Sport

Ireland bring in fresh quartet

FOLLOWING THEIR 23-0 victory over Italy in their last outing, the Ireland Under-19 coaching staff has made four changes to the…

Thu Apr 03 2008 - 01:00

FOLLOWING THEIR 23-0 victory over Italy in their last outing, the Ireland Under-19 coaching staff has made four changes to the team to play France (Paris, Saturday, 5pm) in their second and final international of the season.

Jack McGrath, Thomas Sexton, Adam Macklin and Ian McKinley make their first starts.

Centre Shane Gahan is ruled out through injury, so John O'Brien comes on to the bench. The team will again be captained by Munster's Peter O'Mahoney.

"Saturday's opponents will provide a very different test. We have made a few changes to the starting line-up which we feel will give us the best platform on which to build another creditable performance to which all squad members can contribute."

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Harlequins have signed the Ulster flanker Neil McMillan for next season.

The 26-year-old Ireland A international has been with Ulster since 2001, before which he spent a season with Leicester's under-21 side.

Harlequins' director of rugby, Dean Richards, said: "I have known Neil since his early days at Leicester, and I am looking forward to being a part of his future development.

"Neil is a genuine number seven. He is a great tackler, with a huge work-rate."

McMillan added: "I have been with Ulster for seven years and, although I have had a great time at the club, I feel that it is the right time to take the next step. Quins will be a new and exciting challenge."

Darren Yapp has become the latest long-serving Connacht player to announce he will bring the curtain down on his professional rugby career at the end of the season. The centre/winger follows in the footsteps of Matt Mostyn in deciding to retire at the end of the current campaign.

IRELAND UNDER-19:D McIlwaine (QUB/Ulster); J Shields (Coleraine AI/Ulster), G Foley (CBC Monkstown/Leinster), I McKinley (St Columba's/Leinster), Kyle Kirkpatrick (Ards/Ulster); A Burke (Crescent/Munster), C Murray (Young Munster/Munster); J McGrath (St Mary's/Leinster), T Sexton (Belvedere/Leinster), A Macklin (Methody/Ulster); C Ruddock (Neath/Exiles), M Flanagan (UCD/Leinster); P O'Mahoney (PBC Cork/Munster, capt), S Dougall (Barnard Castle/Exiles), M Noone (CBC Monkstown/Leinster). Replacements: D McGregor (Ballynahinch/Ulster), G Duffy (UCC/Munster), A Whitten (Instonians/Ulster), S Grannell (CBC Monkstown/Leinster), M Healey (Lansdowne/Leinster), J O'Brien (Connemara/Connacht), D Funston (City of Derry/Ulster).