Paul Ryan will lead the Ireland U20 team (sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers) as part of a 26 man strong squad for the upcoming inaugural IRB Junior World Championships to take place in Wales in June.

The Ireland squad will take part in a training game against their Scotland counterparts in Ravenhill this Friday evening (K.O. 6.00pm) and the match will be free entry for fans to watch Elwood’s team make their final preparations for the tournament.

Ireland coach Eric Elwood has picked a squad dominated by players who took part in the recent U20 Six Nations Championship and his side will open their account against Argentina on June 6th in Cardiff.  This will be the first of their Pool A games that will be followed up by playing New Zealand and then the South Sea Island nation of Tonga, with the top two teams qualifying for the knockout stages.

Commenting on the tournament, Coach Eric Elwood said: “Like all tournaments, the first game is pivotal.  Argentina is a key game for us as they always have a strong and talented side at this level.  If we can get a positive result in that game, it can put us in a good position to qualify out of our group. 

“Our next game against New Zealand is a whole different challenge and with the standard of players that they have in their squad, they always seem to start these tournaments as favourites.  After that we have another physical game on our hands against Tonga, so they do not get any easier for us”.

“The squad has prepared really well over the last couple of months in terms of conditioning, with the emphasis on facing these physical sides in our first three games.   The players have been excellent in their commitment and attitude during this period and I think that this will definitely stand to us.  The majority of the squad now has good experience following the Six Nations Championship, so that will also be a plus going into the tournament”.

Ireland Under Squad (sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers):

Forwards (14)

Stephen Archer (UCC/Munster)
Ben Barclay (UCD/ Leinster)
Stephen Douglas (Ballymena/Ulster)
Michael Entwistle (Ballymena/Ulster)
Kieran Essex (U.L. Bohemians/Munster)
Jason Harris Wright (Greystones/Leinster)
Conor Higgins (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Paul Karayiannis (QUB/Ulster)
Patrick Mallon (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Ian Nagle (UCC/Munster)
David Nolan (Galwegians/Connacht)
Paul Ryan Captain (Blackrock College/Leinster)
James Sandford (QUB/Ulster)
Eoin Sheriff (Lansdowne/Leinster)

Backs (12)

Eoin O’Malley (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Conor Cleary (Greystones/Leinster)
Chris Cochrane (QUB/Ulster)
Martin Dufficy (Dublin University/Leinster)
David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
David Moore (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Niall Morris (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Ian Porter (QUB/Ulster)
Sean Scanlon (UCC/Munster)
Eamonn Sheridan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Jamie Smith (Ballymena/Ulster)

Management
Manager - Phil Orr
Coach – Eric Elwood
Assistant Coach – Dan McFarland

Scotland U20 Squad

Gary Strain
Murray Allan
Stevie Wilson
James Murray
Ross Sampson
Jonny Baird
Andrew Rose
Stevie Burton
Angus Dixon
Joe Stafford
Adrian Duncan
Peter Horne
Lee Jones
Chris Kinloch
Stevie McColl
Tom Bury
Ruaridh Jackson
Peter Jericevich
Craig Simmonds
Lewis Calder
Fraser McKenzie
Rickie Gray
Neale Patrick
Lewis Niven
Niall Shannon

Ireland IRB Junior World Championship Fixtures (Pool A):

Argentina U20 v Ireland U20, Friday, 6th June, Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, 19.00hrs

Ireland U20 v New Zealand U20, Tuesday, 10th June, Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, 21.10hrs

Tonga U20 v Ireland U20, Saturday, 14th June, Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, 15.00hrs

* For any enquiries regarding Ireland's warm up match against Scotland, please contact Máire Cahill at the IRFU (Ulster Branch). *