Prendergast, Quinn and McCarthy return for Ireland U20s for semi-final against South Africa

Captain Gus McCarthy, Ruadhan Quinn and Sam Prendergast all return to the Ireland side to face South Africa in the World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final on Sunday.

In all head coach Richie Murphy makes nine changes to the team that beat Fiji 47-27 in their final pool game on Tuesday, a match played against the backdrop of the deaths of Greig Oliver, father of scrum-half Jack, and two pupils from St Michael's College, where six of the squad went to school, in two separate incidents in Greece.

Ireland face hosts South Africa at Athlone Stadium, just outside Cape Town, at 3.30pm (Irish time), before France and England meet in the second semi-final at 6pm.

There is a welcome return for back row Quinn, who missed the last game after suffering a head injury in the victory over Australia, while Prendergast steps up from the bench to come back in at out-half.

Henry McErlean, Andrew Osborne and James Nicholson make up the Ireland back three, with Hugh Gavin and John Devine named in midfield. In the half backs, Prendergast and Fintan Gunne return to the side to resume their partnership.

Up front, Paddy McCarthy, skipper McCarthy and Ronan Foxe return to the pack, with Charlie Irvine partnering Conor O'Tighearnaigh in the second row.

In the back row, Diarmuid Mangan is at blindside flanker, Quinn at openside and Brian Gleeson wears the number 8 jersey.

Murphy has a strong replacements bench to choose from with Danny Sheahan, man of the match in Tuesday’s win over Fiji, George Hadden, Fiachna Barrett, Evan O’Connell and Dan Barron providing the forward options, while Oscar Cawley, Matthew Lynch and Sam Berman complete the Ireland 23.

Meanwhile, Junior Boks coach Bafana Nhleko has named an unchanged team from the side that beat Argentina