British & Irish Lions
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Ireland Rugby
Nine changes made to Ireland A
The Ireland A team set to face Georgia in the Churchill Cup was announced today showing that there are nine change in all to the team that defeated Canada earlier in the week. The tournament is taking place in Colorado this year and the Irish A side are trying to make history by qualifying for the final for the first time.
The changes that have been made to the side are indicative of the level of depth that coach Declan Kidney has to choose from. He has made sure he has kept his options open for a clash that the Irish management say they are ready for.
Changes include Cian Healy at loosehead prop, Denis Fogarty at hooker and Trevor Hogan will start on this occasion. Sean O’Brien has been ruled out due to a knee injury and he is to be replaced by Niall Ronan. The back row is perhaps the most altered with three changes in the line up. These are James Downey, Simon Keogh and Felix Jones who will make his debut in this game.
Georgia has followed the same trend of change and has made ten alterations to its team. Only time will tell which selection will prove to be the most effective but both teams are prepared for a cracker when they meet.
IRELAND ‘A’: Felix Jones (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Simon Keogh (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster), James Downey (Northampton Saints), Johne Murphy (Leicester); Niall O’Connor (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Frank Murphy (Buccaneers/Connacht); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Denis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Munster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Trevor Hogan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Neil Best (Northampton Saints), Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster), John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht) (capt).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster), Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht).
GEORGIA: Teimuraz Sokhadze (Unattached); George Elizbarashvili (Lokomotivi), Aleksander Todua (Lelo), Revaz Gigauri (Massy), Lekso Gugava (Lokomotivi Tbilisi); Merab Kvirikashvili (Massy), Giorgi Rokhvadze (AIA); David Dadunashvili (Perigaux), Jaba Bregvadze (Kochebi Tbilisi), Giorgi Jgenti (Oyonnax), Kakhaver Uchava (Costanca Farul), Giorgi Nemsadze (Domont), Grigol Labadze (Unattached) (capt), Simon Maisuradze (Clermont Auvergne), Zviad Maisuradze (Lokomotivi).
Replacements: Iuri Natriashvili (Farul Constanca), Zero Petriashvili (Lokomotivi), Vasil Kakovin (Universteti), Rati Urushadze (Enisei-STM), Lasha Malaguradze (Beziers), Davit Kacharava (Enisei-STM), David Losaberidze (AIA).
Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)
The changes that have been made to the side are indicative of the level of depth that coach Declan Kidney has to choose from. He has made sure he has kept his options open for a clash that the Irish management say they are ready for.
Changes include Cian Healy at loosehead prop, Denis Fogarty at hooker and Trevor Hogan will start on this occasion. Sean O’Brien has been ruled out due to a knee injury and he is to be replaced by Niall Ronan. The back row is perhaps the most altered with three changes in the line up. These are James Downey, Simon Keogh and Felix Jones who will make his debut in this game.
Georgia has followed the same trend of change and has made ten alterations to its team. Only time will tell which selection will prove to be the most effective but both teams are prepared for a cracker when they meet.
IRELAND ‘A’: Felix Jones (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Simon Keogh (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster), James Downey (Northampton Saints), Johne Murphy (Leicester); Niall O’Connor (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Frank Murphy (Buccaneers/Connacht); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Denis Fogarty (Cork Constitution/Munster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Trevor Hogan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Neil Best (Northampton Saints), Niall Ronan (Shannon/Munster), John Muldoon (Galwegians/Connacht) (capt).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), Bryan Young (Ballymena/Ulster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster), Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Keith Matthews (Buccaneers/Connacht).
GEORGIA: Teimuraz Sokhadze (Unattached); George Elizbarashvili (Lokomotivi), Aleksander Todua (Lelo), Revaz Gigauri (Massy), Lekso Gugava (Lokomotivi Tbilisi); Merab Kvirikashvili (Massy), Giorgi Rokhvadze (AIA); David Dadunashvili (Perigaux), Jaba Bregvadze (Kochebi Tbilisi), Giorgi Jgenti (Oyonnax), Kakhaver Uchava (Costanca Farul), Giorgi Nemsadze (Domont), Grigol Labadze (Unattached) (capt), Simon Maisuradze (Clermont Auvergne), Zviad Maisuradze (Lokomotivi).
Replacements: Iuri Natriashvili (Farul Constanca), Zero Petriashvili (Lokomotivi), Vasil Kakovin (Universteti), Rati Urushadze (Enisei-STM), Lasha Malaguradze (Beziers), Davit Kacharava (Enisei-STM), David Losaberidze (AIA).
Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)