The game kicks off at 5pm and it is expected that many rugby supporters will watch this game on their way to Ravenhill for the Ireland Italy World Cup warm up game. 

The Irish Exiles are a Branch of the IRFU whose purpose is to identify and recruit Irish qualified from the ranks of those playing the game in England, Scotland, Wales and France.  The Exiles started in 1989 and were the brainchild of Tom Kiernan, the Britain and Irish Lion and Ireland Captain. Since then the Exiles have produced some 20 full Internationals for Ireland and two British & Irish Lions, Simon Easterby and Rob Henderson.  Irish Exiles to wear both an Ireland and Ulster shirt include Simon Mason, Justin Fitzpatrick and Kieran Campbell.  Other Exiles in the Ulster set up include Stuart Philpott, Declan Fitzpatrick and Sam McDonald.

The Exiles U18’s have made a major contribution to Ireland’s age group rugby.  Last season there were 8 exiles in the Ireland U18 side who beat England and were successful in Europe. 

A core member of last years Ireland U18 was Charlie Armstrong from Truro in Cornwall.  He is back with the Exiles again for the game against Ulster hoping to keep his Ireland U18 place.  Other players to look out for are promising loose head prop Sean McCarthy from Warwick, Rowan Halsall, a skilful open side from the Wasps Academy and outside centre Nat McDonald from Worcester.

The Exiles are managed by Ulsterman Ces Shaw and will be accompanied by their President Dr John O’Driscoll, the former British Lion and Ireland back row player.

The Ulster Youth team have been training hard at the mid Ulster Arena in Cookstown and the coaching team are happy with the ways things have went so far.  They are looking forward to facing the exiles in what is sure to be a great game at Malone RFC.

Ulster Youth Squad

Paul Brown (Rainey OB RFC), Jonathan Rowan (Malone RFC), Jonathan Weir (Banbridge RFC), Jarryd Bannett (Letterkenny RFC),  Robert Irvine (Ballynahinch RFC), Michael Lawton (Ards RFC), Fergal Lynch (Virginia RFC), , Ryan Hill (Rainey OB RFC), James Simpson (Ballynahinch RFC), Paul Allen (Rainey OB RFC), Lewis Jones (Ballynahinch RFC), Stephen Irvine (Captain) (Banbridge RFC), Grant Wattleworth (Donegal), Joshua Donaldson (Ballynahinch RFC), Curtis Stewart (Ards RFC), Eamonn McIvor (City of Derry RFC),  Dominic Gallagher (Lisburn RFC), Robert Smyth (Monaghan RFC), Jonathan Carscadden (Malone RFC), Mark McIlheron (Larne RFC), Graham McCandless (Dromore RFC), Nathan McMullan (Rainey OB RFC), Daniel Whitten (Lisburn RFC), Alex Malcolm (Carrick RFC), Lee Murphy (Omagh RFC), Aaron Steenson (Dromore RFC)

Irish Exiles U18 Squad

Sean Ultaigh McCarthy (Warwick School, Warwick), Kieran Brookes (Fylde RFC, Kirkham Grammar School), Declan Farrell (Leeds Carnegie), Christian John Le-Monte Shepherd (Colston’s School, Bristol), Karem Moursi (Otley RUFC - Woodhouse Grove School), Ben Manning (RGS High Wycome), Charlie Armstrong (Truro College/Mounts Bay RFC), Calum Mulderrig (Ruislip Rugby Club, Ruislip Merchant Taylors School, Mddx), Joseph Niall Robinson (Chinnor RFC, St Edwards, Oxford), Alan Fraser Robert Carlisle (Royal Grammar School High Wycombe), Jack Tovey (Colstons School, Stapleton, Cleve RFC), Nathaniel John Ryan McDonald (RGS Worcester-Upper, Tything WRFC Academy), Tchad Collins-Francoise (Perranporth, Truro College), Liam John Cambridge (St Anselm’s Catholic College, Colin Free, Caldy Rugby FC), Peter Bradley (King Williams College, Douglas), Kieran Hagan (Stowe School), Luke Murphy-Wooldridge (St Olaves Grammar School, Orpington, Kent), James Doyle (Winchester Rugby FC, Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke), Ralph Jones (Bristol Academy of Rugby, Filton College, Bristol), Dean Lewis Connor (London Irish Amateur & London Irish Academy), Michael Hennessy (The Oratory), Callum McKie (The Champion School, Essex), Jordan Davies (Denstone College, Staffs, Eccles RFU), James Liam Twomey (Sheffield RC, Birkdale School, Leeds Carnegie Academy), James Stephenson (St Benedict’s School, Ealing, London Irish Academy), David Patrick Wells (Cokethorpe School, Oxon Newbury RFC, Berks)