Grand Slam chasers Ireland U 20 squad pen pics

over 3 years in The Irish Times

15 Patrick Campbell
Club: Young Munster School: PBC Cork Age: 19 Height: 5ft10in Weight: 88kgs (13st 10lbs)
Lowdown: A try scorer for Munster in the Champions Cup, he was an accomplished Gaelic footballer winning an Ireland minor title with Cork (2019) and playing for Nemo Rangers. His first instinct is to counter-attack but he possesses a superb all-round game.
14 Aitzol King
Club: Clontarf School: CUS Age: 19 Height: 6ft3in Weight: 97kgs (15st 3lbs)
Lowdown: One of triplets along with brothers, Iker and Kealan, he first played rugby with Balbriggan before joining Clontarf. He came on as a second-half replacement against England scoring two brilliant tries, the second an acrobatic finish in the corner; he starts against Scotland.
13 Jude Postlethwaite
Club: Banbridge School: RBAI Age: 19 Height: 6ft4in Weight: 101kgs (15st 9lbs) Lowdown: Came in to play his first match of the campaign in round three against Italy and has been excellent in his two matches. Spent time with the Ireland Sevens; runs good lines and is very good at off-loading in and through the tackle.
12 Ben Carson
Club: Banbridge School: Wallace High School Age: 20 Height: 6ft Weight: 100kgs (15st 7lbs)
Lowdown: He played four matches last season including one start and recovered from a punctured spleen to play his first game against England. He is a strong, direct player with a good passing game and forms a centre partnership developed in the Banbridge club. His favourite player is Sonny Bill Williams.
11 Fionn Gibbons
Club: UCD School: Castleknock College Age: 19 Height: 6ft4in Weight: 100kgs (15st 7lbs)
Lowdown: He started the campaign in his natural position of centre but, as players returned from injury, he has moved to the left wing. He is direct and powerful and uses that strength to good effect in his offloading game.
10 Charlie Tector
Club: Lansdowne School: Kilkenny College Age: 19 Height: 6ft2in Weight: 95kgs (14st 11lbs)
Lowdown: Related to the Irish cricketer Harry, he demonstrated a nerveless temperament in kicking the match-winning conversion against France and his work from the kicking-tee has been first class. Enniscorthy-born, he first learned to play at the local club.
9 Matthew Devine
Club: Galway Corinthians Age: 20 School: Garbally College Height: 5ft10in Weight: 84kg (13st 3lbs)
Lowdown: The son of former Offaly footballer Mike, Matthew and his brother John (Under-18 clubs) have both represented Ireland at rugby. Strong and quick on the fringes, he is joint-leading try scorer for the team with three in the campaign so far.
1 Jack Boyle
Club: UCD School: St Michael’s College Age: 20 Height: 6ft1in Weight: 106kg (16st 7lbs)
Lowdown: Played four matches in last season’s campaign, coming on in three, he started his rugby with Old Wesley minis, won medals for hammer and long jump and an SCT winner’s medal in rugby with St Michael’s (2019). Great footwork to go with power, he has been a key player.
2 James McCormick
Club: Ballymena School: Dalriada Age: 20 Height: 6ft Weight: 106kgs (16st 7lbs)
Lowdown: He scored tries against Wales and the ‘less famous’ one, the first of two that day in the victory over France. Ireland’s lineout has been absolutely superb and he’s obviously a key player in that but he also brings so much in his work around the pitch.
3 Rory McGuire
Club: UCD School: Blackrock College Age: 19 Height: 6ft4in Weight: 118kgs (18st 7lbs)
Lowdown: He was arguably Ireland’s best player in the opening 60 minutes of the victory over England and his performance graph has risen steadily upwards since taking the starting role in the second game against France. A very good all -round player.
4 Conor O’Tighearnaigh
Club: UCD School: St Michael’s College Age: 18 Height: 6ft7in Weight: 109kgs (17st 2lbs)
Lowdown: The youngest member of the squad and eligible again next year, he forms a secondrow partnership with Mark Morrissey that goes back to the days of mini rugby at Bective Rangers. He’s been consistently excellent.
5 Mark Morrissey
Club: UCD School: Blackrock College Age: 20 Height: 6ft5in Weight: 98kgs (15st 5lbs)
Lowdown: Another member of last year’s team, he has taken on the responsibility of calling Ireland’s lineout, a duty he’s discharged superbly while also contributing handsomely in every facet of the game; a try scorer against Wales.
6 Lorcan McLoughlin
Club: QUB School: Sherborne School, Dorset Age: 19 Height: 6ft3in Weight: 105kgs (16st 7lbs)
Lowdown: Hailing from Dorset but studying at Queen’s and attached to the Ulster academy, a try-scoring cameo against Italy in which he excelled was followed by another try in a standout performance in the England win.
7 Reuben Crothers, capt
Club: Ballynahinch Age: 20 School: Wallace High School Height: 6ft1in Weight: 97kgs (15st 3lbs)
Lowdown: A player who has been a leader on and off the pitch for his teammates; 55 tackles made in the tournament and none missed, the most of any player. He scored tries against Wales and Italy but it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his contribution.
8 James Culhane
Club: UCD School: Blackrock College Age: 19 Height: 6ft4in Weight: 107kgs (16st 10lbs)
Lowdown: He would probably be the frontrunner for player of the tournament and has already accumulated several man-of-the-match awards. His carrying has been outstanding; the lines of running and footwork through contact have bamboozled physically bigger men.
16 Josh Hanlon
Club: Ballynahinch School: Down High School Age: 20 Height: 6ft Weight: 101kgs (15st 9lbs)
Lowdown: He has come off the bench in three of the four matches in the campaign to date – he wasn’t used against France – for a combined total of 43 minutes.
17 Oisín Michel
Club: Lansdowne School: Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge Age: 19 Height: 6ft1in Weight: 107kgs (16st 9lbs)
Lowdown: He came through the Youths pathway with Cill Dara rugby club before moving to Lansdowne and has played in three of Ireland’s four matches to date, getting 31 minutes in the win over Wales.
18 Scott Wilson
Club: QUB School: Wallace High School Age: 19 Height: 6ft2in Weight: 119kgs (18st 8lbs)
Lowdown: He was the first choice tighthead at the start of the tournament and produced a great performance against Wales but following injury only returned for the English match where he started on the bench. A huge work-rate and very good on both sides of the ball.
19 Adam McNamee
Club: Malone School: Methodist College, Belfast Age: 19 Height: 6ft5in Weight: 110kgs (17st 4lbs)
Lowdown: He understudied Ireland’s first-choice secondrow in the first three matches coming on as a replacement in each game before missing out against England but he returns to the replacements for the final match of the campaign.
20 Diarmuid Mangan
Club: UCD School: Newbridge College Age: 19 Height: 6ft5in Weight: 107kgs (16st 9lbs)
Lowdown: He made his debut against England the last day – he’d previously had injury issues – enjoying a nine-minute cameo. The former Newbridge College player was an outstanding schoolboy player and can play either in the secondrow or backrow, given his athletic ability.
21 Ethan Coughlan
Club: Shannon School: Rice College, Ennis Age: 19 Height: 5ft9in Weight: 81kgs (12st 8lbs)
Lowdown: He is one of three players who played with Ennis RFC at underage level and came through the Munster Youths set-up. He played Gaelic football and hurling with St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield. He made his Munster senior debut in the Champions Cup win over Wasps.
22 Tony Butler
Club: Garryowen School: St Flannan’s College, Ennis Age: 19 Height: 5ft11in Weight: 85kgs (13st 4lbs)
Lowdown: The second product of Ennis RFC and a talented sportsman. He helped St Flannan’s win the Harty Cup (2020), played minor hurling for Clare and along with Coughlan made his Munster debut in the European win against Wasps.
23 Chay Mullins
Club: Bristol Bears School: SGS Filton, Bristol Age: 20 Height: 6ft3in Weight: 94kgs (14st 9lbs)
Lowdown: He played at this level last season and is the joint top try-scorer with three during the current campaign, despite missing the French match. Starts on the bench but at some stage he will provide Ireland with a cutting edge out wide with his footwork and pace.
The Rest
Ben Brownlee (centre)
Club: UCD School: Blackrock College Age: 19 Height: 6ft2in Weight: 96kgs (15st 1lb)
Lowdown: He scored tries in the opening two games, including the decisive last-minute effort against France but unfortunately sustained a broken hand in the victory over Italy. He’d been having a very good tournament.
Shane Mallon (wing)
Club: UCD School: Cistercian College, Roscrea Age: 19 Height: 6ft Weight: 93kg (14st 7lbs)
Lowdown: The former Longford rugby club player was first-choice left wing but hasn’t been involved in the last couple of matches after Fionn Gibbons was relocated from centre to wing.
Dylan O’Grady (fullback)
Club: UCD School: Belvedere College Age: 19 Height: 5ft11in Weight: 80kgs (12st 6lbs)
Lowdown: He played his early club rugby with Suttonians before going to school at Belvedere from where he played provincial age-grade rugby. He was backline cover in the first three matches before missing out against England.
Daniel Hawkshaw (centre)
Club: Clontarf School: Belvedere College Age: 19 Height: 6ft3in Weight: 90kgs (14st 2lbs)
Lowdown: The younger brother of Leinster’s David (he will join Connacht in the summer), who was Ireland’s Grand Slam captain in 2019. Daniel played alongside Brownlee in the centre in the victory over France.
James McNabney (Secondrow)
Club: Ballymena School: Cambridge House Grammar School, Ballymena Age: 19 Height: 6ft5in Weight: 107kgs (16st 9lbs) Lowdown: The first to wear the number six jersey and enjoyed a try-scoring performance against Wales and went on to start against France and Italy before Lorcan McLoughlin took over the run-on role against England and Scotland.
Darragh McSweeney (prop)
Club: Shannon School: PBC, Cork. Age: 19 Height: 6ft3in Weight: 130kgs (20st 5lbs)
Lowdown: The Shannon tighthead prop was called into the matchday 23 for the games against France, where he made a handsome contribution in a fraught end game and Italy.
Conor Moloney (flanker)
Club: Young Munster School: St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart Age: 19 Height: 6ft2in Weight: 110kgs (17st 4lbs)
Lowdown: The third young player to have played underage rugby with Ennis RFC, he only took up the game in his mid-teens. He has featured prominently for Young Munster in the All Ireland League.
Ronan O’Sullivan
Club: Highfield School: CBC Cork Age: 19 Height: 6ft Weight: 99kgs (15st 9lbs)
Lowdown: The Highfield flanker played 19 minutes of Ireland’s opening match in the Six Nations at Musgrave Park when replacing James McNabney.

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