Ireland will be without No. 8 Brian Gleeson for Friday night’s Under-20s match against Italy at Musgrave Park (7.15pm), but the Tipperary man will be in action for Aix-en-Provence. This was due to the bruise he sustained during the thrilling 37-31 win against France in the United States. It is not considered to be very serious.
Gleeson, one of the team’s standout players and try scorer in the opening game, will be replaced by Shannon’s Luke Murphy, who started on the bench in France. There were two other changes to the starting pack, with Old Wesley hooker Stephen Smith moving into the front row and France’s other try-scorer, Danny Sheehan, dropping as a substitute.
Due to an injury to UCD’s Andrew Sparrow, former Ulster prop Clem’s son Jacob Boyd comes on at tighthead prop, while Sale Sharks’ Patrice Bell is promoted to round 23 and Munster’s younger brother UCC student Sean Edogbo was similarly promoted to Section 23. 2nd row Edwin. There are no changes to the backline.
Ireland: B O’Connor (UCC); F Tracey (Galwegian), W de Klerk (UCD), H Gavin (Galwegian), H McLaughlin (Lansdowne). J Murphy (Clontarf), O Coffey (Blackrock University). Usanov (Clontarf). S. Smith (Old Wesley), J. Boyd (QUB). A. Spicer (UCD), E. O’Connell (UL Bohemian, Captain). J Hopes (QUB), B Ward (Ballynahinch), L Murphy (Shannon).
Replacement: D. Sheehan (Cork Constitution), B. Howard (Terrenure College), P. Bell (Sale Sharks), B. Corrigan (Old Wesley), S. Edogbo (UCC), T. Brophy ( Naas), S. Norton (Galway Corinthians), E. Graham (Ballynahinch))