Cork pair Hanbidge and O’Mahony set for Aussie challenge
Under the coaching direction of Allen Clarke, this is an opportunity for the side to gain a measure of revenge for the defeat of the Schools U-19 team who went down (14-31) to a physically dominant visiting side at Belfield last week.
On this occasion, the Irish team has been chosen from beyond the schools but within the required age limit and it will be captained by Jordi Murphy, the Blackrock flanker.
The selectors have gone to England to look at the highly-rated Exiles winger Corey Hircock of Bedford while they have also chosen two more cross-channel players on the bench in Louis Padian of Worcester and Stephen Leckey (Glasgow Hawks).
Coach Clarke is looking forward to the challenge, saying that the U-19 grade was particularly important in the pathway of national representation, noting that it is the first combined age grade side in operation.
“It is going to be a very tough game based on the evidence offered by the Australians in Dublin last week, but we see it as an opportunity for to benchmark the quality of our Elite Player Development Programs and the quality of this year group leading into next seasons U-20’s Six Nations and Junior World Championship tournaments,” he said.
IRELAND U-19. A Conway (Blackrock), T. O’Halloran (Galwegians), B. Macken (Blackrock, L. Marshall (Ballymena), C. Hircock (Bedford), J. McKinney (Queens), P. Du Toit (UCD), J. Tracy (Newbridge College), D. Doyle (UCD, M. Moore (Lansdowne), S. Hanbridge (CBC), D. O’Mahony (PBC), J. Murphy (Blackrock (captain), E. McKeon (Colaiste Iognaid), A. Connelly (Colaiste Iognaid).
Replacements. L. Padian (Worcester), P. Mullen (Kings Hospital), K. O’Byrne (UCC), S. Leckey (Glasgow Hawks), D. Gallagher (Trinity College), M. Dolan (Marist College), G. Quinn McDonagh (Shannon), A. Kelly (St. Michaels).
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