Ireland have named four recent stars of English schools rugby in their squad for the U20 6 Nations after head coach Noel McNamara named his 37-man squad on Monday.
The squad is led by Ulster back row David McCann, who is one of just seven players in the squad that participated in last year’s Grand Slam winning effort. Leinster’s fabled academy is once again at the core of this squad, with 20 of the 37 part of the Dublin outfit.
McCann is joined in the back row mix up by former Denstone College star Joshua Dunne, who is now with Connacht, and there are some of Dunne’s old school rivals in the back division. His Connacht teammate Oran McNulty was a star with Millfield, while Dan Kelly, now at Loughborough University, skippered the superb Kirkham Grammar School outfit last year. Joining them in the backline is Ulster’s former Cranleigh star, Hayden Hyde, a young man that was chased hard by both England and Ireland.
Speaking to www.irishrugby.ie about his squad, McNamara said:
“It’s always a very exciting time for these young players when the Six Nations comes around, wehave been working through the selection process since last year, which has culminated in today’s 37-man squad announcement.”
“It was a tough selection and there are a number of players who are unlucky to miss out. It’s important to note at this stage that selection will be ongoing and players from outside this group will have further opportunities to impress throughout the season.”
Ireland’s campaign begins with back to back Friday night home games again Scotland and Wales ahead of a trip to Franklin’s Gardens to take on England. They then return to Cork to host Italy before finishing off their campaign away to France on Friday 13th March.
Ireland U20 6 Nations Squad:
Forwards (20):
Charlie Ward (Tullow/Clontarf/Leinster)
Marcus Hannan (Clane/Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Harry Noonan (Greystones/Old Wesley/Leinster)
Tom Stewart (Belfast Royal Academy/Ballynahinch/Ulster)
John McKee (Campbell College/Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Bobby Sheehan (Clongowes Wood College/UCD/Leinster)
Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Dublin Uni/Leinster)
Ryan McMahon (Clongowes Wood College/Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Brian Deeny (Wexford Wanderers/Clontarf/Leinster)
Eoin O’Connor (Waterpark/Young Munster/Munster)
Thomas Ahern (Waterpark/Shannon/Munster)
Joe McCarthy (Blackrock College/Dublin Uni/Leinster)
Alex Soroka (Belvedere College/Dublin Uni/Leinster)
Cian Prendergast (Newbridge College/UCD/Leinster)
Cian Hurley (CBC Cork/Garryowen/Munster)
Sean O’Brien (Blackrock College/UCD/Leinster)
Mark Hernan (St Michael’s College/Lansdowne/Leinster)
Anthony Ryan (Clongowes Wood College/Dublin Uni/Leinster)
David McCann (RBAI/Banbridge/Ulster)
Joshua Dunne (Denstone College/Galwegians/Connacht)
Backs (17):
Lewis Finlay (Down HS/Malone/Ulster)
Ben Murphy (Presentation College Bray/Clontarf/Leinster)
Conor McKee (Sullivan Upper /Queens/Ulster)
Jack Crowley (Bandon/Cork Constitution/Munster)
Cathal Forde (Coláiste Iognáid/Corinthians/Connacht)
Tim Corkery (Kilkenny/Lansdowne/Leinster)
Andrew Smith (St Michael’s College/Clontarf/Leinster)
Niall Comerford (Blackrock College/UCD/Leinster)
Ethan McIlroy (Methody College/Queens/Ulster)
Diarmuid Kilgallen (Cistercian College Roscrea/Galwegians/Connacht)
Hayden Hyde (Cranleigh/Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena/Ballymena/Ulster)
Harry O’Riordan (CBC Cork/UCC/Munster)
Luis Faria (Newpark Comprehensive/Dublin Uni/Leinster)
Dan Kelly (Kirkham GS/Loughborogh Uni/IQ Rugby)
Oran McNulty (Millfield/Corinthians/Connacht)
Max O’Reilly (St Gerard’s/Dublin Uni/Leinster)