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Under head coach Wayne Mitchell and assistant coach Jimmy Duffy the team will play three games this season with the match in Italy up first.
Monivea’s Caolin Blade starts at scrumhalf on Saturday while his older brother Darren will be leading Monivea in the Ulster Bank All Ireland Junior Cup.
Blade is partnered by Navan’s Fergal Cleary in the half backs. Sean O’Hagan and Adam Byrne form the midfield pairing while Alex Webb, James O’Sullivan and Adrian Enright make up the back three.
Up front Peter Dooley, Paul O’Donnell and Jacon Walshe form the front row with Ballymoney’s Russel Blair and Charleville’s John Madigan in the second row.
There are two Exiles in the back row – Frankie Taggart and Joe Bercis- with Waterpark’s Jack O’Donoghue at number 8.
Ireland U18 Club Team & Replacements (V Italy U18, Badia Polesine, Rovigo, Saturday February 18th, 3pm local time)
15. Alex Webb (Merchiston/Exiles)
14. James O’Sullivan (Whitgift/Exiles)
13. Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
12. Sean O’Hagan (St. Benedicts/Exiles)
11. Adrian Enright (Abbeyfeale/Munster)
10. Fergal Cleary (Navan/Leinster)
9. Caolin Blade (Monivea/Connacht)
1. Peter Dooley (Birr/Leinster)
2. Paul O’Donnell (Galwegians/Connacht)
3. Jacob Walshe (Ballinasloe/Connacht)
4. Russell Blair (Ballymoney/Ulster)
5. John Madigan (Charleville/Munster)
6. Frankie Taggart (Whitgift/Exiles)
7. Joe Bercis (Rugby Lions/Exiles)
8. Jack O’Donoghue (Waterpark/Munster)
Replacements:
16. Brian Cunningham (Navan/Leinster)
17. Stephen Dalton (Westcombe Park/Exiles)
18. Scott Flanagan (Buccaneers/Connacht)
19. Luke Connolly (Glamorgan/Exiles)
20. Killian Sweeney (Malahide/Leinster)
21. Killian O’Keefe (Crosshaven/Munster)
22. Seamus Keating (Dungarvan/Munster)
23. Jim White (Enniscorthy/Leinster)
