Tullamore's Cormac selected to start for Emerging Ireland

Cormac Izuchukwu from Tullamore has been named on the Emerging Ireland rugby team to face The Pumas in the opening game of the three-match tour of South Africa this afternoon (Wednesday, kick-off 3pm Irish time).

Born in London, Izuchukwu (24) moved to Offaly when he was seven years old and began playing rugby with Tullamore RFC. He also showed considerable talent as an athlete with Tullamore Harriers.

Now with Ballynahinch RFC and Ulster, Izuchukwu was picked on the Ireland senior squad for the tour to South Africa earlier this year.

Izuchukwu will be partnered in the second row by Buccaneers and Connacht player Darragh Murray, who is from Brideswell, Athlone.

Another local link to the Ireland team is Ballinasloe native Matthew Devine, who is a son of Mike Devine from Shannonbridge. Mike was part of Offaly's All-Ireland winning U21 football panel in 1988 and also played rugby for the Athlone-based Buccaneers club.

Interestingly, the Ireland starting XV also includes Ben O'Connor who was on the Cork U20 hurling team which defeated Offaly in the 2023 All-Ireland final.

The replacements include Rahugh native and former Tullamore RFC player Ronan Foxe. Foxe now plays for Garryowen and Munster, having previously been with Old Belvedere and Leinster.

The Emerging Ireland team is captained by flanker Alex Kendellen, who is one of three former Ireland U20 captains in the squad alongside Evan O’Connell and Gus McCarthy.

The head coach of the Emerging Ireland team is Simon Easterby, who will step in as interim Ireland senior manager due to Andy Farrell's role with the British & Irish Lions for next year's tour to Australia.

The Pumas are a South African rugby team that competes in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup. Looking ahead to the game in Bloemfontein, Easterby said: “The Pumas will present a real test, coming as it does in the first of three games in seven days. They’re a physical team who have come off a competitive Currie Cup campaign.

“The three games will ask different questions of the group and that is exactly the kind of environment we want to foster and to see how the players react to a pressurised and competitive environment.

“We will be managing our resources given the close proximity of the games and it’s a younger and less experienced group than the one that competed two years ago. But the talent, energy and enthusiasm of this group has been obvious over the course of the last six days. We’re delighted to be here in Bloemfontein and the squad is ready to get going.”

Emerging Ireland (vs The Pumas):

15. Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)

14. Rob Russell (Dublin University FC/Leinster)

13. Sean O’Brien (Clontarf FC/Munster)

12. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)

11. Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)

10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)

9. Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)

1. Mark Donnelly (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)

2. Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)

3. Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)

4. Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)

5. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)

6. Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)

7. Alex Kendellen (UCC RFC/Munster), captain

8. James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster).

Replacements: 16. Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster), 17. Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster), 18. Ronan Foxe (Garryowen FC/Munster), 19. Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster), 20. Sean Jansen (Connacht), 21. Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster), 22. Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster), 23. Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh RFC/Ulster).