Sport

Ireland chase second Triple Crown

Schools' International: Ireland seek a second triple crown in three years against France at Dubarry Park tonight (6

Fri Apr 08 2005 - 01:00

Schools' International: Ireland seek a second triple crown in three years against France at Dubarry Park tonight (6.45pm), Athlone.

This is the sixth meeting of the two at this level with Ireland undefeated at home to the French, yet they have failed to beat them in three away trips.

Ireland come in with two notable scalps - one over a strong England side, 27-18, in Cork before beating a Welsh side, 33-13, last Saturday in Pontypool. Wales beat France 10-3 back in February.

There is only one change to the starting XV with Michael Ferguson moving into the tighthead role in the absence of the injured Royce Burke-Flynn with St Munchin's Alan Cotter coming on to the bench.

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IRELAND SCHOOLS': L Fitzgerald (Blackrock College); L Hanratty (Gonzaga College), Mark McCrea (Belfast High School), K Earls (St Munchin's College), V Artemiev (Blackrock College); B Collins (Castlenock College), A Bartholomew (Royal School Armagh); C Healy (Belvedere College), C Culleton (Blackrock College), M Ferguson (Sullivan Upper School); T Anderson (Rainey Endowed School), C McInerney (St Mary's college); R Hamilton (Methodist College), W Falloon (Royal School Armagh), D Pollock (capt, Royal School Dungannon). Replacements: D Gilchrist (Belvedere College), A Cotter (St Munchin's), N Simpson (Belfast Royal Academy), D Keogh (Christian Brothers College Cork), D Moore (Blackrock College), J Shiells (Royal School Dungannon), O McMurray (Methodist College).

UNDER-19 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Ireland have made only one change to the side that started against South Africa on Tuesday for their third-round match of the IRB Under-19 World Championship against unbeaten Australia at the ABSA stadium in Durban tomorrow with Thomond wing Frankie Daly coming in for Eric Moloney of Blackrock.

"It's a tactical change," said Ireland coach Pat Murray. "Frankie will give us a greater physical presence against Australia and is part of our strategy of attacking them. We're really going to have a go against the Australians and try to upset them. The spirit is good in the squad and the guys are up for it."

The squad is back to the full complement of 26 players with the recovery from a virus infection of Brendan Lynch.

IRELAND UNDER-19 (v Georgia): R Kearney (capt, UCD); F Daly (Thomond), F McFadden (Clongowes), D Cave (Upper Sullivan), D Black (Portadown); E Ryan (UCC), M D'Arcy (Dublin University); C Black (Hartpury), G O'Meara (Lansdowne), B Lynch (Rotherham Titans), D McGowan (Buccaneers), F Walsh (UCC), D Laffan (Dublin University), B O'Mahony (Crescent Comp), D O'Reilly (Blackrock College). Replacements from: C Muldoon (Galwegians), G Walsh (UL Bohs), B Lynch (Rotherham Titans), K Griffin (Shannon), A Saunderson (Ballyclare), G Cooney (Old Belvedere), K Lett (UCD), R Boles (Colston), E Moloney (Blackrock), K Moloney (Blackrock), D Toner (Lansdowne), D Dawson (Cooke).