Three Clare men are part of the Irish U-20 squad for this year’s Six Nations.
Ennis duo Ethan Coughlan and Tony Butler are joined by Kildysart’s Conor Moloney as part of the 31 strong squad.
All three made their senior Munster debuts in the Champions Cup in December, with Coughlan and Butler having signed Academy contracts with the province.
Coughlan previously had the honour of captaining his country as he led out the Irish U-18 side in Italy in 2019.
Ireland open their campaign against Wales at Musgrave Park on Friday February 4th with an 8pm kick-off, with the game being broadcast live on RTÉ.
The Irish squad then travel to France in Round 2 on Friday, 11 February.
Murphy’s side will then go head-to-head with Italy on Friday, 25 February at Musgrave Park, before concluding the Championship away in England on Saturday, 12 March and at home to Scotland in Cork on Sunday, 20 March.
Commenting on his squad selection, Murphy said: “We have been working hard for a number of weeks and it’s an exciting time for these young players, who have the honour of representing the wider group in the Six Nations.
“It has been a challenging year but the players have come in, worked hard and bonded well, and I have been impressed by their work-rate, commitment and application. Now our focus turns to performance and next Friday’s opening game against Wales, which we know will be a big challenge first up”
📋 Head Coach Richie Murphy has named his Ireland U20s squad, sponsored by @PwCIreland, for the #U20SixNations.
Reuben Crothers will captain Ireland for the Championship. 🟢#FutureIsGreen | #IrishRugby
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) January 28, 2022
