News

Nelson And Taggart Start For Emerging Ireland

16th June 2015

Ulster’s Peter Nelson and Frank Taggart will start for Emerging Ireland in their clash with Uruguay tomorrow (kick off 7pm local/ 2pm GMT).

Ulster’s Peter Nelson and Frank Taggart will start for Emerging Ireland in their clash with Uruguay tomorrow (kick off 7pm local/ 2pm GMT).

Rob Herring and Andrew Warwick have been named as replacements.

Coach Allen Clarke has made 10 changes to team that recorded a bonus point win over Emerging Italy on Saturday.

Only Eoin Griffin, Matt Healy, Stephen Archer, Billy Holland and captain Rhys Ruddock are retained.

Ruddock is joined in the back-row by Taggart who starts at open-side and Eoghan Masterson at No.8. Billy Holland is partnered in the second row by Andrew Browne with James Cronin and David Heffernan coming into the front row alongside Stephen Archer.

John Cooney and Rory Scannell get the opportunity to impress as the starting half-back pairing while Noel Reid will form a midfield partnership with Eoin Griffin. Nelson and Cian Kelleher start in the back three alongside Matt Healy who backs up from Saturday’s game against the Italians.

Denis Buckley, Ben Marshall, Dan Leavy, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath and JJ Hanrahan join Herring and Warwick on the bench.

Emerging Ireland Coach, Allen Clarke commented, “While we are here to play rugby and to be successful in a mini tournament, the events of the weekend with the floods in Tbilisi and with what the people here are having to deal with in terms of loss of life and destruction, puts everything into perspective. From an Irish Rugby point of view our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected at the moment.

Looking ahead to the game against Uruguay, Clarke commented, “They have played two qualification games against Russia and are into the world cup proper. They have also played a double-header against Fiji so they come in off the back of five or six games. You could see that after their performance against Georgia the other night that they were tenacious and they are strong. Georgia never got away from them and Uruguay had a golden moment to win the game.”

Speaking of his pride at coaching Emerging Ireland, Clarke added:

“It is refreshing to have been given the opportunity to coach a group of young Irish players who are very ambitious and who are competing for world cup places – players like Stuart McCloskey, Rob Herring, Rhys Ruddock, Jack Conan, Noel Reid, John Cooney, Luke McGrath – the props are vying to be included in that world cup squad of anything up to 50 for Ireland. The tournament provides an opportunity for guys who maybe haven’t had a lot of game time. Equally, it provides a chance for some of the more senior players to show what they have got and to challenge for the world cup.”

Uruguay lost their opening fixture of the Tbilisi Cup to hosts Georgia 19-10. Uruguay will play in Pool A at Rugby World Cup 2015 competing with England, Australia, Wales and Fiji.

Emerging Ireland’s final game of the tournament is against host nation Georgia on Sunday 21^st June.

Emerging Ireland Squad to play Uruguay

Avchala Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia KO 17:00 / 14:00 GMT

15. Peter Nelson (Malone/Ulster)

14. Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)

13. Eoin Griffin (London Irish)

12. Noel Reid (Clontarf/Leinster)

11. Matt Healy (Lansdowne/Connacht)

10. Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster)

9. John Cooney (Terenure/Connacht)

1. James Cronin (Dolphin/Munster)

2. Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht)

3. Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution/Munster)

4. Andrew Browne (Galwegians /Connacht)