Easterby Names Emerging Ireland Team To Face The Pumas

The Emerging Ireland team to face The Pumas in the opening game of the three-match Tour of South Africa on Wednesday afternoon (4pm local time/3pm Irish time) has been named.

Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby has named an exciting line-up for the first game of the Tour and the side will be led by Alex Kendellen, one of the three former Ireland U20 captains in the squad alongside his Munster colleague Evan O'Connell and Leinster's Gus McCarthy, who are both named on the bench.

Hugh Gavin lines up alongside Sean O'Brien in midfield, with Matthew Devine partnering out-half Sam Prendergast at half back.

Ireland Sevens Olympian Zac Ward (pictured below) is named on the left wing in a pacy-looking back three alongside Rob Russell and Ben O'Connor who starts at full-back.

In the pack, Mark Donnelly starts at loosehead prop in a front row which includes hooker Stephen Smyth and tighthead prop Jack Aungier.

Harry Sheridan and Darragh Murray are named at second row, with Kendellen joined by Cormac Izuchukwu and James Culhane in the back row.

Ulster duo Jack Murphy and Jude Postlethwaite are named amongst the replacements bench which includes 19-year-old loosehead prop Alex Usanov, Connacht's Sean Jansen and prop Ronan Foxe, while Ethan Coughlan provides scrum-half cover.

Looking ahead to the game at Toyota Stadium, Easterby said: "The Pumas will present a real test, coming as it does in the first of three games in seven days. They're a physical team who have come off a competitive Currie Cup campaign.

"The three games will ask different questions of the group and that is exactly the kind of environment we want to foster and to see how the players react to a pressurised and competitive environment. We had a good pitch session on Monday afternoon and the players are itching to get out there.

"We will be managing our resources given the close proximity of the games and it's a younger and less experienced group than the one that competed two years ago. But the talent, energy and enthusiasm of this group has been obvious over the course of the last six days. We're delighted to be here in Bloemfontein and the squad is ready to get going."

The three-match Series will be shown live on SuperSport and will be available on IrishRugby+ here.

Emerging Ireland:

15. Ben O'Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14. Rob Russell (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
13. Sean O'Brien (Clontarf FC/Munster)
12. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11. Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9. Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)

1. Mark Donnelly (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
2. Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3. Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4. Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
5. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6. Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
7. Alex Kendellen (UCC RFC/Munster)(captain)
8. James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster)

Replacements:

16. Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster)
17. Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
18. Ronan Foxe (Garryowen FC/Munster)
19. Evan O'Connell (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)
20. Sean Jansen (Connacht)
21. Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster)
22. Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23. Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh RFC/Ulster).