O’Brien, and wings Andre Ryan and Charlie Molony, all played for Leinster in the A interpros.
Centres Gene O’Leary Kareem and Eoghan Smyth, outhalf Dylan Hicks and backrow Michael Foy did likewise for Munster, while former Newbridge College prop Billy Bohan, now with the Connacht academy, backrow Bobby Power and McCarthy were on the Connacht Eagles team. Scrumhalf Clark Logan, outhalf/fullback Daniel Green and hookers Henry Walker and Connor Magee played for Ulster A.
Promising tighthead prop and Leinster academy member Niall Smyth, former Newbridge fullback Todd Lawlor and Shannon duo, prop Emmet Calvey and backrow forward Luke Murphy, who both played for the 20s last year, are injured, while outhalf Casper Gabriel is ineligible for the time being.
Doak said of being handed the head coach role of Irish rugby’s marquee age-grade team, having fulfilled a similar role for two years with the Irish under-18 Schools team and been an assistant coach with the 20s at the World Cup last summer: “Yeah, it’s fantastic, a hugely exciting time.
“One of my sons [Ulster scrumhalf, Nathan] has come through this programme as well, so I’ve been a parent, a supporter and a spectator; so now I am a coach in the middle of it. I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully we can start off a solid season with a good performance against England.
“Ultimately as a coach you have to understand the players. There is no point asking players to do things that they’re not really comfortable with and so we’ll adjust as we go along. We’ll obviously look at the other teams and see where we can exploit some avenues but from my point of view, I want to play a brand of rugby that excites the players, excites spectators.”
Ireland Under-20s
Backs (14)
Andrew Doyle (Old Wesley/Leinster), Connor Fahy (Clontarf/Leinster), Páidí Farrell (Old Wesley/Leinster), Daniel Green (QUB/Ulster), Dylan Hicks (Garryowen/Munster), Gene O’Leary Kareem (UCC/Munster), Clark Logan (QUB/Ulster), Ciaran Mangan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Derry Moloney (Blackrock College/Leinster), Charlie Molony (UCD/Leinster), Andre Ryan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Eoghan Smyth (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sam Wisniewski (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Will Wootton (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby).
Forwards (17)
Billy Bohan (Corinthians/Connacht), Billy Corrigan (Old Wesley /Leinster), Michael Foy (UCC/Munster), Conor Kennelly (Highfield Munster), Connor Magee (Banbridge/Ulster), T McAllister (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Éanna McCarthy (Galwegians/Connacht), Alex Mullan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Aaron O’Brien (St Mary’s College/Leinster), Bobby Power (Galwegians/Connacht), Mahon Ronan (Old Wesley/Leinster), Alan Spicer (UCD/Leinster), Alex Usanov (Clontarf/Leinster), Henry Walker (QUB/Ulster), David Walsh (Terenure College/Leinster), Adam Watchorn (Kilkenny College/Leinster), Mikey Yarr (UCD/Leinster).
Ireland Men’s Under-20s fixtures
Thursday, January 30th: Ireland v England, Virgin Media Park (7.45pm). Saturday, February 8th: Scotland v Ireland, Hive Stadium (7.45pm). Friday, February 21st: Wales v Ireland, Rodney Parade (7.45pm). Friday, March 7th: Ireland v France, Virgin Media Park (8.0pm). Friday, March 14th: Italy v Ireland, Stadio Comunale di Monigo (7.45pm).
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