Ireland U18 Clubs have named their side to face Italy U18 on Saturday at Ashbourne RFC.

The match serves as a warm up ahead of the traditional 3 Union Festival in April between Ireland U18 Clubs, France U18, and England U18 Clubs and Schools.

Four Exiles are included in the squad for Saturday’s 14.30 kick off, Epsom College’s Niall Saunders starts at scrum half, with Canford’s Otto Gray starting on the left wing.

On the bench Hartpury College’s Jack Combes will cover Saunders, while St Benedict’s Dom Gorard covers the outside backs.

Elsewhere the squad is, perhaps unsurprisingly, dominated by Leinster, who have fourteen representatives, while Connacht have three, and Munster two.

Ireland U18 Clubs v Italy – Saturday, 14.30, Ashbourne RFC.

Ireland U18 Clubs XV:

15 – Conor Nash (Leinster – Navan)

14 – Peter Howard (Leinster – Cill Dara)

13 – Luke Carty (Connacht – Buccaneers)

12 – Sean O’Brien (Leinster – Mullingar)

11- Otto Gray (Exiles – Canford School)

10 – Ciaran Frawley (Leinster – Skerries)

9 – Niall Saunders (Exiles – London Harlequins /Epsom College)

1 – Greg McGrath (Leinster – Wexford Wanderers)

2 – Ben Devlin (Leinster – Kilkenny)

3 – Ian McCarthy (Munster – Highfield)

4 – Joe Carley (Leinster – Enniscorthy)

5 – Jack Regan (Leinster – Birr)

6 – Conor Hand (Leinster – Navan)

7 – Conor Farrell (Leinster – Navan) (Captain)

8 – Paul Boyle (Leinster – Gorey)

16 – Tadgh McElroy (Leinster – Dundalk)

17 – Eoin Corcoran (Leinster – Longford)

18 – Jack Aungier (Leinster – Suttonians)

19 – Dylan Reeves Wasik (Munster – Bruff)

20 – Matthew Burke (Connacht – Ballinrobe)

21 – Jack Combes (Exiles – Hartpury College)

22 – Darragh Cummins (Connacht – Sligo)

23 – Dom Gorard (Exiles – Ealing Trailfinders / St. Benedicts)