Ireland Under 20s: Seven players return from team that beat France for rematch in Italy

Ireland Under-20 v France Under-20, Verona (7.0, Irish time, live on Six Nations You Tube channel)

Ireland’s Richie Murphy has chosen 14 players on the starting team who took part in Ireland’s Six Nations Grand Slam-winning campaign for the opening match of the summer series in Italy. Young Munster wing Shay McCarthy wins a first Ireland Under-20 cap after being named on the left wing.

Seven Irish players return from the team that beat France 17-16 at the Stade Maurice David during the Six Nations, captain Reuben Crothers, James McNabney, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, James McCormick, Ethan Coughlan, Daniel Hawkshaw and Aitzol King. There are also several players on the bench who are familiar with this age-grade.

France retain just five of the starting XV that night, Max Auriac, Emilien Gailleton, Baptiste Jauneau, Samuel M’Foudi and Now Della Schiava. A further three from that team have been called up to the senior tour of Japan.

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Given the significant number of first-choice players missing from the Grand Slam-winning side it’s going to be a very tough assignment for Murphy’s side and what will be gleaned from a pool that also contains England and South Africa is likely to centre on performance values, individual and hopefully collective, more so than results.

Ireland Under-20: D O’Grady (UCD); A King (Clontarf), F Gibbons (UCD), D Hawkshaw (Clontarf), S McCarthy (Young Munster); T Butler (Garryowen), E Coughlan (Shannon); O Michel (Lansdowne), J McCormick (Ballymena), D McSweeney (Shannon); C O’Tighearnaigh (UCD), A McNamee (Malone); J McNabney (Ballymena), R Crothers (Ballynahinch, capt), L McLoughlin (QUB). Replacements: J Hanlon (Ballynahinch), G Hadden (Gorey), K Ryan (Shannon), C Irvine (QUB), D Mangan (UCD), M Moloney (UCD), S Prendergast (Lansdowne), G Coomber (UCC), R Malone (Loughborough University), G Shaw (Cardiff University), R O’Sullivan (Highfield).

France Under-20: M Auriac; E Randle, E Gailleton, N Depoortere, L Bielle-Biarrey; L Barre, B Janueau; T Moukoro, C Sa, E Yemsi; S M’Foudi, L Labarthe; N Della Schiava, M Baudonne, K Tixeront. V Montgaillard, P Emmanuel-Pacheco, R Bellemand, R Portat, L Banos, J Coulon, S Tarei, M Garcia, M Suta, E Dayral, G Masse.