Big Cork presence on Irish club rugby selection to face Scotland on Friday

BOTH Cork Constitution and UCC are well represented in the Ireland Club team to play their Scottish counterparts in Galashields on Friday night.

All-Ireland League champions, Con, have two players in the pack, hooker John Sutton and second-row Brian Hayes, who are both appearing for the third time in the series.

And there’s a third on the bench in the versatile Gerry Hurley, who has played 10 times, including the inaugural 2006 season. Hurley’s a former captain, too.

UCC out-half James Taylor and centre Peter Sylvester make their debuts while club captain, Ryan Murphy, is among the subs.

Number eight is Paul Derham, who is from Cork, but now plays with Old Wesley in Dublin.

Ireland are the current holders of the Dalriada Cup, which goes to the team with the higher aggregate score over the two games.

The return game is at Energia Park Donnybrook on Friday week.

IRELAND CLUB: J Heuston (Garryowen); C Hogan (Dublin University), P Ryan (Shannon), P Sylvester (UCC), J Ringrose (UCD); J Taylor (UCC), A Hehir (Shannon); C Maguire (Old Wesley), J Sutton (Cork Constitution), A Keating (Garryowen); B Hayes (Cork Constitution), A Kennedy (Young Munster); M Melia (Terenure College), J Foley (Young Munster), P Derham (Old Wesley).

Subs: A Clarkin (Terenure College), C Barrett (Garryowen), JP Phelan (Clontarf), P Claffey (Terenure College), R Murphy (UCC), G Hurley (Cork Constitution), B Fitzgerald (Garryowen), M Byrne (Terenure College).