IRELAND U19 BOSS Tom Mohan says his side will be fully prepared heading into this summer’s European Championships in Armenia after a stunning qualification campaign.
The Boys in Green were the only side to qualify having won each of their six games, including a victory over the Netherlands.
Ireland will compete in Group B alongside the Czech Republic, Norway and France.
They have avoided current holders Portugal, and last year’s beaten finalists Italy, who make up Group A with Spain and the tournament hosts.
Speaking after today’s draw, Mohan said his team will go into championships with the aim of maintaining their good form.
“We are delighted to be one of the final eight teams in this tournament,” he said.
“There will be no easy games at the finals and we know that a big challenge is ahead of us, but it’s one that we are excited by.
“I’ve seen Norway play in a tournament in Spain recently and they have done really well – they qualified for the U20 World Cup. Then you have Czech Republic who were in a group with a very good England team, while France are always strong at this level.
We will go into greater depth with our analysis of the teams over the coming weeks and we will have all of our homework done. But we have proved that we have a right to be here and it’s up to us to make the most of it when the games come around.
“I had a chance to see the facilities and team hotel in Armenia, so that was good. From right now, though, we have to adopt a new mindset and focus on our preparations.”
Ireland were last involved in this tournament in 2011 when they reached the semi-finals, where they were beaten by eventual champions, Spain.
The team at that time featured current senior internationals Matt Doherty, Jeff Hendrick, and John Egan.
The tournament takes place in the Armenian capital of Yerevan from 14 to 27 July.
2019 UEFA European U19 Championships | Group B
15 July: Republic of Ireland v Norway
18 July: Republic of Ireland v France
21 July: Republic of Ireland v Czech Republic
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
Mayo4Sam
Did Pierce Dolan move clubs????