Ireland v Wales,Parma, 3.30 Sunday
IRELAND WILL have to overcome disadvantages in preparation, conditioning and sheer bulk if they are to improve on last year’s 25-6 defeat to the Welsh in Cork in the Under-18 Six Nations, being held in and around the city of Parma in the week ahead.
That seems unlikely given Wales’ 27-15 win over France in Soissons and a follow-up, 29-6 flattering beating of Italy that owed everything to three converted tries in the last 10 minutes.
There is a thread of form here as Ireland just managed to get the better of the Italians (15-12) before Christmas. These two will meet on Wednesday in what could provide Ireland’s best chance of a victory.
Ireland have four players back from last year’s squad in Ulster playmakers James McKinney and Luke Marshall, Castleknock prop Martin Moore and hooker Niall Annett. However, Marshall was concussed in a training match last Saturday. He is replaced in the squad by Ferdia Doherty.
Despite the presence of McKinney, Crescent’s Gareth Quinn-McDonagh will start at outhalf with King’s Hospital’s Peter du Toit inside him at nine. It is a partnership designed for fast ball to an exciting three-quarter line.
The Irish will look to move the ball away from a lightweight, mobile pack to their strength out wide in the outstanding skills of fullback Andrew Conway and his Blackrock school-mate Brendan Macken in the centre.
IRELAND:A Conway (Blackrock College); T O'Halloran (Cistercian College, Roscrea), B Macken (Blackrock College), A Kelly (St Michael's College), C Colvin (Royal School, Armagh); P Quinn-McDonagh (Crescent Comprehensive), P du Toit (King's Hospital); J Tracy (Newbridge College), N Annett (Methodist College), M Moore (Castleknock College), P O'Mahony (Presentation Cork); A Spring (Sligo Grammar), S Leckey (Methodist College), D Doyle (Gonzaga College), J Murphy (Blackrock College, capt).
