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Ireland U-18 Clubs And Schools Side Get Set For Canada Clashes 23 March 2018 18:06

second year at this age-grade. He starts at full-back with Jack Hunt from Rockwell College and Wasps talent Tom Bacon filling the wing berths.

There is a strong Connacht representation on the replacements bench with four players from the west included - the Buccaneers trio of Liam Winnett, Darragh Murray and Saul O’Carroll as well as O’Carroll’s Garbally College team-mate Shane Jennings. Fullback Jennings was a try scorer in Garbally’s Connacht Schools Senior Cup final victory over Coláiste Iognáid on Tuesday.

Saturday afternoon’s fixture is the first of two matches between the Ireland and Canada sides, with the second encounter set for next Wednesday at Donnybrook.

Oran McNulty, who will start at full-back for the Ireland Under-18 Clubs and Schools side on Saturday, is pictured running in a try against England U-18 Counties in Ashbourne last season The Ireland Under-18 Clubs and Schools team, sponsored by PwC, has been selected for their first of two matches against the Canada Under-19s at Templeville Road on Saturday (kick-off 12pm).

Head coach Mark Butler, who is assisted by Colm Tucker and Adrian Flavin, has selected Paddy McAlpine, who is fresh from winning the Ulster Schools Senior Cup with Campbell College, Bruff loosehead Fionn Flanagan and Wicklow hooker Mark Nicholson as the starting front row.

Newbridge College’s Cian Prendergast captains the Ireland team from the second row where he is partnered by Eoin O’Connor from Waterpark. O’Connor’s Munster team-mate Evan Murphy, who captained the province to an Under-18 Clubs Interprovincial title earlier in the season, is joined by Exiles pair Chris Moore and Joshua Dunne in the back row.

Sedbergh School’s Michael Cooke and Charlie O’Doherty, who has come up through the minis and youth ranks at Newcastle West RFC, will lead the Irish back-line from half-back, with another Exiles-Munster pairing at centre where Hayden Hyde from the Harlequins Academy combines with Tommy Downes, who played for CBC Cork in last Sunday’s Munster Schools Senior Cup final defeat to Glenstal Abbey.

Bath Academy’s Oran McNulty, who was a try scorer for the Ireland U-18 Clubs team against Portugal in November, returns for a

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17. Mark Donnelly (CBC Cork) 18. Liam Winnett (Buccaneers/Marist College) 19. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Coláiste Chíaráin) 20. Ciaran Booth (Sale Sharks/St. Ambrose College/IQ Rugby) 21. Shane Murphy (Skerries/St. Joseph’s Rush) 22. Saul O’Carroll (Buccaneers/Garbally College) 23. Shane Jennings (Ballinasloe/Garbally College)

Ireland U-18 Clubs & Schools Team Complete Series Win With Impressive Display 28 March 2018, 03:19 pm :: Match Report By Editor

With the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final between Blackrock College and Belvedere College taking place today due to last weekend’s postponement, players involved in that game who have been selected will join up with the Ireland U-18 squads next week.

IRELAND UNDER-18 CLUBS & SCHOOLS Team & Replacements (v Canada Under-19s, Underage International Match, St. Mary’s College RFC, Templeville Road, Saturday, March 24, kick-off 12pm): 15. Oran McNulty (Bath Academy/Millfield/IQ Rugby) 14. Jack Hunt (Rockwell College) 13. Hayden Hyde (Harlequins Academy/Cranleigh School/IQ Rugby) 12. Tommy Downes (CBC Cork) 11. Tom Bacon (Wasps/Henley College/IQ Rugby) 10. Michael Cooke (Sedbergh School/IQ Rugby) 9. Charlie O’Doherty (Newcastle West/Scoil Mhuire agus Ide) 1. Fionn Flanagan (Bruff) 2. Mark Nicholson (Wicklow/Colaiste Chill Mhantain) 3. Paddy McAlpine (Campbell College) 4. Eoin O’Connor (Waterpark/Gaelcholaiste Phortlairge) 5. Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College) (capt) 6. Chris Moore (Beechen Cliff School/IQ Rugby) 7. Evan Murphy (Nenagh Ormond/Nenagh CBS) 8. Joshua Dunne (Nottingham Academy/Denstone College/IQ Rugby) Replacements: 16. Aaron Hennessy (Ennis/The Alfa Project, Scarriff)

The Ireland Under-18 Clubs & Schools team (sponsored by PwC) completed their second win in five days over the Canada U-19s at Energia Park, running in nine tries in a high-quality display.

Coached by Mark Butler, Colm Tucker and Adrian Flavin, the Ireland youngsters had emerged as 56-17 winners when the sides met at Templeville Road last Saturday, and passed the 50-point mark again today as Nenagh flanker Evan Murphy captained them to a 51-12 success.

The hosts quickly showed their intentions of completing a double with three tries in the opening 12 minutes to establish an early 17-0 lead. They led 29-5 at half-time and added four further tries in the second period with the Canadians restricted to just a single try in each half.

The Ireland Under-18s were quickly out of the blocks and opened the scoring inside three minutes. Darragh Murray won a lineout on the 22, Ireland’s driving maul made good ground and the backs moved the ball right for Rockwell College winger Jack Hunt to touch down in the corner.

However, Ireland pulled clear with two more tries before Italian referee Gianluca Gnecchi’s half-time whistle. Downes gathered a loose ball in midfield and ran clear to complete his brace, and after Murphy converted, a lovely break from Jennings set up left winger Bacon for Ireland’s fifth score after 31 minutes.

foot.

Three minutes later, IQ Rugby blindside Ciaran Booth made a brilliant 50-metre run from inside his own half and as Ireland recycled, CBC Cork centre Tommy Downes burst through midfield with spare men outside for a try which Skerries clubman Shane Murphy converted.

Ireland picked up where they left off after the break and although Jennings’ chip ahead from their first attack went over the endline, the next try duly arrived in the 42nd minute with Blackrock College number 8 Ed Brennan credited with the touchdown as the pack drove over.

Waterpark’s Ben Daly, who had replaced Armstrong at out-half at half-time, jinked clear to score Ireland’s eighth try six minutes from time, which he converted himself, and the impressive Murray found Bacon on his shoulder as the IQ Rugby winger sprinted in for his second try of the game to round off the scoring.

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)

Ireland’s excellent start was further rewarded with a third try, with the maul again causing the Canada U-19s problems. Murphy fed out-half Thomas Armstrong who cleverly flicked the ball on to Shane Jennings for the Garbally College full-back to cross.

Canada were reeling from the concession of three tries in less than 10 minutes but they struck back with one of their own midway through the first half. Centre Evan Norris found John Buck at his shoulder and although the winger had plenty to do, he showed good strength to hold off the combined efforts of Murray and Tom Bacon to bring him down and score in the left corner.

Brennan, who was a Leinster Schools Senior Cup winner just last Friday, was again on the mark from close range after 58 minutes, and although hooker Tyler Wong replied with a try under the posts for the visitors, it was the home side who finished on the front

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