HEAD COACH ANDREW Browne has named a 29-player Ireland squad for the upcoming U20s Six Nations.

The squad will be captained by Leinster tighthead Sami Bishti, and includes four players who featured in last year’s championship – Donnacha McGuire, Tom Wood, Charlie Molony and Derry Moloney.

Ireland open their campaign away to France on Saturday, 7 February, and have warmed-up for the tournament with uncapped challenge matches against South Africa and Italy either side of Christmas.

“We’ve been working hard together as an extended squad for a number of months and it’s an exciting time for these young players, who have the honour of representing the wider group in the Six Nations,” said Browne.

“We, as coaches, have pushed the players over the last number of months and I have been impressed by their work-rate, commitment, and application. Now our focus turns to performance and the opening game against France, which we know will be a big challenge first up.

“We are looking forward to the opportunities over the coming weeks and are excited by the prospect of an Ireland U20s team returning to Six Nations action at Virgin Media Park in Cork, where we always have huge support.”

Ireland Men’s U20s Squad

Forwards (17)

• Tyrese Abolarin (Queen’s University/Ulster)
• Sami Bishti (UCD/Leinster)(captain)
• Ben Blaney (Terenure/Leinster)
• Jonathan Byrne (Garryowen/Munster)
• Max Doyle (UCD/Leinster)
• Joe Finn (Garryowen/Munster)
• Christian Foley (Young Munster/Munster)
• Rian Handley (Old Wesley/Leinster)
• Bill Hayes (Garryowen/Munster)
• Alex Lautsou (Shannon/Munster)
• Duinn Maguire (UCD/Leinster)
• Blake McClean (Instonians/Ulster)
• Donnacha McGuire (UCD/Leinster)
• Dylan McNeice (UCD/Leinster)
• Josh Neill (Old Wesley/Leinster)
• Diarmaid O’Connell (Corinthians/Connacht)
• Sean Walsh (MU Barnhall/Leinster)

Backs (12)

• Christopher Barrett (UCC/Munster)
• Ethan Black (Old Wesley/Leinster)
• Noah Byrne (Dublin University/Leinster)
• Luke Fogarty (MU Barnhall/Leinster)
• Derry Moloney (Blackrock College/Leinster)
• Charlie Molony (UCD/Leinster)
• James O’Dwyer (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
• Charlie O’Shea (UCC/Munster)
• Johnny O’Sullivan (Dublin University/Leinster)
• Daniel Ryan (Corinthians/Connacht)
• Harry Waters (Blackrock College/Leinster)
• Tom Wood (Garryowen/Munster)

Ireland Men’s U20s fixtures:

• Saturday, 7 February: France v Ireland, Stade Aime Giral, 8pm Irish time
• Friday, 13 February: Ireland v Italy, Virgin Media Park, 7.45pm
• Friday, 20 February: England v Ireland, The Rec, 7.45pm
• Saturday, 7 March: Ireland v Wales, Virgin Media Park, 7.45pm
• Sunday, 15 March: Ireland v Scotland, Virgin Media Park, 3.15pm.