LEINSTER’S JOHN COONEY has been handed a chance to impress at the Tbilisi Cup.
The scrum-half starts alongside Ian Keatley in the Emerging Ireland side which faces the South Africa President’s XV tomorrow.
Allen Clarke’s side got their campaign off to a nervy start when Keatley kicked two late penalties to steer them past tournament hosts Georgia, but now they come up against a Springbok side who ran in six tries against Uruguay in their opener.
Cooney replaces Ulster’s Michael Heaney as one of six changes from that 20-15 win on Friday. Noel Reid and Brendan Macken both start in a fresh midfield partnership, replacing Eoin Griffin and Michael Allen.
Niall Annett comes off the bench to join Jack McGrath and Michael Bent in the front row while Ian Nagle lines out with David Foley in an all-Munster second row. Jordi Murphy makes his first start of the tournament alongside captain Rhys Ruddock and Ulster’s Robbie Diack in the back row.
Dave O’Callaghan, who was called into the squad as a replacement for Lewis Stevenson (illness), is named on the bench.
Kick-off tomorrow is at 2pm Irish time.
Emerging Ireland (v South Africa President’s XV): David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Niall Morris (Leicester/Exiles), Brendan Macken (Blackrock/Leinster), Noel Reid (Clontarf/Leinster), Tiernan O’Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht); Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster), John Cooney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s/Leinster), Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Michael Bent (Leinster); David Foley (UL Bohemian/Munster), Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution/Munster); Rhys Ruddock (capt, St. Mary’s/Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster).
Replacements: Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Ricky Lutton (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Dave O’Callaghan (Dolphin/Munster), Eoin McKeon (Galwegians/Connacht), Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Eoin Griffin (Galwegians/Connacht), Michael Allen (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster).
