Ireland: Five Ulster players start for Emerging Ireland!

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The Emerging Ireland team and replacements have been named for Friday’s IRB Tbilisi Cup opener against tournament hosts Georgia.

The new annual tournament is part of the IRB’s ongoing strategy of increasing the competition schedule for tier two nations.

Ulster players Michael Allen, Michael Heaney, Rob Herring, Lewis Stevenson and Robbie Diack all start with Niall Annett and Ricky Lutton benching. Peter Nelson has also been drafted into the tour squad to replace the injured Andrew Conway and given the calibre of the team named I would expect to see him in the match day team list next time round.

Emerging Ireland captain Rhys Ruddock, out-half Ian Keatley and prop Michael Bent are the three senior capped players named in the starting line-up to face Georgia.

The Emerging Ireland side will be battling it out against some of the strongest developing nations in world rugby, Georgia, South Africa President’s XV and Uruguay, in the coming days.

The matches will be played in the Georgian capital with the teams competing in a round robin format.

Hopefully the IRFU are getting paid good money for this tournament given that 70% of the touring squad won’t get near . . .

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One response to “Ireland: Five Ulster players start for Emerging Ireland!”

  1. *should of course be Michael Heaney!

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