Ireland has announced its squad for their first match of the World U20 Championship against Italy in Cape Town. The game is set to kick off at 3:30 pm Irish time on Saturday at the DHL Stadium. Evan O’Connell will lead the team as they begin their Pool B campaign against familiar opponents Italy.
The back three for Ireland will consist of Ben O’Connor, Davy Colbert, and Hugo McLaughlin, with Finn Treacy and Sam Berman in midfield. Jack Murphy and Oliver Coffey will continue their successful partnership in the halfback positions from the U20 Six Nations. In the pack, Jacob Boyd, Danny Sheahan, and Patreece Bell make up the front row, while Alan Spicer joins captain O’Connell in the engine room.
Sean Edogbo will play at blindside flanker, with Max Flynn from Connacht set to make his U20s debut at openside and Luke Murphy at number eight. The bench will be filled with strong options, including Stephen Smyth, Emmet Calvey, Andrew Sparrow, James McKillop, and Bryn Ward. Scrumhalf Jake O’Riordan is also ready to make his U20s debut if called upon. Sean Naughton and Hugh Gavin complete the match day squad.
The full starting lineup for Ireland against Italy will be Ben O’Connor; Davy Colbert
