15 Jacob Stockdale
Position: Fullback/Centre/Wing
Age: 20
Club: Belfast Harlequins
A member of this team last year’s team, this season he has played a few games for Ulster in the Pro12. Tall, powerful, quick with a big left foot he can play right across the backline but has excelled at fullback in Ireland’s two matches.
14 Matthew Byrne
Position: Wing
Age: 19
Club: Terenure College
He hasn’t always been the first choice on the right wing for the team this season but he’s shown glimpses of his quality in this tournament on growing into the demands imposed at this level.
13 Shane Daly
Position: Centre
Age: 19
Club: Cork Constitution
Ireland coach Nigel Carolan regards him very highly as a prospect. There is a raw quality to his play but there's no doubting that he has potential and a great attitude on the pitch to boot.
12 Conor O’Brien
Position: Centre/Wing
Age: 20
Club: Clontarf
He was used on the wing and at centre during the Six Nations Championship but has made the number 12 jersey his to great effect. He's a lovely balanced runner, with good feet and hands and resolute in defence.
11 Hugo Keenan
Position: Wing
Age: 19
Club: UCD
Things haven’t always gone smoothly for him this season but there’s no doubting his ability as he showed with a brilliant attacking performance against New Zealand: quick with a great step, he’s blossomed.
10 Bill Johnston
Position: Outhalf
Age: 19
Club: Garryowen
The Irish team will be saying novenas that the shoulder injury that he suffered is not a recurrence of the one that saw him have a reconstruction and thereby miss the Six Nations. He is a brilliant footballer and adds so much to the team.
9 Stephen Kerins
Position: Scrumhalf
Age: 20
Club: Sligo
He fought with John Poland for the jersey during the Six Nations before claiming it for his own. He is so fast across the ground to rucks and has a quicksilver service. His defence has improved.
1 Andrew Porter
Position: Prop
Age: 20
Club: UCD
A member of last year’s team, he has been absolutely brilliant in the tournament so far. He is explosively quick, a powerful carrier and very good in the set scrum: potential senior star.
2 Adam McBurney
Position: Hooker
Age: 19
Club: Ballymena
Another who can draw some experience from last year at this level. He is teak tough, abrasive, with and without the ball, and a key figure in this team. One of the leaders and a player with a bright future.
3 Ben Betts
Position: Prop
Age: 19
Club: Young Munster
The injury to Conor Kenny handed him a chance when coming on against Wales. He is very highly regarded in Munster circles and even in the brief cameos it's easy to understand why.
4 Cillian Gallagher
Position: Secondrow/Flanker
Age: 18
Club: Sligo
The 18-year-old was brilliant in the Six Nations Championship when playing blindside flanker and hasn’t missed a beat when handed a role in the secondrow for the tournament. A superb prospect.
5 James Ryan (capt)
Position: Secondrow
Age: 19
Club: Lansdowne
Most of the superlatives have already been used for Ireland’s captain. He is a phenomenal athlete with a fine rugby brain and an inspirational leader.
6 Greg Jones
Position: Flanker/Number eight
Age: 20
Club: UCD
He came in during the Six Nations and established himself as a first choice player. Athletic, mobile and a knack for putting in the odd thunderous tackle, the UCD student is an important part of a fine backrow.
7 David Aspil
Position: Flanker
Age: 19
Club: St Mary’s College
The injury to Will Connors, a first choice in the Six Nations, has given the Mary’s openside his opportunity to come to the World Cup and he’s grasped it impressively.
8 Max Deegan
Position: Number eight
Age: 19
Club: Lansdowne
A brilliant athlete and footballer he is another who seems destined to go on and achieve great things in the sport given a reasonable run. He started rugby as a centre but literally outgrew the role but the skills and pace remain.
16 Vincent O’Brien
Position: Hooker
Age: 20
Club: Cork Constitution
He didn’t play during the Six Nations but made his debut when coming on against Wales in the opening match of the tournament.
17 James Bollard
Position: Prop
Age: 20
Club: Dublin University
He made his first start for Ireland in the last math of the Six Nations against Scotland. He is unlucky in that he’s behind one of Ireland’s outstanding players in Porter.
18 Vahktang Abdaladze
Position: Prop
Age: 20
Club: Clontarf
Another who didn’t play any part in the Six Nations but did feature prominently for Clontarf in their run to the Ulster Bank Division 1A title. He has a very strong all round game.
19 Sean O’Connor
Position: Secondrow/Backrow
Age: 19
Club: Cashel
The Scottish game in the Six Nations was his first start, when named in the secondrow alongside Ryan. He’s featured regularly from the bench.
20 Kelvin Brown
Position: Flanker
Age: 20
Club: Shannon
He’s been largely used as an impact replacement. He is a very strong carrier and a powerful tackler who loves the physicality of the contact.
21 Niall Saunders
Position: Scrumhalf
Age: 18
School: Epsom College
The son of former Ireland captain and scrumhalf Rob, and the youngest member of the squad, he won’t be 19 until December. One superb cameo from the bench in the Six Nations suggests he’s another fine prospect.
22 Johnny McPhillips
Position: Outhalf/Fullback
Age: 19
Club: QUB
He was first choice outhalf in the Six Nations in the absence of the injured Johnston. He played most of his rugby at school at fullback.
23 Jimmy O’Brien
Position: Outhalf/Centre
Age: 19
Club: UCD
He picked up an injury in the Six Nations but recovered in time to be named in the World Cup squad. He’s a super runner and distributor.
