England Counties name side to face Ireland Club XV

Feb 21 • General News, International • 2241 Views • Comments Off on England Counties name side to face Ireland Club XV

OLD Albanians flanker Ollie Cooper-Millar will make his England Counties XV debut against Ireland Club XV at Darlington Mowden Park’s Northern Echo Arena this evening (7.30pm).

Cooper-Millar is one of six changes to the Counties XV squad to the one that was beaten 16-15 by France Federale XV in their opening international in Nevers three weeks ago.

Wharfedale number eight Rob Baldwin, who missed the France match through suspension, comes back into the side.

The other changes are at full-back where Sean Taylor starts with Jim Wigglesworth switching to the wing. Chris Briers drops to the bench.

Fit-again Stefan Liebenberg starts at scrum-half ahead of Richard Bolt and at tighthead prop where Mark George, who was unavailable for the France match, starts.

Ireland Club XV beat England Counties XV 30-20 last season and warmed up for tonight’s match by beating Scotland Clubs 28-3 in Cork two weeks ago.

They have called up Declan Lavery at tighthead to replace Christy Condon.

England Counties XV

15 Sean Taylor (Preston Grasshoppers)

14 Cameron Mitchell (Darlington Mowden Park)

13 Jack Adams (Cinderford)

12 Luke Myring (Coventry)

11 Jim Wigglesworth (Cambridge)

10 Chris Johnson (Fylde – captain)

9 Stefan Liebenberg (Old Albanians)

1 Robbie Kalbraier (Blaydon)

2 Brett McNamee (Old Albanians

3 Mark George (Stourbridge)

4 Chris Wearmouth (Blaydon)

5 Ben Hilton (Launceston)

6 Tom Stradwick (Blackheath)

7 Ollie Cooper-Millar (Old Albanians)

8 Rob Baldwin (Wharfedale)

16 Johnny Matthews (Sedgley Park)

17 Jamal Ford-Robinson (Cambridge)

18 Adam Lewis (Fylde)

19 Pierce Phillips (Darlington Mowden Park)

20 Gavin Jones (Blaydon)

21 Richard Bolt (Exmouth)

22 Chris Briers (Fylde)

23 Ben Rath (Fylde)

Ireland Club XV. 15 Danny Riordan (Old Belvedere); 14 Mick McGrath (Clontarf), 13 Stuart Morrow (Ballynahinch), 12 Mark Roche (Lansdowne), 11 Cian Aherne (Lansdowne); 10 David Joyce (Clontarf), 9 Gerry Hurley (Cork Constitution – captain); 1 Colm McMahon (St Mary’s College), 2 Tyrone Moran (Lansdowne), 3 Declan Lavery (Old Belvedere), 4 Dean Moore (Old Belvedere), 5 Fergal Walsh (Terenure), 6 Willie Earle (Lansdowne), 7 Charlie Butterworth (Lansdowne), 8 William Ryan (Cork Constitution). Replacements: 16 Andrew O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution), 17 Ian Hirst (Clontarf ),
18 Hugh McGrath (Young Munster), 19 Sean Walsh (Cashel ), 20 James Ryan (Cork Constitution)
21 Neil Cronin (Garryowen), 22 Ritchie McMaster (Queens), 23 Barry Daly (UCD).