Ireland U20 head coach Noel McNamara has named his squad for the upcoming Six Nations, with just five players with previous experience among the 40 players selected.
Having won two games in last year’s competition, Ireland get their campaign underway against champions England in Cork in a fortnight.
Clontarf centre David Hawkshaw will captain a squad that contains five players with previous U20 experience; Dylan Tierney-Martin, Charlie Ryan, Harry Byrne, Angus Kernohan and James McCarthy.
"David Hawkshaw is somebody I have known for a long time," the head coach said. "He is somebody that would have been captain for the Irish Schools, unfortunately just before we went to go to Wales he got injured in our last training session," said head coach McNamara.
"The biggest compliment I can pay David is that he obviously comes from a Jesuit background, the philosophy of Jesuit education is ‘Men for Others’. He is a man for others: he puts the needs of the team ahead of his own.
"Even when his own needs aren’t being met (he is a leader). We have asked him to play out of position at times. He is currently playing No 12, he never complains, it’s always what’s best for the team."
Ireland disappointed in the World Rugby U20 Championships last year where they required a late Tommy O’Brien try to secure their involvement in this season’s tournament.
McNamara’s side beat Japan 39-33 in the eleventh-placed play-off in Béziers on 17 June, but starting with the England game McNamara is keen to lay down a marker for 2019.
"Throughout the course of the championship, cohesion will obviously improve for both teams. I certainly couldn’t pick a game I’d love to have more in that first game.
"It’s just a great challenge, they’ve got a great history at U20 level. They've been world champions and won the Six Nations, but equally, we've turned them over a couple of times in that period.
"It's a great way for us to start our campaign, to start off in a new home. I think it will be pretty exciting for us."
McNamara says he wants to find ‘the sweet spot’ between immediate success and guiding his players to the next level.
"For me it’s two-fold we want to find a sweet spot. We obviously want to be competitive, we want to win as many games as we can. Equally we are a pathway team, we want to develop players," said McNamara.
"I quoted John Wooten last year and I will quote him again: ‘You can only judge the value of a season in 20 years’ time’. If we look back in 20 years’ time and we look at a number of players playing for the Irish senior team, playing for their provinces, being successful there (we will have been a success).
"Unfortunately sometimes that doesn’t always work out through injury and a variety of other reasons. But we see good people as well, then we will certainly be happy with the year."
Ireland U20 squad for 2019 Six Nations
Forwards
Azur Allison (Ballmena RFC/Ulster)
Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)
Tom Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)
Giuseppe Coyne (Dublin University/Leinster)
Brian Deeney (Clontarf/Leinster)
John Hodnett (UCC/Munster)
Paddy Kelly (Young Munster/Munster)
Ryan Lomas (Galwegians/Connacht)
Luke Masters (Shannon/Munster)
David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster)
JJ McKee (Ballymena/Ulster)
John McKee (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster)
Martin Moloney (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Scott Penny (UCD/Leinster)
Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster) vice-captain
Billy Scannell (Young Munster/Munster)
Dylan Tierney (Corinthians/Connacht)
Ronan Watters (St Mary’s College/Leinster)
Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)
Backs
Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster) vice-captain
Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
Sean French (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Cormac Foley (St Mary’s College/Leinster)
David Hawkshaw (Clontarf/Leinster) captain
Ben Healy (Garryowen/Munster)
Bruce Houston (Ballymena/Ulster)
Iwan Hughes (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Angus Kernohan (Queen’s University/Ulster)
James McCarthy (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Stewart Moore (Malone/Ulster)
Oli Morris (Saracens/IQ Rugby)
Aaron O’Sullivan (UCD/Leinster/IQ Rugby)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
Colm Reilly (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster)
Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster)
Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster).
