2012 IRISH U19 sprint champion Eamon Wallace will make his senior championship debut for the Meath footballers against Wicklow on Saturday night.
The Royals travel to Aughrim to face the home side in their Leinster senior quarter-final clash and Wallace has been selected by manager Mick O’Dowd to start at right corner-forward.
Ratoath club man Wallace will be hoping to utilise his speed to wreak havoc on the Wicklow rearguard after last year winning gold medals for the 100m and 200m distances at the U19 grade in the All-Ireland track and field championship.
Fellow attacker Michael Newman also gets his senior championship debut at left corner-forward.
There are four changes from the Meath side that lost to Monaghan in the Allianz Division 3 football league final in Croke Park in April.
Donal Keoghan comes into the side at right corner-back while Caoimhín King starts at centre-back, Mickey Burke will play at left half-back and Damien Carroll is drafted in at centre-forward.
The four players to make way are Eoghan Harrington, Caolan Young, Davy Dalton and Paddy Gilsenan.
MEATH: Paddy O’Rourke (Skryne); Donal Keoghan (Rathkenny), Kevin Reilly (Navan O’Mahony’s), Bryan Menton (Donaghmore-Ashbourne); Ciaran Lenehan (Skryne), Caoimhín King (Dunshaughlin), Mickey Burke (Longwood); Brian Meade (Rathkenny), Conor Gillespie (Summerhill); Peadar Byrne (Ballinlough), Damien Carroll (Ballinabrackey), Graham Reilly (St Colmcille’s); Eamon Wallace (Ratoath), Stephen Bray (Navan O’Mahony’s), Michael Newman (Kilmainham).
Skills
Meath were defeated in that league final in April by Monaghan by 2-16 to 3-8 but Wallace and Newman did combine for a brilliant first-half goal with Newman finishing to the net after Wallace’s sublime through ball.
Go to 0.19
Starts with Leo picking the best team available and the form players. Would love to see a backrow of 6 ruddock 7 Van der flier 8 O’brein against ulster. At some stage this season would like to see if teo could play 12 so ringrose can play his natural position of 13 regularly, then Fitzgerald on the wing instead of Kearney.
I agree except I think D. Kearney should be retained and switched to right wing
When you consider the way we were slaughtered at scrum time did Leo and Fogerty completely underestimate the importance of the scrum. The fact we didn’t even have a replacement secondrow on the bench while we had two opensides kinda shows a lack of respect to the set piece
This season Toulon have been beaten in 5 of their 9 matches, by Racing Metro (at home), Castres, Brive, Grenoble and Wasps. Leinster travel to Stade Mayol knowing that only a victory will do.
Game on!
Class player, Very unlucky with injuries definitely far superior and better then Murphy when he’s in form , If he gets back to the form of where he was this time last year I can see RR making Irish 23 this year (6.SOB 7. CH 8. CJS & 20. Ruddock:Conan) I think Leinster and Ireland would benefit if Leinster didn’t have an overflow of back rows with Murphy to Ulster as they need quality/ international back rows ASAP (par Henry) , Leavy to Connacht and Heaslip aboard France to hopefully get back to a higher standard and Leinster play a Backrow of 6.RR 7. SOB 8. JC 20. JVDF with full of young players and future and current international stars
No there out.
Firstly, it’s ‘they’re,’ not ‘there.’ Secondly, while the results are poor, and Leinster are facing a massive, and arguably impossible task, they’re not out yet.
Dreamland
Eh…….like it or lump it Leinster have absolutely no chance in Toulon
Game over
Full stop
How much money are you putting on the match? Obviously you should bet all of it. All the money.
If Leo shows he’s learning from his mistakes and gets selection right for the Ulster game, I’ll put money on Leinster to beat the French
The Bookies love you
St least someone does Gerry
Irish provincial rugby is in a spot of bother
is Ruddock on about the pro 12 ?