Ireland 'A' to face England during Six Nations window

The IRFU have confirmed that an Ireland 'A' side will take on England ‘A’ in Bristol next year.

The game will take place at Aston Gate stadium in Bristol on Sunday 23 February at 1pm, the day after Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations meeting with Wales in Cardiff.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has repeatedly stressed the importance of getting gametime into his wider squad, having previously arranged games against the Maori All Blacks, and an All Blacks Select XV in 2022, as well as arranging another Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa next month.

"We're delighted to add this Ireland 'A' fixture to next season's schedule, once again providing a broader pool of players with further exposure to the national team environment," performance director David Humphreys said.

"Access to meaningful and consistent game time for our emerging players is a key focus and this match will come off the back of our Emerging Ireland Tour to South Africa this Autumn and a busy November schedule for our men's senior team."

It will be a first meeting of the Irish and English second-strings since 2015, when the England Saxons won 18-9 at Musgrave Park, a game in which current internationals Jack Conan, Iain Henderson and Rob Herring all featured.

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