Beefed-up Irish should do better

Representative Match/ Ireland Under-19 v Australia Schools Ravenhill (7.0): The Ireland Under-19 team should acquit themselves better than the shadow side managed at Donnybrook at the weekend. On that occasion the Australian Schools romped to a 51-18 over an Ireland A side, the visitors racking up eight tries in the process.

Only two players graduate to the first-choice Ireland team, Garbally College fullback Seán Carey and St Munchin's Keith Earls, who switches from the left wing to his more favoured position in the centre. A son of former Young Munster and Munster openside flanker Ger, Keith contributed one of the three Irish tries scored at Donnybrook.

Indeed, it was Earls' early chip and chase that culminated in a try as the Irish built up an 8-0 lead. It was to prove a short-lived fillip as Australia took a firm grip on proceedings. Fullback Carey was another of the Irish try scorers, while hooker Ger Slattery, named among the replacements for tonight's game, was the third.

Tonight's Irish team includes five players from the interprovincial champions Leinster, a number that would have been larger but for the broken collarbone suffered by Blackrock College's Luke Fitzgerald. His schoolmate, the Russian born Vasya Artemiev, is named on the left wing, while Leinster captain Brian Collins is chosen at outhalf.

IRELAND U-19: S Carey (Garbally College); M Barker (QUB), K Earls (St Munchin's), I Keatley (UCD), V Artemiev (Blackrock College); B Collins (Castleknock College), S Cranley (Greystones); C Healy (Belvedere College), D Gilchrist (UCD), S Gethings (Gonzaga); T Walsh (Castleknock College), C McInerney (UCD, capt); T Anderson (QUB), K Sheahan (UCD), T O'Donnell (UL Bohemians). Replacements: G Slattery (St Munchin's), M Ferguson (QUB), N Simpson (Instonians), J Graham (Ballynahinch), S O'Sullivan (CBC Cork), D Drake (Instonians), N O'Connor (Limavady GS), A Wynne (Blackrock College).