Rugby:Ireland under-20 coach Mike Ruddock has made nine changes and a positional switch in his side to take on Italy in the final group game against Italy at the Junior World Championships in South Africa.
After naming the same XV for the victory over South Africa and the loss to England, Ruddock has decided to make use of his squad after two tough matches.
Clontarf’s Mikey Sherlock comes in at fullback, with Peter Nelson moving to outside centre to join Dungannon’s Chris Farrell.
Buccanneers winger Conor Finn for Barry Daly on the right wing, while both halfbacks have been changes with Finn’s clubmate Jack Carty at outhalf alongside UCD scrumhalf Luke McGrath.
There are five changes in the pack, with Garryowen’s James Real coming in at hooker and Lansdowne’s Peter Reilly at tighthead. UCD’s Alan O’Connor joins Iain Henderson in the secondrow, while Corinthians’ Aaron Conneely comes in at blindside and Josh van der Flier at blindside.
Ireland need to beat Italy with a bonus point and hope that South Africa win against England, denying the English a bonus point, while also requiring that the baby ’Boks don’t get a bonus point of their own in scoring four tries. Ireland could then top Pool B.
New Zealand, on six points, must lose to Fiji. If as expected they get a bonus-point victory and Wales beat a Samoa side that has yet to claim even a losing bonus point then both teams could qualify from Pool A.
Argentina, who have beaten by France and Australia, would have to lose to Scotland; this result coming in tandem with a defeat for New Zealand or Wales with the latter not getting a bonus point in defeat. Even then it would come down to points differential.
IRELAND (v Italy):M Sherlock (Clontarf/Leinster); C Finn (Buccaneers/Connacht), P Nelson (Dungannon/Ulster), C Farrell (Dungannon/Ulster), S Coghlan Murray (UCD/Leinster); J Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht), L McGrath (UCD/Leinster); D Merrey (Clontarf/Leinster), J Rael (Garryowen/Munster), P Reilly (Lansdowne/Leinster), A O'Connor (UCD/Leinster), I Henderson (QUB/Ulster), A Conneely (Corinthians/Connacht), J van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), J Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements:N Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), T Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), J Cawley (Old Belvedere/Leinster), T Beirne (Lansdowne/Leinster), S Buckley (Garryowen/Munster), K Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), C Marsh (Dublin University/Leinster), S Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster).
