UNDER-18 FIVE NATIONS FESTIVAL: Wales v IrelandTHIS IS the first stop on a two-year road of development towards the Under-20 Six Nations and World Cup. Ireland were flooded by Wales (25-6) and filleted by Scotland (25-3) in this Easter competition at Musgrave Park in 2008.
Yet, two years later, Ireland have just been crowned Under-20 Six Nations champions with many of the players that were humbled back then. The key to the transformation has been the late intervention of the provincial Academies, prompting a massive increase in conditioning and game output from the players.
Last year, the benefit from an improved preparation and an innately talented bunch of players produced two excellent performances. Captain Niall Scannell, powerhouse lock Shane Buckley, jack-in-the-box wing Sam Coghlan-Murray, nippy scrumhalf Harry Doyle and durable prop Rory Harrison were all members of the Ireland squad that beat Wales (22-15) and Italy (29-3) in Parma last year.
In fairness, none of the quintet started in the domination of Wales and the standard of this talented squad can be deduced from the fact Doyle cannot make the starting line-up this afternoon, St Michael’s scrumhalf Luke McGrath lining out inside the vaunted Methodist playmaker Paddy Jackson at halfback.
There are other “talking players” in Rockwell’s JJ Hanrahan, Ballymena’s free-spirited fullback Charlie Simpson and the high-quality Connacht backrowers Aaron Conneely and Daniel Qualter for what will be a severe test of character and ability.
Ireland coach Terry McMaster has made two changes from the side that whipped a woeful Italy 60-3 at Christmas. Scannell moves from hooker to tighthead prop in place of Castleknock’s Peter Reilly on the back of his excellent form there for Pres Cork in the Munster Schools’ Senior Cup.
Methodist’s Rory Harrison comes in as direct replacement for King’s Hospital’s Des Merrey on the loosehead.
IRELAND: C Simpson (Ballymena); S MacAuley (Clongowes Wood), P Nelson (Royal, Dungannon), JJ Hanrahan (Rockwell), S Coghlan-Murray (Newbridge); P Jackson (Methodist), L McGrath (St Michael's); R Harrison (Methodist), J Rael (Castletroy), N Scannell (PBC Cork, capt), S Buckley (Rockwell), Y Browne (CBC Cork), A Clarkin (Terenure), A Conneely (Coláiste Iognáid), D Qualter (Sligo Grammar).
WALES: T Prydie; H Robinson, G North, L Williams, S Campbell; M Morgan, A Davies; R Evans, J Dando, S Lee, C Hill, L Hamilton, O Sheppeard, T Young (capt), D Baker.
