IRELAND U20 COACH Noel McNamara has included six players from last season’s triumphant squad for their challenge match against a Munster A-Development selection on Sunday afternoon.

Ireland will be captained by prop Thomas Clarkson, the Leinster player who started in all five of the game during the Grand Slam-winning Six Nations campaign earlier this year, for the game at Cork’s Musgrave Park (kick-off 1pm, free entry).

He is joined by team-mates from that success in Brian Deeny and Thomas Ahern – both named to start – while there are a trio of experienced replacements in John McKee, Charlie Ward and Max O’Reilly.

Elsewhere in the starting side, Ethan McIlroy starts on the wing a week after making his Ulster senior debut in their Pro14 clash against Leinster.

The match is part of Ireland’s preparations ahead of the Six Nations which begin with a tie against Scotland on Friday 31 January at the Cork venue.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing where the benchmark is as much as anything else and it’s an opportunity for us then to build some momentum and cohesion which is really important,” remarked McNamara.

Garryowen’s Cian Hurley captains the Munster side with six Academy rugby players selected in Seán French, Alan Tynan, Eoghan Clarke, James French, Eoin O’Connor and Paddy Kelly.

Ireland U20

15. Oran McNulty (Corinthians RFC / Connacht)
14. Ethan McIlroy (Queens RFC / Ulster)
13. Harry O’Riordan (UCC RFC / Munster)
12. Hayden Hyde (Ballynahinch RFC / Ulster)
11. Andrew Smith (Clontarf FC / Leinster)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution FC / Munster)
9. Lewis Finlay (Malone RFC / Ulster)

1. Marcus Hannan (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster)
2. Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch RFC / Ulster)
3. Tom Clarkson (Dublin University FC / Leinster) (captain)
4. Brian Deeny (Clontarf FC / Leinster)
5. Thomas Ahern (Shannon RFC / Munster)
6. Sean O’Brien (UCD RFC / Leinster)
7. Mark Hernan (Lansdowne FC / Leinster)
8. Joshua Dunne (Galwegians RFC / Connacht).

Replacements:

16. John McKee (Old Belvedere / Leinster)
17. Harry Noonan (Old Wesley RFC / Leinster)
18. Charlie Ward (Clontarf FC / Leinster)
19. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University FC / Leinster)
20. Alex Soroka (Dublin University FC / Leinster)
21. Conor McKee (Queens RFC / Ulster)
22. Cathal Forde (Corinthians RFC / Connacht)
23. Diarmuid Kilgallen (Galwegians / Connacht)
24. Max O’Reilly (Dublin University FC / Leinster)

Munster A/Development

15. Jamie Shanahan (UL Bohemians)
14. Ronan Quinn (Dublin University)
13. Tommy Downes (Galwegians)
12. Jack Delaney (Garryowen)
11. Seán French (Cork Constitution)
10. Alan Tynan (Young Munster)
9. Charlie O’Doherty (Young Munster)

1. Mark Donnelly (Garryowen)
2. Eoghan Clarke (Shannon)
3. James French (UCC)
4. Eoin O’Connor (Young Munster)
5. Paddy Kelly (Garryowen)
6. Cian Hurley (Garryowen) (captain)
7. Anthony Ryan (Dublin University)
8. Daniel Okeke (Shannon)

Replacements:

Kieran O’Shea (UL Bohemian)
Aaron Hennessy (Nenagh Ormond)
Ciaran Ryan (Cashel)
Liam Bishop (IQ Rugby)
Aidan Brien (UCC)
Amhlaoibh Porter (Cork Constitution)
Farrell O’Donoghue (Cashel)
Ben Murphy (guest player)
Tim Corkery (guest player)
Killian Coughlan (UCC)
Louis Bruce (UCC)

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