Ireland under-20 head coach Richie Murphy has retained 26 players who were involved in the Six Nations Grand Slam success in a 30-man squad for the World Rugby Under-20 World Championship in Cape Town. The tournament takes place from June 24th to July 14th during which Ireland will play three pool games and two crossover matches to determine their final finishing position.
The four uncapped players are Garryowen hooker Max Klein, Old Belvedere tighthead prop Ronan Foxe, Dublin University’s Dan Barron and Garryowen scrumhalf Jack Oliver. Murphy will be supported in his coaching team once again by Mark Sexton (backs coach) and forwards coach Aaron Dundon while Andrew Browne joins as defence and lineout coach as Willie Faloon is unable to travel for personal reasons.
Ireland play England, the team that they beat to clinch the Grand Slam in Musgrave Park, in the opening match of the tournament on Saturday, June 24th in Paarl before taking on an Australian squad that shared a recent series with New Zealand 1-1 and then Fiji in the final pool encounter.
Depending on results, Ireland will then play two crossover games with the ambition of trying to win a first ever World Championship, having twice been runners-up when losing to England, and when it was an under-21 tournament against New Zealand in Glasgow.
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Murphy said: “It is an exciting time for the squad as we prepare to depart for South Africa for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship. It has been four years since the last edition of the tournament and we’re looking forward to getting to Cape Town to test ourselves against the world’s best teams.
“It has been a competitive couple of weeks as the squad have pushed each other in preparation for the tournament and we know we’ll need to grow and evolve as a team from the Six Nations for what will be a challenging couple of weeks against quality opposition in South Africa.”
Ireland Under-20 squad
Forwards
George Hadden (Clontarf/Leinster), George Morris (Lansdowne/Leinster), Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), Max Clein (Garryowen/Munster)*, Danny Sheahan (UCC/Munster), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), Fiachna Barrett (Corinthians/Connacht), Ronan Foxe (Old Belvedere/Leinster)*, Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD/Leinster), Charlie Irvine (QUB/Ulster), Joe Hopes (QUB/Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD/Leinster), Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian/Munster), James McNabney (Ballymena/Ulster), Ruadhan Quinn (Old Crescent/Munster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen/Munster), Dan Barron (Dublin University/Leinster)*.
Backs
Fintan Gunne (Terenure/Leinster), Jack Oliver (Garryowen/Munster)*, Oscar Cawley (Naas/Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), Matthew Lynch (Dublin University/Leinster), John Devine (Corinthians/Connacht), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf/Leinster), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht), Andrew Osborne (Naas/Leinster), Rory Telfer (QUB University/Ulster), James Nicholson (UCD/Leinster), Henry McErlean (Terenure/Leinster), Harry West (Buccaneers/Connacht).
*Uncapped at U20s level
Fixtures
Saturday, June 24th: Ireland U20s v England U20s, Paarl Gymnasium, Paarl (12.30 Irish time)
Thursday, June 29th: Ireland U20s v Australia U20s, Paarl Gymnasium, Paarl (10.0 Irish time)
Tuesday, July 4th: Ireland U20s v Fiji U20s, Paarl Gymnasium, Paarl (12.30 Irish time)
Sunday, July 9th: Playoff match
Friday, July 14th: Playoff match.
