Three Clare players in Ireland U20 Six Nations squad

THREE Clare players have made the Ireland squad for the upcoming 2022 U20 Six Nations Championship which begins next Friday.

Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan and Conor Moloney were included by head coach Richie Murphy in his 31-man squad, ahead of Ireland’s opening fixture against Wales at Musgrave Park on Friday, 4 February (Kick-off 8pm, live on RTÉ).

The three playing for Garryowen, Shannon and Young Munster respectively all began their careers with Ennis RFC.

Head coach Murphy, and his assistant coaches Jimmy Duffy, Willie Faloon and Mark Sexton, are excited about the dynamic of this year’s group having had to make a number of difficult selection decisions following a series of squad camps and Challenge Matches in recent weeks.

Ireland kick off the Six Nations against Wales next Friday, before travelling to France in Round 2 on Friday, February 11.

Murphy’s side will then go head-to-head with Italy on Friday, February 25 at Musgrave Park, before concluding the Championship away in England on Saturday, March 12 and at home to Scotland in Cork on Sunday, March 20.

Commenting on his squad selection, Murphy said: “We have been working hard for a number of weeks and it’s an exciting time for these young players, who have the honour of representing the wider group in the Six Nations.

“It has been a challenging year but the players have come in, worked hard and bonded well, and I have been impressed by their work-rate, commitment and application. Now our focus turns to performance and next Friday’s opening game against Wales, which we know will be a big challenge first up.

Ireland’s games against Wales and England will be live on RTÉ, while the France, Italy and Scotland matches will be broadcast on Virgin Media.