Ireland name much-changed squad for U20 Summer Series

Ulster back row Reuben Crothers will once again captain the Ireland U20s for their Summer Series in Italy.

The Grand Slam-winning captain is named in Richie Murphy's squad of 31 for the games, with a lengthy injury list ensuring just 14 of the group featured during the Six Nations earlier this year.

As well as Crothers, Murphy has been able to call on Conor O'Tighearnaigh, James McCormick, Aitzol King and Fionn Gibbons, all of whom were heavily involved in the Six Nations success, while Munster's Patrick Campbell and Charlie Tector are both absent due to injury.

A number of players have been drafted in from the Ireland U19s, among them out-half Sam Prendergast, younger brother of Connacht and Ireland back row Cian.

The squad have been preparing with camps at the IRFU high performance centre in Abbotstown, before departing for Italy next week ahead of their tournament opener against France in Verona on Friday, 24 June.

"It's an interesting one, there's been a massive turnover within that group," head coach Richie Murphy said.

"The guys, some of them coming back have a big responsibility to get the others up to speed. We have 10 U19s in the squad, so some of those guys have done reasonably well in the U19s programme that was there."

And the head coach has picked out a couple of less familiar names to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, with one of those in particular who featured for Ireland U19s earlier this year, England-born George Shaw.

"He might not start but big George Shaw [Cardiff University] coming over from the IQ is an interesting character - 6ft 5in, 107 or 108 kilos, a big man, a little bit to learn, but quite raw and definitely a guy who could come good over the next period and also into next year.

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