It'll be a showdown of titans when the Ireland U20s welcome the England U20s to Musgrave Park for their Six Nations opener on Thursday 30th January.
Ahead of that clash, the new Ireland U20s head coach Neil Doak has announced his very first U20s Six Nations squad, with strong representation from all four Irish provinces and the IRFU's IQ system.
The 31-man strong squad will be tasked with reclaiming a Six Nations title their predecessors lost last season despite not losing a Championship game, with a hard-fought draw against England the only result which prevented them from claiming their third Grand Slam on the bounce.
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Neil Doak announces 2025 U20s Six Nations Squad
Ahead of that attempt, Neil Doak has announced a 31-man squad, with Connacht back row Éanna McCarthy as its captain.
The squad will see a relatively low five players returning from last year's near miss, with Alex Usanov, Alan Spicer, Mikey Yarr, Billy Corrigan and Henry Walker all still eligible to play. Scrum-half Will Wooton who featured for the U20s last season as well is also included in the squad.
Speaking at PwC headquarters in Dublin, Doak championed the efforts of his young squad and proclaimed their excitement at returning to Virgin Media Park in Cork.
We, as coaches, have pushed the players over the last number of months and I have been impressed by their work-rate, commitment, and application. Now our focus turns to performance and the opening game against England, which we know will be a big challenge first up.
We are looking forward to the opportunities over the coming weeks and are excited by the prospect of an Ireland U20s team returning to Six Nations action at Virgin Media Park in Cork, where we always have huge support.
The squad in full, which is broken down into 17 forwards and 14 backs is as follows:
Forwards (17): Billy Bohan (Corinthians RFC/Connacht Rugby), Billy Corrigan (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster Rugby), Michael Foy (UCC RFC/Munster Rugby), Conor Kennelly (Highfield RFC/Munster Rugby), Connor Magee (Banbridge RFC/Ulster Rugby), Tom McAllister (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster Rugby), Eanna McCarthy (Galwegians RFC/Connacht Rugby), Alex Mullan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster Rugby), Aaron O'Brien (St Mary's College RFC/Leinster Rugby), Bobby Power (Galwegians RFC/Connacht Rugby), Mahon Ronan (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster Rugby), Alan Spicer (UCD RFC/Leinster Rugby), Alex Usanov (Clontarf RFC/Leinster Rugby), Henry Walker (Queen's University Belfast RFC/Ulster Rugby), David Walsh (Terenure College RFC/Leinster Rugby), Adam Watchorn (Kilkenny College/Leinster Rugby), Mikey Yarr (UCD RFC/Leinster Rugby).
Backs (14): Andrew Doyle (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster Rugby), Connor Fahy (Clontarf FC/Leinster Rugby), Paidi Farrell (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster Rugby), Daniel Green (Queen's University RFC/Ulster Rugby), Dylan Hicks (Garryowen FC/Munster Rugby), Gene O'Leary Kareem (UCC FC/Munster Rugby), Clark Logan (Queen's University Belfast RFC/Ulster Rugby), Ciaran Mangan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster Rugby), Derry Moloney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster Rugby), Charlie Molony (UCD RFC/Leinster Rugby), Andre Ryan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster Rugby), Eoghan Smyth (Cork Constitution FC/Munster Rugby), Sam Wisniewski (Clontarf RFC/Leinster Rugby), Will Wootton (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby).