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A handful of Americas-eligible players have been named to take part in the annual Colours Match between Ireland’s most prestigious university sides, Trinity College and UCD. The game has been a fixture on the rugby calendar since 1952, the Irish equivalent of the Varsity Match played between Cambridge and Oxford, though in recent years the game in Dublin has paled in media exposure.
Trinity College has hosted numerous players of Americas interest in the past, among others now-retired Eagles flanker Scott LaValla, who captained the side to their most recent Colours victory in 2011. Americas Rugby Championship winger Kingsley McGowan and PRO Ohio flanker Pierce Dargan are more recent departures, the latter taking part in the 2015 edition of the match.
USA international Tim Maupin, who won the last of his seven caps in November 2014, lines up on the right wing, with Junior All-American Conor Kearns at fullback. Canadians will also have interest in the side with u20 standout Paddy Finlay starting at hooker and Senior ‘A’ fullback Jack Fitzpatrick finding a spot among the reserves.
Another Americas connection to Trinity comes via their highly esteemed Director of Rugby Tony Smeeth. The former US Eagles attack coach has had a long association with American rugby, having spent more than a decade in the USA and founding the national u19 program in 1992, whom he led for eight years.
UCD meanwhile field a very strong team laden in Ireland u20 players. Most notable for American concerns is loosehead Jeremy Loughman. The Leinster academy prop qualifies for the Eagles by virtue of being born in Reno, Nevada, though his ambitions appear to be wholly aimed at the green jersey, not the stars and stripes.
Trinity will attempt to break their four-year losing streak on Wednesday at College Park, the first time the match will be played on the scenic Trinity College campus field.
TRINITY
1 Eric O’Sullivan 2 Paddy Finlay 3 Andy Keating 4 Jack Burke 5 Raef Tyrell 6 Nick McCarthy (capt.) 7 Dermot O’Flynn 8 Tom Ryan 9 Angus Lloyd 10 Jack McDermott 11 Max McFarland 12 Seb Fromm 13 Paddy Lavelle 14 Tim Maupin 15 Conor Kearns
16 Matt McCann 17 Tom Collis 18 Warren Larkin 19 Conor Gleeson 20 Cian O’Dwyer 21 Brian Slater 22 Michael Courtney 23 Jack Fitzpatrick
UCD
1 Jeremy Loughman 2 Sean McNulty 3 Liam Hyland 4 Brian Cawley 5 Emmet MacMahon 6 Michael Cawley 7 Charlie Cregan 8 Peadar Timmins 9 Nick McCarthy 10 Ross Byrne 11 Barry Daly 12 Conall Doherty 13 Stephen Murphy 14 Adam Byrne 15 Billy Dardis
16 Gordon Frayne 17 Robert Byrne 18 Jack Dwan 19 Donagh Lawler 20 Jamie Glynn 21 Bobby Holland 22 Liam Bourke 23 Tom Fletcher
