Ireland have named a squad for the World Rugby U20 Championships [or World Cup] that is a mix of experience and startling potential.
Nigel Carolan has named a 28-man squad, including five uncapped players, for the upcoming championship in Manchester.
Leinster's James Ryan captains a squad that will see Bill Johnston, Vincent O'Brien, Evan Mintern [all Munster] and the Leinster duo of Vakh Abdaladze and David Aspil all seeking their first U20 caps. Three of the squad - Andrew Porter, Adam McBurney and Jacob Stockdale - were involved in last year's U20 World Championships in Italy.
Ireland share Pool A with Wales, New Zealand and Georgia and open their campaign on June 7 against the Welsh.
The final Pool A game, against Georgia, may see Abdaladze play the country of his birth. The Leinster prop moved to Ireland with his family, and his rugby-playing father, and began his rugby journey here when he joined Coolmine RFC at the age of 12. Carolan says:
"We are certainly in one of the toughest pools. Wales are coming off the back of a Six Nations Grand Slam and New Zealand come into the competition as defending champions while the Georgians are always a very physical side so it is a big challenge for us.
"However, we have a very ambitious group of players that have prepared well so we are looking forward to giving it our best shot.”
IRELAND U20 SQUAD
Forwards
- Andrew Porter (UCD / Leinster)
- James Bollard (DUFC (Trinity College) / Leinster)
- Vakh Abdaladze (Clontarf / Leinster)*
- Adam McBurney (Ballymena / Ulster)
- Vincent O'Brien (Cork Con / Munster)*
- Conor Kenny (Buccaneers / Connacht)
- Benn Betts (Young Munster / Munster)
- Cillian Gallagher (Sligo / Connacht)
- James Ryan (Lansdowne / Leinster) (Capt.)
- Sean O'Connor (Cashel / Munster)
- Evan Mintern (Cork Con / Munster)*
- Greg Jones (UCD / Leinster)
- Will Connors (UCD / Leinster)
- Max Deegan (Lansdowne / Leinster)
- Kelvin Brown (Shannon / Munster)
- David Aspil (UCD / Leinster)*
Backs
- Stephen Kerins (Sligo / Connacht)
- Niall Saunders (Epsom College)
- Bill Johnston (Garryowen / Munster)*
- Johnny McPhillips (QUB / Ulster)
- Conor O'Brien (Clontarf / Leinster)
- Shane Daly (Cork Con / Munster)
- Jimmy O'Brien (UCD / Leinster
- Paul Kiernan (UCC / Munster)
- Jacob Stockdale (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster)
- Terry Kennedy (St. Mary's / Leinster)
- Hugo Keenan (UCD / Leinster)
- Matthew Byrne (Terenure / Leinster)
