IRELAND HAVE confirmed their team for Friday night’s U20 Six Nations Summer Series opener against France at the Payanini Centre in Verona (kick-off 7pm Irish time, live on the Six Nations YouTube channel).

Ulster back-row Reuben Crothers will captain the team, while head coach Richie Murphy has included 14 players who featured during the Grand Slam-winning campaign in his starting XV.

Winger Shay McCarthy is also set for a debut, as the Irish side aim to build on their recent success, having sealed the Grand Slam with an emphatic victory over Scotland last March.

Ireland team:

15. Dylan O’Grady (UCD RFC/Leinster)
14. Aitzol King (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
13. Fionn Gibbons (UCD RFC/Leinster)
12. Daniel Hawkshaw (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
11. Shay McCarthy (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
10. Tony Butler (Garryowen FC/Munster)
9. Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster)

1. Oisin Michel (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
2. James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
3. Darragh McSweeney (Shannon RFC/Munster)
4. Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
5. Adam McNamee (Malone RFC/Ulster)
6. James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
7. Reuben Crothers (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)(Captain)
8. Lorcan McLoughlin (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)

Replacements:

16. Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
17. George Hadden (Gorey RFC/Clontarf FC/Leinster)
18. Kieran Ryan (Shannon RFC/Munster)
19. Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
20. Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster)
21. Michael Moloney (UCD RFC/Leinster)
22. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
23. George Coomber (UCC RFC/Munster)
24. Reece Malone (Loughborough University/Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
25. George Shaw (Cardiff University/IQ Rugby)
26. Ronan O’Sullivan (Highfield RFC/Munster).