In under 20s rugby, Ireland have named their matchday squad for Sunday’s Six Nations finale against Scotland in Cork, seeking to cap three straight wins with a strong home finish and secure second place.
Team News For Ireland’s Under 20s Rugby Finale In Cork
Head coach Andrew Browne has retained the backline that defeated Wales, with Noah Byrne, Derry Moloney and Daniel Ryan continuing as the back three. James O’Leary and Rob Carney remain in midfield, while Christopher Barrett again partners Tom Wood at half-back.
Up front, Max Doyle, Duinn Maguire and captain Sami Bishti start in the front row. Joe Finn and Donnacha McGuire are paired in the second row, with Josh Neill at blindside, Ben Blaney at openside and Diarmaid O’Connell at number eight. The replacements are Lee Fitzpatrick, Christian Foley, Luke Murtagh, Dylan McNeice, Billy Hayes, James O’Dwyer, Charlie O’Shea and Johnny O’Sullivan.
Eight Munster players feature in the matchday group for the Cork finale. Starters include centres Carney and O’Leary, out-half Wood, scrum-half Barrett and lock Finn, with prop Foley, flanker Hayes and out-half O’Shea listed among the replacements. The game is set for Virgin Media Park in front of a home crowd.
Form And What’s At Stake
Ireland’s U-20s mirrored the senior side by rebounding from an opening-day defeat with three successive victories built on cohesive, high-energy performances. A home win over Scotland would close the campaign on a high and lock in second place in the table. In under 20s rugby terms, it is a meaningful marker for a squad that has gathered momentum through the middle of the Championship and kept selection stable heading into the finale.
The unchanged backline underscores the continuity Browne has prioritized, while the balance of the pack — with Bishti leading the front row, Finn and McGuire in the engine room, and O’Connell anchoring the back row — reflects a settled core. The bench options also carry regional depth, highlighted by the Munster contingent poised to impact the closing stages.
From 2022 Grand Slam Winners To Today’s Squad
As Ireland look to finish strong in Cork, the pathway from a celebrated underage group remains in focus. The Ireland Under-20s, led by Richie Murphy, claimed a Grand Slam in 2022 with a final-day victory over Scotland. Members of that squad have since progressed in varied ways. Leinster loosehead Jack Boyle is the only player fully capped at senior level so far and featured in the 2025 Six Nations. Hooker James McCormick has made 12 appearances for Ulster, while McGuire moved north and is working again under Murphy. Back-five forward O’Tighearnaigh, in the final year of his Leinster academy spell, has seven appearances for the province and lined out for Ireland ‘A’ last year.
Morrissey has been seen in All-Ireland League action with UCD. Ulster flanker Lorcan McLoughlin has three provincial appearances. Former captain Reuben Crothers, a standout at underage level, retired from the professional game last April at 23 and has since spent time coaching rugby in Tanzania and volunteering in Belfast. Culhane — the 2022 U20 Six Nations Player of the Tournament — has become a consistent Leinster squad member with 23 outings. Scrum-half Matthew Devine made his breakthrough with Connacht and is set to move to Ulster next season to rejoin Murphy and Mark Sexton. Charlie Tector now features primarily at inside centre for Leinster.
That recent history underscores the stakes and opportunity for the current group in Cork: a strong finish in front of home support, and a platform for the next phase in their careers.
