Four Munster Rugby players named in Irish matchday squad for U20 World Championship opener

FOUR Munster Rugby players have been named in the Irish matchday squad for their opening fixture of the World Rugby U20 Championship.

UL Bohemians' Evan O’Connell starts in the second row while Old Crescent's Ruadhan Quinn is named in the back row.

Munster and Garryowen colleagues Max Clein (hooker) and back-rower Brian Gleeson have been named on the bench. 

Clein is the only uncapped player named in the match day 23 and will get his first international cap on Saturday if played. 

Richie Murphy’s U20 team face a tough opening game against England on Saturday, 24 at 1:30.

This year sees the return of the World Rugby U20 Championship for the first time since 2019. Australia and Fiji make up the remainder of Ireland’s pool B group. 

IRELAND U20 TEAM: 1. George Hadden (Clontarf/Leinster), 2. Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), 3. Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), 4. Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemians/Munster), 5. Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD/Leinster), 6. Diarmuid Mangan (UCD/Leinster), 7. Ruadhan Quinn (Old Crescent/Munster), 8. James McNabney (Ballymena/Ulster), 9. Fintan Gunne (Terenure/Leinster), 10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), 11. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht), 12. John Devine (Corinthians/Connacht), 13. Hugh Cooney (Clontarf/Leinster), 14. Andrew Osborne (Naas/Leinster), 15. Henry McErlean (Terenure/Leinster). REPLACEMENTS: 16. Max Clein (Garryowen/Munster), 17. George Morris (Lansdowne/Leinster), 18. Fiachna Barrett (Corinthians/Connacht), 19. Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University/Ulster), 20. Brian Gleeson (Garryowen/Munster), 21. Oscar Cawley (Naas/Leinster), 22. Matty Lynch (Dublin University/Leinster), 23. James Nicholson (UCD/Leinster).