Ireland head coach Neil Doak has made two changes and a positional switch to the starting team that beat Scotland for Friday night’s Under-20 Six Nations Championship clash with Wales at Rodney Parade (7.45).
Cork Constitution’s Eoghan Smyth returns to the side having started in the defeat against England before being sprung from the bench against Scotland. His robust defence and straight running were missed in Edinburgh.
Smyth resumes his midfield partnership with one of Ireland’s outstanding players to date, Connor Fahy, who switches back to outside centre. Gene O’Leary Kareem reverts to the replacements.
Who has been added to Ireland’s Six Nations squad and why?
The other change is in the frontrow where Ballynahinch tighthead Tom McAllister gets a chance in the run-on team, swapping places with Blackrock’s Alex McMullan, another standout player, who is on the bench.
The other alterations to the replacements see UCD hooker Mikey Yarr, who played last year, return after recovering from injury. Highfield’s Conor Kennelly comes in for a try scorer the last day, Shannon’s Oisín Minogue, while Tom Wood, a son of former Lions and Ireland hooker Keith, is included in the matchday 23 for the first time.
Several Ireland players have received a vote of confidence from the coaching team despite lapses in individual, and indeed the collective, performances to date and will need to repay that faith with greater clarity, precision and execution on both sides of the ball.
Ireland assistant coach Andrew Browne, who won a Grand Slam at this age-grade as a player in 2007, admitted that the group had spoken about being sharper mentally and physically.
“In the England game we had a lot of possession, a lot of 22 entries, [that] we just didn’t convert. We were inaccurate, which was really disappointing.
“In the Scotland game we started really well and then tailed off a little bit. Then into the second half, they started the stronger and that’s something we have reviewed, how we came out in that second half because they got that momentum at the end of the first half. We did manage to redress it a little bit, but how can we be more consistent?
“We talk about being relentless, we talk about being ruthless and how can we actually live [up] to those words a little bit more. That’s something we have addressed over the last couple of weeks. So, hopefully we can see a bit more of it come Friday night.”
On the changes to the team, Browne explained that they wanted to have a look at a few players in a slightly different capacity, including Wood. “Tom’s a really good player. I know he’s under-19, but he was in various camps. We get to see Tom now in a competitive game, a competitive environment; it just builds that strength and depth which you’re always looking for.”
Fullback Todd Lawlor is due to play an AIL match in the next couple of weeks having recovered from shoulder surgery, but it is unlikely that wing Derry Moloney, prop Niall Smyth, secondrow Alan Spicer and backrow Luke Murphy will be fit in time to play a part in the tournament, while Alex Usanov won’t.
Wales beat Italy 20-18 at the Stade Comunale di Monigo last time out having lost to France in their opening game of the tournament.
IRELAND UNDER-20: D Green (QUB); C Molony (UCD), C Fahy (Clontarf), E Smyth (Cork Constitution), C Mangan (Blackrock College); S Wisniewski (Old Belvedere), C Logan (QUB); B Bohan (Galway Corinthians), H Walker (QUB), T McAllister (Ballynahinch); M Ronan (Old Wesley), B Corrigan (Old Wesley); M Foy (UCC), B Power (Galwegians), É McCarthy (Galwegians, capt).
Replacements: M Yarr (Lansdowne), P Moore (Blackrock College), A Mullan (Blackrock College), C Kennelly (Highfield), D Walsh (Terenure College), W Wootton (Sale Sharks), T Wood (Garryowen), G O’Leary Kareem (UCC).
