No fewer than six young Buccaneers featured in the Ireland u20 squad who defeated a Leinster Development side in the now traditional pre-Christmas annual trial game at Donnybrook.
The u20s were generally in control and, despite allowing Leinster twice narrow the arrears, the boys in green eased to a 40-15 victory.
Four Buccs started the game. Shane Layden at fullback and Callum Boland and Conor Finn on the wings with Daniel Qualter a towering presence throughout in the second row. Prop Diarmuid Higgins and outhalf Jack Carty were both half-time substitutes with the latter making a notable contribution with a try plus two conversions.
There are high hopes in the club that at least half of these lads will make the final cut and, while that would likely mean they will be ‘cotton-wooled’ until after the u20 Six Nations championship and thus unavailable for Buccaneers Ulster Bank League fixtures during that period, it will be splendid news for these talented and focussed players.
Ireland, of course, will again play their home u20 Six Nations fixtures in Athlone this season with all three games being covered live on RTÉ TV. These matches are as follows:-
Friday, February 3 v Wales
Friday, February 24 v Italy
Friday, March 9 v Scotland
All three fixtures in Dubarry Park kick off at 7.05pm and tickets will be on sale shortly at the club.
Meanwhile, a number of other rising young Buccaneers stars are involved in other Ireland underage squads, notably the u19 panel where Robert Henshaw and Barry Digby are included, while Scott Flanagan is named in the u18 clubs panel.
