Ruddock makes changes to get back on track in Scotland

MIKE RUDDOCK’S Ireland U20s will take the field in Inverness tonight (7.30pm) with relative confidence, despite the recent home defeat by high-flying France.

Although the Grand Slam is out of the equation, Ireland are still playing for the championship and Triple Crown and certainly won’t be overawed by a Scotland team already well beaten by both France and Wales.

The Irish team appears stronger than the one beaten by France and certainly there is a view that they can get back to winning ways quickly.

Ruddock has again made alterations to his side as he attempts to build up a strong panel to participate in this summer’s World Cup, and the team includes promising Munster centre and former Rockwell College playmaker JJ Hanrahan.

Martin Moore comes back in to the front row to partner James Tracy and Niall Annett, with Michael Kearney returning to the second row to partner Daniel Qualter. Shane Buckley has been promoted from the bench along with Hanrahan, and both make their first starts of the series.

There are five new faces included among the replacements in Tadhg Furlong, Cathal O’Flaherty, Mark Dolan and Colm O’Shea. Gareth Quinn McDonogh makes a return to the U20 setup having been involved last year, and Ruddock, given the right circumstances, is likely to give all 22 players a run tonight.

SCOTLAND: G Bryce (Heriot’s); M Donaghan (Glasgow Warriors), M Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), H Leonard (Edinburgh, capt), K Gossman (Glasgow Warriors); S Edwards (Stirling County), J Stevenson (Westcombe Park); R Hislop (Edinburgh), D Cherry (Northumbria), C Phillips (Edinburgh); M Todd (Nottingham), R McAlpine (West of Scotland); A Spence (Heriot’s), J Tyas (Bath), H Watson (Leicester).

Replacements: R Ferguson (Melrose), G Hunter (Glasgow Warriors), A Kirkland (Glasgow Hawks), M Eadie (Filton College), S Kennedy (Stirling County), G Jackson (Melrose), S Atkin (Edinburgh Accies).

IRELAND: M Sherlock (Clontarf/Leinster); T O’Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht), A Kelly (UCD/Leinster), JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemian/Munster), A Boyle (UCD/Leinster); P Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), B McIlroy (Ballymena/Ulster); J Tracy (UCD/Leinster), N Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster, capt), M Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster); M Kearney (Clontarf/Leinster), D Qualter (Buccaneers/Connacht); S Buckley (Garryowen/Munster), A Conneely (Corinthians/Connacht), J Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster).

Replacements: D Doyle (UCD/Leinster), T Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), I Henderson (Queen’s/Ulster), C O’Flaherty (Cork Constitution/Munster), M Dolan (Corinthians/Connacht), G Quinn McDonogh (Shannon/Munster), C O’Shea (Old Belvedere/Leinster).