Emerging Ireland is an Irish international rugby union team that represents Ireland in selected matches, tours and competitions. Composed of Ireland qualified players only, mostly uncapped or at the beginning of their careers, it forms part of the development pathway to the senior Ireland team. It is not to be confused with the Ireland Wolfhounds, the national 'A' team which occasionally competes and is a level below the national side but with no age restrictions, nor with the Elite U-20 team with strict age limits that competes in the Under-20 Six Nations and Rugby World Cup.
 | |||
| Union | Irish Rugby Football Union | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Emblem(s) | Shamrock | ||
| Founded | 2013 | ||
| Location | Ireland | ||
| Director of Rugby | David Nucifora | ||
| Coach(es) | Simon Easterby | ||
| Captain(s) | Alex Kendellen | ||
| Most caps | Ian Keatley (6 caps) Andrew Conway | ||
| Top scorer | Ian Keatley (67 points) | ||
| Most tries | Andrew Conway (6 tries) | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Georgia 15–20 E. Ireland  (7 June 2013) | |||
| Largest win | |||
E. Ireland 66–0  Russia(13 June 2014) | |||
| Largest defeat | |||
E. Ireland 8–19 South Africa XV  (11 June 2013) | |||
As of 2024, Emerging Ireland had undertaken five tours for a total of 15 matches. Their record over those matches was 14 games won, and a single defeat against a South African Presidents XV in 2013.
History
edit2013 Tbilisi Cup
editThe team was created to offer Tier 1 level opposition for Tier 2 sides in the IRB Tbilisi Cup, held in Tbilisi, Georgia.[1][2] Allen Clarke, Ian Costello and Joey Miles managed the team, with Rhys Ruddock as captain.[3]
In Emerging Ireland's opening match, they faced hosts Georgia. This match was won by the Emerging side 20–15 in their first ever game.[4] In their second match, South Africa President's XV beat Emerging Ireland 19–8,[5] before Emerging Ireland beat Uruguay 42–33 on 16 June 2013 to secure a second-place finish in the tournament.[6]
The squad for the tournament was named on 19 May 2013.[7] The initial squad featured four internationally capped players; Michael Bent, Seán Cronin, Ian Keatley and Rhys Ruddock the captain. However, Cronin was called up to the senior squad on 26 May 2013, thus lowering the international players from four to three. The remaining twenty three players, had, at the time, not played for Ireland internationally or at test level.
2014 IRB Nations Cup
editOn 1 April 2014, it was announced that Emerging Ireland would take part in the 2014 edition of the IRB Nations Cup in Bucharest, Romania. Dan McFarland, Connacht assistant coach at the time, was appointed as head coach and Ulster backs coach, Neil Doak was chosen to assist him.[8]
In the first game of the cup Emerging Ireland beat Russia by a score of 66–0 at 45 minutes into the game, when it was stopped by the referee, Ian Davies, because of a storm and fears for the players safety. The match included 10 tries,3 of those from Andrew Conway. This was Emerging Ireland's largest ever win in international rugby. Dan McFarland's side beat Uruguay 51–3 in their second game to set up the last game against Romania as a title decider. This game turned out to be the closest of all their games but Emerging Ireland still ran out at 31–10 winners to secure the IRB nations cup with 3 bonus point victories.[9][10]
2015 Tbilisi Cup
editEmerging Ireland won the 2015 Tbilisi Cup tournament with three from three victories, taking the Tbilisi Cup for their first ever time.[11][12]
2022 South Africa Tour
editAfter a significant haitus, Emerging Ireland re-emerged, but with a different purpose, providing development opportunities for young senior players in international conditions, Simon Easterby was appointed head coach of the Emerging Ireland squad for their three fixtures against South African Currie Cup sides in Autumn 2022.[13][14] Ireland won their first match of the tour beating the Griquas 54–7 at Toyota Stadium.[15] They won their second match of the tour with a 28–24 victory over the Pumas.[16] Emerging Ireland completed a sweep of their tour of South Africa on 9 October with a 21–14 win over the Cheetahs.[17]
2024 South Africa Tour
editEmerging Ireland returned to South Africa in October 2024 for a three match tour against the Pumas, Western Force and the Cheetahs.[18] They started their tour with a 36-24 victory over the Pumas in Bloemfontein.[19] Ireland beat the Western Force 29–24 in its second match of the tour.[20] Emerging Ireland secured their second Toyota Challenge crown with a 24–33 victory over the Cheetahs going three for three on their South Africa tour.[21]
Statistics
editOverall
edit| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheetahs |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 38 | +16 | 100.00% |
| Georgia |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 27 | +38 | 100.00% |
| Griquas |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 7 | +47 | 100.00% |
 Emerging Italy |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | +25 | 100.00% |
| Pumas |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 48 | +16 | 100.00% |
| Russia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 0 | +66 | 100.00% |
| SA Pres. XV |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 19 | –11 | 0.00% |
 Uruguay |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 43 | +83 | 100.00% |
 Romania |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 10 | +21 | 100.00% |
 Western Force |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 100.00% |
| Total | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 522 | 216 | +306 | 93.33% |
Up to date as of 9 October 2024
| Tournament | Coach(es) | Captain | Games | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | PF | PA | |||
| 2013 IRB Tbilisi Cup | Allen Clarke | Rhys Ruddock | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 70 | 67 |
| 2014 IRB Nations Cup | Dan McFarland | Dominic Ryan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 148 | 13 |
| 2015 World Rugby Tbilisi Cup | Allen Clarke | Rhys Ruddock | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 19 |
| 2022 Toyota Challenge | Simon Easterby | Max Deegan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 45 |
| 2024 Toyota Challenge | Simon Easterby | Alex Kendellen | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 72 |
Honours
editCurrent squad
editEmerging Ireland 35-man squad for the Toyota Challenge was announced on 14 September 2022.[22] Caps listed are those earned playing for the Ireland national rugby union team.
Head Coach: Simon Easterby
Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Clarkson | Prop | 22 February 2000 (aged 22) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Sam Illo | Prop | 16 February 2001 (aged 21) | 0 | Connacht
|
| Michael Milne | Prop | 23 February 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Callum Reid | Prop | 16 January 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Roman Salanoa | Prop | 28 October 1997 (aged 24) | 0 | Munster
|
| Josh Wycherley | Prop | 22 July 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Munster
|
| Diarmuid Barron | Hooker | 6 August 1998 (aged 24) | 0 | Munster
|
| Tom Stewart | Hooker | 11 January 2001 (aged 21) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Dylan Tierney-Martin | Hooker | 20 June 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Connacht
|
| Tom Ahern | Lock | 22 February 2000 (aged 22) | 0 | Munster
|
| Brian Deeny | Lock | 3 February 2000 (aged 22) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Cormac Izuchukwu | Lock | 28 January 2000 (aged 22) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Joe McCarthy | Lock | 26 March 2001 (aged 21) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Cian Prendergast | Lock | 23 February 2000 (aged 22) | 3 | Connacht
|
| James Culhane | Flanker | 22 October 2002 (aged 19) | 0 | Leinster
|
| John Hodnett | Flanker | 10 January 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Munster
|
| Alex Kendellen | Flanker | 21 March 2001 (aged 21) | 0 | Munster
|
| Scott Penny | Flanker | 22 September 1999 (aged 22) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Alex Soroka | Flanker | 19 February 2001 (aged 21) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Max Deegan | Number 8 | 1 October 1996 (aged 25) | 1 | Leinster
|
| Caolin Blade | Scrum-half | 29 April 1994 (aged 28) | 1 | Connacht
|
| Nathan Doak | Scrum-half | 17 December 2001 (aged 20) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Michael McDonald | Scrum-half | 24 June 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Jack Crowley | Fly-half | 13 January 2000 (aged 22) | 0 | Munster
|
| Jake Flannery | Fly-half | 7 June 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Ciaran Frawley | Centre | 4 December 1997 (aged 24) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Antoine Frisch | Centre | 26 June 1996 (aged 26) | 0 | Munster
|
| Stewart Moore | Centre | 8 August 1999 (aged 23) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Jamie Osbourne | Centre | 16 November 2001 (aged 20) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Robert Baloucoune | Wing | 19 August 1997 (aged 25) | 2 | Ulster
|
| Shane Daly | Wing | 19 December 1996 (aged 25) | 2 | Munster
|
| Calvin Nash | Wing | 8 August 1997 (aged 25) | 0 | Munster
|
| Andrew Smith | Wing | 21 July 2000 (aged 22) | 0 | Leinster
|
| Ethan McIlroy | Fullback | 10 August 2000 (aged 22) | 0 | Ulster
|
| Chay Mullins | Fullback | 23 January 2002 (aged 20) | 0 | Connacht
|
Head coaches and statistics
edit- Correct as of 9 October 2024
| Coach | Season(s) | GP | W | D | L | Win % | Loss % | Championships / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Clarke
|
2013 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% | 33.33% | |
 Dan McFarland
|
2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 2014 IRB Nations Cup |
| Allen Clarke
|
2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 2015 World Rugby Tbilisi Cup |
| Simon Easterby
|
2022–2024 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 0% | 2022 Toyota Challenge, 2024 Toyota Challenge |
| Total | 2013–present | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 93.33% | 6.67% |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Georgia to host IRB Tbilisi Cup in June". irb.com. 9 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "'Emerging Ireland' Heading To Tbilisi". irishrugby.ie. 9 April 2013. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ "Coaching Team Confirmed For 'Emerging Ireland'". irishrugby.ie. 10 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013.
- ^ "Keatley Kicks Emerging Ireland To Hard-Fought Win". irishrugby.ie. 7 June 2013. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland Suffer Tbilisi Defeat". irishrugby.ie. 11 June 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "Second Place Finish For Emerging Ireland". irishrugby.ie. 16 June 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ^ "Ireland Squads Announced For Summer Tours". irishrugby.ie. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland to compete in Romania". RTÉ. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ "International Rugby Board - Nations Cup". Archived from the original on 2012-06-25. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ^ "International Rugby Board - Nations Cup". Archived from the original on 2012-06-25. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland claim Tbilisi Cup after win over hosts Georgia". The 42. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland ease past Georgia to lift Tbilisi Cup". RTE Sport. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ^ "Simon Easterby named in charge of Emerging Ireland squad for South Africa tour". the42. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland Squad to Play Three Fixtures in South Africa". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "Crowley impresses at 10 as Emerging Ireland hammer the Griquas". the42. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland survive late scare to seal second win in South Africa". the42. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland hold off Cheetahs to wrap up unbeaten tour of South Africa". the42. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ "Easterby To Lead Emerging Ireland Tour To South Africa". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland kickstart tour with six-try victory". RTE. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Sam Prendergast steers Emerging Ireland to hard-fought win over Western Force". Irish Times. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland finish with a flourish to go three for three in South Africa". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "Emerging Ireland Squad Named For Toyota Challenge In Bloemfontein". Irish Rugby.