FIVE MEMBERS OF Ireland’s squad at the U20 World Championship in Georgia won’t play in this tournament again due to injuries.
Marcus Rea (shoulder), Jack Kelly (ankle), Sean Masterson (ankle), Conor Fitzgerald (ankle), Liam Coombes (thigh) — all of whom played in Thursday’s 69-3 defeat to New Zealand — are returning home following a medical review.
Head coach Peter Malone has added Instonians and Ulster wing Mark Keane, Navan and Leinster back-row forward Cormac Daly and Buccaneers and Connacht out-half Luke Carty to his squad instead.
After losing all three of their Pool B games — there were also defeats to Scotland and Italy — the best Ireland can now hope for is a ninth-place finish in the 12-team tournament.
Ireland will face Samoa on Tuesday morning [10am Irish time], with Argentina taking on Georgia on Wednesday on the other side of the ninth-place play-off bracket.
