Irish club players to take on England and Scotland

A 49-man squad for the first AIB Club International between Ireland and England Counties on Friday, February 23 has been named today.

The game is part of the IRFU Community Rugby Programme that was launched last season and gives non-contracted club players the opportunity to win representative honours for Ireland and to showcase the club game at the highest possible level.

The side will play two games this season, at home against an England Counties XV and away to Scotland, who Ireland beat 30-13 last season in the first ever appearance of the AIB Club International side.

The same coaching set up is in charge as last season and will consist of coach Geoff Moylan (Buccaneers), manager Mick Galwey (Shannon), assistant coach Gerald McCarter (City of Derry) and assistant manager Donal Brennan.

As with last season’s team, this year’s sides will be selected by the management team from this enlarged squad that is based on the recommendations of AIB League club coaches.

This is in addition to the input of a four man panel of selection advisors that include Hugh McCaughey (Dungannon), Finbarr Dennehy (UCC), Stephen Rooney (Lansdowne) and Ciaran Smyth (Corinthians).

The enlarged squad will then be narrowed down to a squad of 22 for the England Counties and Scotland games from which the team and replacements will be selected.

Ireland Squad for AIB Club Internationals:

FORWARDS (26):

Ron Boucher (Lansdowne), Frank Cogan (Cork Constitution), Kevin Corrigan (Lansdowne), Simon Crawford (Clontarf), Matthew Crockett (Dublin University), Owen Cullen (Blackrock), Conor Hartigan (Buccaneers), Oisin Hennessy (Dungannon), Les Hogan (Shannon), Ciaran Kavanagh (Suttonians), Brian Madigan (UL Bohemians), Alan Maher (Lansdowne), Peter Malone (Garryowen), Chris McCarey (Belfast Harlequins), Rory McGrath (Dolphin), Glen Moore (Ballymena), Des Murray (Cork Constitution), Mark Neilly (Dungannon), Stephen Nolan (Terenure College), Dan O'Connell (Galwegians), Merle O'Connell (Cork Constitution), Jim O’Donovan (Lansdowne), David Quinlan (Shannon), Simon Shawe (Ballymena), Damian Varley (Garryowen), Marc Warburton (Lansdowne).

BACKS (23):

Kevin Barden (Old Belvedere), Anthony Barrett (Galwegians), Philip Brophy (St Mary’s College), Mark Bruce (Buccaneers), Eoin Burke (Barnhall), Joey Burns (Dublin University), Francis Cooney (DLPS), Conor Donohue (Dublin University), Eamon Fitzgerald (Old Belvedere), Kevin Hartigan (Garryowen), Cronan Healy (Cork Constitution), Kieran Hickman (Galwegians), Barry Keeshan (Dolphin), Paul Magee (Dungannon), Richard McCarter (Dungannon), David McKechnie (Greystones), Niall McNamara (Clontarf), Niall O’Brien (Clontarf), Fiach O’Loughlin (Clontarf), Greg Stafford (Lansdowne), Dirk Strydom (Ballymena), Glen Telford (Dungannon), Andrew Thompson (Shannon).