LOUTH NATIVE MICHAEL McDonald made his debut for the Junior Wallabies in Friday’s victory over Japan in the opening round of the U20 Oceania Championships.
The Western Force scrum-half came off the bench during the second half of Australia’s 64-14 win at Bond University on the Gold Coast.
Fiji provide the opposition in the Wallabies’ second match on Tuesday, before Jason Gilmore’s side oppose New Zealand on 4 May.
The cap — McDonald’s maiden at international level — is the latest career landmark for the former Dundalk RFC player, following his first-team debut with the Force earlier this month.
Nineteen-year-old McDonald moved to Australia with his parents and twin brother, Andrew, at the age of 13, having played all his rugby with Dundalk to that point.
His two older siblings, Cillian and Gearoid, have enjoyed careers at a decent level within Ireland, the latter lining out for Old Belvedere and Lansdowne in the All-Ireland League as well as helping Leinster Juniors to the Interprovincial crown last year.
Should McDonald retain his place for this summer’s U20 World Cup in Argentina, he could face his homeland with Australia and Ireland having been paired in the same group, alongside England and Italy.
Gavan Casey and Murray Kinsella are joined by Andy Dunne to get stuck into last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals.:
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