Ben Healy named in extended Ireland U20 squad for Rugby World Championships
An extended Ireland Under 20 Squad of 32 players, sponsored by PwC, has been named by the Ireland U20 Management team ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championships in Argentina next month.
Head Coach Noel McNamara and his staff will confirm a 28-man travelling party ahead of the side’s departure to Argentina.
The tournament will take place from the 4th – 22nd of June, with Ireland playing their Pool B games in Santa Fe at the Club de Rugby Atheneo Immaculada. The play-off games will take place in Rosario between the Racecourse Stadium and Club Old Resian.
Ireland share Pool B with Australia, England and Italy and will face Six Nations rivals England on the opening day of the tournament.
The squad will be captained by UCD and Leinster’s Charlie Ryan, with Shannon and Munster scrum-half Craig Casey named as vice-captain.
Nenagh's Ben Healy, who started in two of the Six Nations Championship games against France and Wales which secured the Grand Slam, has also been selected and could be set for major game time with Harry Byrne ruled out through injury. Bansha's Jake Flannery is also included.
Ryan and Dylan Tierney-Martin are the two members of the squad with previous experience at the World Championships, having taken to the field in France last summer.
There are six uncapped players named, with Declan Adamson, Thomas Ahern, Azur Allison and Charlie Ward named in the forwards and Adam LaGrue and Stewart Moore in the backs.
On confirmation of the squad McNamara said: "History has shown us that this is an attritional competition and it’s important that anyone who may take to the field in Argentina is up to speed with how want to play.
With that in mind we have named an extended squad ahead of setting off in two weeks’ time.
We have had some really positive sessions since the Six Nations, and with another camp coming up next week we will continue to build on preparations ahead of the first game against England."
Extended Ireland U20 Squad (World Rugby U20 Championship 2019)
Forwards
Declan Adamson (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Thomas Ahern (Shannon/Munster) *
Azur Allison (Ballymena/Ulster) *
Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)
Tom Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)
Brian Deeny (Clontarf/Leinster)
John Hodnett (UCC)
David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster)
John McKee (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster)
Martin Moloney (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Callum Reid (Banbridge/Ulster)
Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster) Captain
Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians/Connacht)
Charlie Ward (Clontarf/Leinster) *
Ronan Watters (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)
Backs
Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster) Vice-Captain
Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
Cormac Foley (St.Mary’s College/Leinster)
Sean French (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Ben Healy (Garryowen/Munster)
Bruce Houston (Ballymena/Ulster)
Iwan Hughes (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Angus Kernohan (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Adam LaGrue (Terenure College/Leinster) *
Stewart Moore (Malone/Ulster) *
Colm Reilly (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster)
Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster)
Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster)
*Denotes uncapped at this level
Unavailable due to injury
Harry Byrne
David Hawkshaw
Scott Penny
Conor Phillips
Ireland U20 World Rugby U20 Championships Fixtures
Pool A
England v Ireland
Club de Rugby Atheneo Immaculada, Santa Fe
Tuesday 4th June 2019
KO: 15:30 (local) / 19:30 (Irish)
Australia v Ireland
Club de Rugby Atheneo Immaculada, Santa Fe
Sunday 8th June, 2019
KO: 10:30 (local) / 14:30 (Irish)
Italy v Ireland
Club de Rugby Atheneo Immaculada, Santa Fe
Saturday 12th June, 2019
KO: 10:30 (local) / 14:30 (Irish)
Semi-Finals / Play-Offs
Racecourse Stadium, Rosario OR Club Old Resian, Rosario
Monday 17th June 2019
Finals Day
Racecourse Stadium, Rosario / Club Old Resian, Rosario
Sunday 22nd June 2019
Ireland's games will be shown live on Eir Sport.