Murray named to start for Emerging Ireland
Darragh Murray from Brideswell has been named on the Emerging Ireland rugby team to face The Pumas in the opening game of the three-match tour of South Africa this afternoon (Wednesday, kick-off 3pm Irish time).
Murray began his rugby career with Buccaneers and now plays for Connacht alongside his older brother Niall. Darragh will be partnered in the second row by Tullamore's Cormac Izuchukwu.
Another local link to the Ireland team is Ballinasloe's Matthew Devine, a son of Shannonbridge native and former Buccaneers player Mike Devine.
The replacements include Rahugh native Ronan Foxe, who began with his rugby career with Midland Warriors and went to primary school in Rosemount NS. Foxe now plays for Garryowen and Munster, having previously been with Old Belvedere and Leinster.
The Emerging Ireland team is captained by flanker Alex Kendellen, who is one of three former Ireland U20 captains in the squad alongside Evan O’Connell and Gus McCarthy.
The head coach of the Emerging Ireland team is Simon Easterby, who will step in as interim Ireland senior manager due to Andy Farrell's role with the British & Irish Lions for next year's tour to Australia.
The Pumas are a South African rugby team that competes in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup. Looking ahead to the game in Bloemfontein, 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 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.”
Emerging Ireland (vs The Pumas):
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 (Young Munster 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).