The Ireland Club team to play Scotland Clubs in Friday’s Club International in Anglesea Road (KO: 6.30pm) for the ‘Dal Riada’ cup contains five new caps…
Clontarf’s Simon Crawford will Captain the side with Cork Con’s influential scrum half Gerry Hurley named as Vice Captain.
The five new players to be capped at this level are all in the backline with Lansdowne’s Craig Ronaldson named at ten outside the experienced Hurley.
Mike Kelliher of Young Munster will form a new centre partnership with the previously capped Killian Lett.
There is an all new back three with Cathal Quinn of Cork Constitution and Lansdowne’s Cian Aherne named alongside Ballymena’s Rodger McBurney.
The side is coached by UCC’s Conor Twomey, assisted by David Murphy of De La Salle Palmerston.
The Ireland Club side captured the inaugural ‘Dal Riada’ trophy in a thrilling 32 – 30 win in Scotland last season and they will also face the England Counties in Preston Grasshoppers RFC on March 16th.
IRELAND CLUB:
15: Rodger McBurney (Ballymena)*
14: Cian Aherne (Lansdowne)*
13: Killian Lett (Clontarf)
12: Mike Kelliher (Young Munster)*
11: Cathal Quinn (Cork Constitution)*
10: Craig Ronaldson (Lansdowne)*
9: Gerry Hurley (Cork Constitution)
1: Rob Sweeney (St. Mary’s College)
2: Ger Slattery (Young Munster)
3: Christy Condon (Dolphin)
4: Philip Donnellan (Cork Constitution)
5: Fergal Walsh (Shannon)
6: Simon Crawford (Clontarf)
7: Barry O’Mahony (Clontarf)
8: Hugh Hogan (St. Mary’s College)
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Hugh McGrath (Young Munster)*
17: Risteard Byrne (UCD)*
18: Liam Og Murphy (Young Munster)
19: Frank Cogan (Clontarf)
20: Brian Slater (UCC)*
21: Barry Keeshan (Dolphin)
22: James Thompson (Ballynahinch)*
*Uncapped Player
