Ulster's Crothers to captain Ireland U20s v Wales

Ulster's Reuben Crothers will captain Ireland in their U20 Six Nations opener against Wales at Musgrave Park on Friday night (live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player).

The flanker is one of four named in Richie Murphy's starting XV that are playing a second year at the underage grade, with second row Mark Morrissey, prop Jack Boyle and winger Chay Mullins also having featured at last season's tournament in Cardiff.

Patrick Campbell is the sole Munster man in the starting team, with the former Cork minor footballer making two appearances for the province during this season's Heineken Champions Cup, scoring a try on his debut against Wasps.

However, there are three more Munster players on the bench, with Ennis pair Tony Butler and Ethan Coughlan joined by back row Ronan O'Sullivan.

Mullins starts on the right wing with Leinster's Shane Mallon joining he and Campbell in the back three, while it's an all-Leinster midfield of Ben Brownlee and Fionn Gibbons.

Wexford native Charlie Tector is named at out-half, pairing up with Connacht's Matthew Devine behind the scrum.

Boyle starts in the front row alongside Ulster duo James McCormick and Scott Wilson, while Morrissey is joined in the second row by UCD team-mate Conor O'Tighearnaigh.

Crothers leads from the back row, with James McNabney of Ulster selected at openside and Leinster's James Culhane at number eight.

Ireland U20: Patrick Campbell (Young Munster RFC/Munster); Chay Mullins (Bristol Bears/IQ Rugby), Fionn Gibbons (UCD RFC/Leinster), Ben Brownlee (Blackrock College/Leinster), Shane Mallon (UCD RFC/Leinster); Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht); Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster), James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Scott Wilson (Queen's