Exciting Emerging Ireland team named for first game in South Africa versus Pumas
Munster's Alex Kendellen, Sam Prendergast of Leinster and Olympic Sevens star Zac Ward are among the rising stars named by Simon Easterby
Simon Easterby is banking on talent and energy getting Emerging Ireland through the first of three games in South Africa when they face the Pumas in Bloemfontein on Tuesday (4pm Irish time).
Easterby, who takes on the head coach role for a second time and ahead of his promotion to interim head coach of the Test team in December, acknowledges that this year's squad is less experienced than the one that made the inaugural trip to the southern hemisphere in 2022.
He has selected a fast backline that will be driven by Leinster out-half Sam Prendergast, who was on the Test squad's tour of South Africa in the summer, while Munster's Alex Kendellen will skipper the side from the back row.
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Kendellen, 23, is one of three former Ireland under-20s captains included in the matchday 23, with Evan O'Connell and Gus McCarthy named on the bench.
One to watch will be winger Zac Ward, a stand-out player for Ireland's Sevens in the Paris Olympics, and who has featured for Ulster since.
"The Pumas will present a real test, coming as it does in the first of three games in seven days," said Easterby. "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'll 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.”
Emerging Ireland will also face Western Force on Sunday and the Cheetahs on Wednesday week, also in Bloemfontein.
Emerging Ireland: Ben O'Connor, Rob Russell, Sean O'Brien, Hugh Gavin, Zac Ward, Sam Prendergast, Matthew Devine; Mark Donnelly, Stephen Smith, Jack Aungier, Harry Sheridan, Darragh Murray, Cormac Izuchukwu, Alex Kendellen, James Culhane.
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Alex Usanov, Ronan Foxe, Evan O'Connell, Sean Jansen, Ethan Coughlan, Jack Murphy, Jude Poslethwaite.
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