Leinster trio John Fogarty, Fergus McFadden and Mike Ross have been named in the Ireland ‘A’ team to face the Argentina Jaguares in the historic international game in Tallaght Stadium this Friday night (KO: 7.30pm)…
Mick O’Driscoll will captain the side which contains seven full internationals in the starting team and overall 13 players who were involved in the Churchill Cup victory during the summer. The A team’s last outing saw them record a 48-19 win over Tonga in Ravenhill and the team to play the Jaguares has 10 changes to the starting fifteen from that Tonga game.
In the backs, Felix Jones is at full back in place of Gavan Duffy and both wings have also changed with Ian Dowling replacing Shane Horgan and Johne Murphy, who was on the bench against Tonga, coming into to start in place of Andrew Trimble. Fergus McFadden moves to outside centre instead of Darren Cave and Keith Matthews is rewarded with a start at No.12. Ian Humphreys is retained at outhalf and will be partnered by his provincial team mate Isaac Boss.
John Fogarty, who was originally due to play against Tonga but remained with the senor team as cover for Jerry Flannery, starts at hooker in place of his injured brother Denis. There are two new second rows in Ryan Caldwell and Captain Mick O’Driscoll as Devin Toner is rotated out and Donnacha Ryan starts in the backrow for this game.
He is joined there by Niall Ronan at openside, in place of Sean O’Brien, and John Muldoon who will play No.8, with Chris Henry reverting to the replacements.
Tickets for the game are still available from the O2 Store in the Square shopping centre in Tallaght and on the gates at Tallaght Stadium. You can also pay at the gate on the night.
IRELAND ‘A’:
15: Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
14: Ian Dowling (Shannon/Munster)
13: Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
12: Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht)
11: Johne Murphy (Leicester)
10: Ian Humphreys (Ballymena/Ulster)
9: Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster)
1: Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)
2: John Fogarty (De La Salle Palmerston/Leinster)
3: Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
4: Ryan Cauldwell (Dungannon/Ulster)
5: Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) CAPTAIN
6: Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
7: Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster)
8: John Muldoon (Buccaneers/Connacht)
REPLACEMENTS:
16: Andy Kyriacou (Malone/Ulster)
17: Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster)
18: Ed O’Donoghue (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
19: Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster)
20: Frank Murphy (Buccaneers/Connacht)
21: Ian Keatley (Galwegians/Connacht)
22: Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster)
