Steen to meet familiar faces in England clash

Ireland forward Ivan Steen will come up against some familiar faces next month when he plays against England in three Test matches.

The in-form Steen plays for Surbiton in the English Premier Division and scored 11 league goals this season.

He was also on target three times in four matches in last weekend’s European Cup Winners’ Cup in Spain, scoring the decisive goal which claimed the bronze medal in Surbiton’s first foray onto the continent.

Steen has been recalled to a 17-man squad which also includes Pembroke Wanderers’ Justin Sherriff, the scorer of 21 goals in just 28 international games, who terrorised England’s defence during Ireland’s victory in Manchester last summer.

Cork Church of Ireland John Jermyn and David Hobbs are unavailable due to exams while Wesley Bateman has been given extra time to recover from injury, allowing uncapped Charlie Henderson to join the squad.

The matches will be played at Cannock between May 30 and June 1, with a return three-game series to be held in mid-June.

SQUAD: J Black, D Eakins (Cork Harlequins); P Brown, M Irwin (Instonians); K Burns, N Buttimer (Cork C of I); S Butler, G Shaw (Glenanne); G Elliott, N Henderson, J Sherriff (Pembroke Wanderers); C Henderson (Corinthians); C Jackson, D Smyth (Annadale); E Lutton, M Raphael (Lisnagarvey); I Steen (Surbiton).