Ireland and France have named their sides for their U18 6 Nations Festival clash on Saturday.
Kicking off at 2.40pm at Hartpury College’s Gillman’s Ground, the game follows England v Wales and precedes Scotland v Italy. All three games will be shown live on FreeSports, along with all the games from the other two rounds of fixtures, on Wednesday 17th at Sixways and Sunday 21st at Kingsholm.
One of the big stories from the two teamsheets is that France will be captained by second row Joshua Brennan, a name familiar to many, not least in Ireland, as his father Trevor is a former Ireland international, meanwhile his brother Daniel has skippered France U20.
Ireland meanwhile are led by Munster number 8 Alexander Kendellen, one of six players in the Ireland side that played in last year’s festival too. He is one of just two Munstermen in the starting side, left wing Aaron Leahy the other.
Leahy’s back three partners are both from Leinster, Jamie Osbourne on the right wing and Chris Cosgrave on the left, a member of St Michael’s College’s Leinster Schools Senior Cup winning side.
In the midfield another Leinsterman, Karl Martin, lines up alongside Ulster’s Ben Carson, and it is an all Ulster half back pairing with Conor McKee at scrum half and rising star Nathan Doak at fly half.
Joining Kendellen in the back row are Leinster pair Will Hickey and Reuben Crothers, with another Leinster youngster Alex Soroka in the second row alongside Connacht’s sole representative in the starting side, Darragh Murray.
The front row meanwhile sees Ulster pair Tom Stewart and Oscar Egan at hooker and tighthead respectively, with Leinster’s Jack Boyle at loosehead making it three St Michael’s players in the starting side alongside Cosgrave and Hickey.
Ireland U18 v France U18 – Saturday, 2.40pm, Gillman’s Ground, Hartpury College (Live on FreeSports)
Team News:
Ireland:
15 Chris Cosgrave (St. Michael’s College/Leinster)
14 Jamie Osbourne (Naas CBS/Baas RFC/Leinster)
13 Karl Martin (St. Mary’s School Drogheda/Boyne RFC/Leinster)
12 Ben Carson (Wallace High School/Ulster)
11 Aaron Leahy (CBC Cork/Munster)
10 Nathan Doak (Wallace High School/Ulster)
9 Conor McKee (Sullivan Upper/Ulster)
1 Jack Boyle (St. Michael’s/Leinster)
2 Tom Stewart (Belfast Royal Academy/Ulster)
3 Oscar Egan (Coleraine Grammar/Ulster)
4 Alex Soroka (Belvedere College/Leinster)
5 Darragh Murray (Colaiste Chiarán/Buccaneers/Connacht)
6 Will Hickey (St. Michael’s College/Leinster)
7 Reuben Crothers (Wallace High School/Leinster)
8 Alexander Kendellen (PBC Cork/Munster, captain)
Replacements: 16 Lee Barron (St. Michael’s College/Leinster), 17 George Saunderson (Sullivan Upper School/Ulster), 18 Mark Donnelly (CBC Cork/Munster), 19 Donnacha Byrne (Summerhill College/Sligo RFC/Connacht), 20 Oisin McCormack (Garbally College/Connacht), 21 Ben Murphy (Presentation College Bray/Leinster), 22 Cian Whooley (CBC Cork/Munster), 23 Harry O’Riordan (CBC Cork/Munster), 24 Diarmuid McCormack (Clongowes Wood College/Connacht), 25 Shane Jennings (Garbally College/Connacht), 26 Diarmuid Killcommins (Coláiste Bhaile Chláir/Corinthians RFC/Connacht).
France:
15 Borie, 14 Desert, 13 Marguarit, 12 Parisien (vc), 11 Farissier, 10 Michet, 9 Legarrec, 1 Tixeront, 2 Baudonne, 3 Haddad-Victor (vc), 4 Brennan (c), 5 Ployet (vc), 6 Mallez, 7 Camilleri, 8 Augeix.
Replacements: 16 Ventura, 17 Idoumi, 18 Lagane, 19 Halagau, 20 Tronc, 21 Idhellidaine, 22 Debaes, 23 Retière, 24 Darthout, 25 Valles.
U18 6 Nations Festival Fixtures (all live on FreeSports):
Matchday 1 – Saturday 13th April, Gillman’s Ground, Hartpury College
England v Wales – 12.10pm
Ireland v France – 2.40pm
Scotland v Italy – 5.10pm
Matchday 2 – Wednesday 17th April, Sixways, Worcester Warriors
France v Italy – 11.10am
Ireland v England – 1.40pm
Wales v Scotland – 4.10pm
Matchday 3 – Sunday 21st April, Kingsholm, Gloucester
Scotland v Ireland – 11.10am
England v France – 1.40pm
Italy v Wales – 4.10pm
