Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Irish Mirror

Sport

Michael Scully

35-man Emerging Ireland squad named for tour of South Africa

Emerging Ireland Ireland Nathan Doak Robert Baloucoune South Africa Ciarán Frawley Chay Mullins James Culhane LeinsterUCD World Cup

Ciarán Frawley will get to further stake his claim for Test inclusion after he was named in the Emerging Ireland squad for next month's tour of South Africa.

The versatile Leinster back played impressively at no 10 in two games against the Maori All Blacks in July. Connacht's Cian Prendergast and Joe McCarthy are others who were involved in those games and they are also selected for duty for the Toyota Challenge.

Also included in Simon Easterby's 35-strong squad for the tour are Munster's new signing, Antoin Frisch, and Ulster's exciting young scrum-half Nathan Doak.

Emerging Ireland will have a three day camp in the IRFU’s high performance centre in Dublin before flying to Bloemfontein to play against three Currie Cup sides – the Griquas, Pumas and Cheetahs.

The squad contains four capped players Robert Baloucoune, Caolin Blade, Shane Daly and Max Deegan.

Jamie Osborne and Tom Ahern have both trained with the senior Ireland squad as development players.

Easterby remarked: "The coaching group are really excited about working with this squad and broadening the selection pool for the national team.

"We will look to replicate the national team environment and training intensity, so players get a good understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest level.

"The players will have to adapt to the national team’s tactical and technical approach in a very short window of time and deal with the pressure of performing in a green jersey."

Ireland senior head coach Andy Farrell, who will stay behind in Ireland to prepare for the November series, commented: "This opportunity provides another window for players to develop and show they can thrive in the intensity of a national environment.

"It will be exciting to see which players step up and put themselves in the frame for a further opportunity to impress in November.

"For some players it is an opportunity to build on what they have already learned in national camp and take their development to the next level, for others it is a first opportunity to show the national coaches what they are about and what they can deliver."

Eight players featured in the Ireland U20 side that won a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019 – Tom Clarkson, Brian Deeny, Jake Flannery, John Hodnett, Michael Milne, Scott Penny, Callum Reid and Dylan Tierney-Martin.

U20 Six Nations Grand Slam winners from this year, James Culhane and Chay Mullins, are included.

Culhane was named U20 Player of the Tournament while Mullins won a bronze medal at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.

Andrew Smith also played for Ireland 7s in last weekend's Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa. The former Ireland U20 has played in seven World Series tournaments and won an Energia AIL title with Clontarf this year.

David Nucifora, IRFU Performance Director, commented: "This Emerging Ireland tour is of vital strategic importance in a Rugby World Cup year.

"It will put some stress on our player resources but it will provide an opportunity for emerging talent to impress the national coaches early in a World Cup season.

"As these players return to their provinces their progress can be monitored and supported so that they remain part of the national team picture.

"The three games in Bloemfontein and the game against the All Blacks XV in Dublin provide an incredible opportunity for these players to gain experience in the national environment and force their way into the coaches’ thinking for the season ahead."

Emerging Ireland Squad – Toyota Challenge 2022

Backs (15)

Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen)

Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians)

Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)

Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Constitution)

Nathan Doak (Ulster/Banbridge)

Jake Flannery (Ulster/Shannon)

Antoine Frisch (Munster)

Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/UCD)

Michael McDonald (Ulster)

Ethan McIlroy (Ulster/Queens RFC)