Ireland name five U20 Grand Slam winners in side to take on France in opener

U20 Six Nations: France v Ireland, Stade Maurice David, Aix-en-Provence, Saturday, 8.10pm Irish time – Live on Virgin Media

Ireland head coach Richie Murphy has selected five players who saw action in last year’s Grand Slam-winning campaign for the opening match of this year’s Six Nations Championship against France in Aix-en-Provence on Saturday night.

Evan O’Connell captains the team from secondrow, while Hugh Gavin, who played every minute of every match in last season’s triumphant campaign, is named at inside centre. Danny Sheahan starts at hooker, Joe Hopes at blindside flanker and Munster senior player Brian Gleeson at number eight, make up the five.

Ben O’Connor, who has made four senior appearances for Munster since joining the academy last summer, is at fullback. Wilhelm de Klerk, Ireland’s best back in a pre-Christmas win over Italy in Belfield, swaps the role of inside for outside centre, while Finn Treacy and Hugo McLaughlin are on the wings.

Halfbacks Jack Murphy and Ollie Coffey have played together at representative level since school for province and country. The back five in the pack contains the six-foot, eight-inch Hopes – he made his Ulster senior debut earlier this season – at blindside flanker and the six-foot, 10-inch Alan Spicer, who partners O’Connell in the secondrow.

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Bryn Ward, brother of Sevens player Zac and son of former Ireland flanker Andy, switches from number eight to openside flanker from the win over Italy to accommodate Gleeson’s return to a team for whom he starred last season.

Ireland prevailed in the corresponding fixture 33-31 in Musgrave Park last season and two years ago won in France 17-16 with a late try from Ben Brownlee, converted by Charlie Tector.

IRELAND: B O’Connor (UCC); F Treacy (Galwegians), W de Klerk (UCD), H Gavin (Galwegians), H McLaughlin (Lansdowne); J Murphy (Clontarf), O Coffey (Blackrock College); A Usanov (Clontarf), D Sheahan (Cork Constitution), A Sparrow (UCD); A Spicer (UCD), E O’Connell (UL Bohemian, capt); J Hopes (Queen’s), B Ward (Ballynahinch), B Gleeson (Garryowen).

Replacements: H Walker (Queen’s), B Howard (Terenure College), J Boyd (Queen’s), B Corrigan (Old Wesley), L Murphy (Shannon), T Brophy (Naas), S Naughton (Galway Corinthians), E Graham (Ballynahinch).

FRANCE: M Férte; G Arfeuil, R Taccola, A Desperes, H Bosmorin; T Raffy, L Carbonneau; L Julien, B Massa, Z Aouad; C Gambini, C Mezou; N Zinzen, P Tuifua, M Castro-Ferreira.

Replacements: R Couly, L Ametlla, T Duchene, A Corso, M Perrin, J Quere Karaba, N Nene, M Biasotto.