Ruddock changes for must-win tie

Ireland U20s coach Mike Ruddock has rung the changes for his side’s must-win IRB Junior World Championship pool finale against Italy today but a win may not be enough to reach the last four in South Africa.

After an opening upset against their Junior Springbok hosts, Ireland were brought back to earth by Six Nations rivals England last Friday, a defeat in the Stellenbosch rain which took qualification for the semi-finals out of Irish hands.

So Ireland need to beat the Pool B whipping boys Italy at Cape Town Stadium today and rely on the English to defeat the South Africans this evening in the same stadium.

Ruddock has made nine changes and one positional switch from the side which started the 20-15 loss to England last time out.

“We’ve had two extremely physical battles against South Africa and England and we felt we needed to freshen the team up,” Ruddock explained.

“A number of players are carrying bumps and bruises and it provides opportunities for other squad members to step up and take their chance.”

In the pack James Rael replaces Munster team-mate Niall Scannell, who captained Ireland in the opening two games at hooker while tighthead Peter Reilly also joins ever-present Des Merry in the front row while Alan O’Connor partners Iain Henderson in the second row.

Aaron Conneely and Josh Van Der Flier are the newcomers to the back row alongside Jack Conan while there are also changes aplenty in the backs.

Fly-half JJ Hanrahan, a try scorer in both games to date, makes way for Jack Carty while at scrum-half Luke McGrath replaces Kieran Marmion.

Mike Sherlock comes in at full-back for Peter Nelson, who moves to centre, while Conor Finn partners Sam Coghlan Murray on the wing.

Italy were dealt a blow on the eve of the match when wing Leonardo Sarto received a five-week ban which rules him out of the rest of the tournament.

Sarto’s suspension follows his being cited for kicking an opponent during last Friday’s pool game against South Africa.

There are only five survivors from the 52-3 hammering by hosts South Africa.

A further six of the 10 incoming players appeared as substitutes including skipper Giovanni Maistri, a hooker who will play at loosehead prop.

IRELAND U20: M Sherlock (Clontarf/Leinster); C Finn (Buccaneers/Connacht), P Nelson (Dungannon/Ulster), C Farrell (Dungannon/Ulster), S Coghlan Murray (UCD/Leinster); J Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht), L McGrath (UCD/Leinster); D Merrey (Clontarf/Leinster), J Rael (Garryowen/Munster), P Reilly (Lansdowne/Leinster); A O’Connor (UCD/Leinster), I Henderson (Queen’s University/Ulster); A Conneely (Corinthians/Connacht), J Van de Flier (UCD/Leinster), J Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).

Replacements: N Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), T Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), J Cawley (Old Belvedere/Leinster), T Beirne (Lansdowne/Leinster), S Buckley (Garryowen/Munster), K Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), C Marsh (Trinity College /Leinster), S Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster).