The Leicester Tigers wing, a try-scorer in the Aviva Premiership Final, starts in Emerging Ireland’s No14 shirt as they set the ball rolling on a new annual tournament which is part of the IRB’s strategy of increasing the competition schedule for tier two nations.
South Africa Presidents XV and Uruguay are also included in the tournament with matches played in a round-robin format in the Georgian capital of Tblisi.
Emerging Ireland coach Allen Clarke said: “The squad has gelled and prepared well. It’s a young side and there is huge potential there. The Georgian side are very physical and we have to match that.”
Ireland’s remaining fixtures are against South Africa President’s XV on Tuesday (June 11) and Uruguay on Sunday, June 16, both at the Avchala Stadium in Tblisi.
Emerging Ireland:
15 David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
14 Niall Morris (Leicester Tigers)
13 Eoin Griffin (Galwegians/Connacht)
12 Michael Allen (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
11 Tiernan O'Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht)
10 Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster)
9 Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
1 Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s/Leinster)
2 Robert Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
3 Michael Bent (Leinster)
4 Lewis Stevenson (Malone/Ulster)
5 David Foley (UL Bohemian/Munster)
6 Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary’s/Leinster) (c)
7 Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
8 Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster)
Replacements:
16 Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
17 Richard Lutton (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
18 Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution/Munster)
19 Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
20 John Cooney (Lansdowne/Leinster)
21Noel Reid (Clontarf/Leinster)
22 Brendan Macken (Blackrock/Leinster)
