Stuart Mccloskey Named In The Centre To Face Romania

Coaches Dan McFarland and Neil Doak have made nine changes and four positional changes to their side for the final game of the IRB Nations Cup against Romania on Sunday.

Coaches Dan McFarland and Neil Doak have made nine changes and four positional changes to their side for the final game of the IRB Nations Cup against Romania on Sunday.

The Emerging Ireland squad will be looking to make it three from three when they complete their summer tour at the Stadional National Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest this weekend.

Paul Marshall is one of three Ulster players names to start, he comes in for the injured Luke McGrath at scrum-half and Ian Keatley replaces his Munster rival JJ Hanrahan at fly-half.  Stuart McCloskey replaces Brendan Macken in the centre and Eoin Griffin switches from inside-centre to outside-centre. Munster’s Andrew Conway replaces Michael Allen on the left wing and Craig Gilroy switches from fullback to the right, with Johne Murphy moving to 15.

In the front-row John Ryan is retained at loose-head and James Tracy comes in for Bryan Byrne with Michael Bent replacing Ricky Lutton.  Dave Foley joins Billy Holland in the second row after Mick Kearney was ruled out through injury.

Captain Dominic Ryan returns to the match day squad after being ruled out of the game against Uruguay due to illness and is joined in the back-row by Sean Dougall and Robin Copeland. 

The game against Romania will determine the winner of the 2014 IRB Nations Cup with both sides having recorded two victories to date. There will be a live stream of the game on www.rugbytv.ro/player.

Emerging Ireland 66 – 0 Russia
Emerging Ireland 51 – 3 Uruguay
 
EMERGING IRELAND squad to face Romania, Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest, IRB Nations Cup – Sunday 22nd June, kick off 19:00 local/ 17:00 Irish time.

15. Johne Murphy (Young Munster/Munster)
14. Craig Gilroy (Dungannon/Ulster)
13. Eoin Griffin (Galwegians/Connacht)
12. Stuart McCloskey (Dungannon/Ulster)
11. Andrew Conway (Blackrock College/Munster)
10. Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
9. Paul Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster)

1. John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
2. James Tracy (UCD/Leinster)
3. Michael Bent (Dublin University/Leinster)
4. Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5. Dave Foley (UL Bohemians/Munster)
6. Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster) capt
7. Sean Dougall (Dolphin/ Munster)
8. Robin Copeland (Cardiff Blues)
 
Replacements:
16. Brian Byrne (Clontarf/Leinster)
17. Ricky Lutton (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
18. Paddy Bulter (Shannon/Munster)
19. Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
20. Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
21. JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians/Munster)
22. Brendan Macken (Blackrock College/Leinster)