Ward among three Ulster players in Emerging Ireland team

Ireland Sevens prima Zac Ward is 1 of 3 Ulster players named successful nan Emerging Ireland starting squad to look nan Pumas connected Wednesday successful nan first crippled of their three-match circuit to South Africa.

Harry Sheridan is selected successful nan 2nd statement and Cormac Izuchukwu successful nan backmost statement for nan brushwood pinch nan Currie Cup broadside successful Bloemfontein.

Backs Jack Murphy and Jude Postlethwaite are named among nan replacements for nan lucifer which has a 15:00 BST kick-off time.

Ward has impressed for Ireland's Sevens squad and was 1 of nan guidelines retired players astatine nan Paris Olympics.

The 25-year-old helping has been connected proceedings pinch Ulster arsenic he transitions backmost into nan 15s game.

Captain and flanker Alex Kendellen is 1 of 3 erstwhile Ireland Under-20 skippers named successful nan squad, on pinch his Munster workfellow Evan O'Connell and Leinster's Gus McCarthy, who are some connected nan bench.

Ben O'Connor is chosen astatine full-back, pinch Rob Russell and Ward connected nan wings and Sean O'Brien and Hugh Gavin successful midfield.

Sam Prendergast and Matthew Devine dress up nan half-back partnership.

The beforehand statement comprises Mark Donnelly, Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier, pinch Sheridan joined by Darragh Murray successful nan 2nd row.

Leinster's James Culhane completes nan backmost row.

Simon Easterby's broadside will besides look Western Force connected 6 October and The Cheetahs connected 9 October arsenic portion of their tour.

Easterby commented: "The Pumas will coming a existent test, coming arsenic it does successful nan first of 3 games successful 7 days. They’re a beingness squad who person travel disconnected a competitory Currie Cup campaign.

"The 3 games will inquire different questions of nan group and that is precisely nan benignant of situation we want to foster and to spot really nan players respond to a pressurised and competitory environment.

"We will beryllium managing our resources fixed nan adjacent proximity of nan games and it’s a younger and little knowledgeable group than nan 1 that competed 2 years ago. But nan talent, power and enthusiasm of this group has been evident complete nan people of nan past six days."

Ireland: Ben O'Connor (Munster); Rob Russell (Leinster), Sean O'Brien (Munster), Hugh Gavin (Conancht), Zac Ward (Ulster/Ireland Sevens); Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Matthew Devine (Connacht); Mark Donnelly (Munster), Stephen Smyth (Leinster), Jack Aungier (Connacht); Harry Sheridan (Ulster), Darragh Murray (Connacht); Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster), Alex Kendellen (capt) (Munster), James Culhane (Leinster).

Replacements: Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Alex Usanov (Leinster), Ronan Foxe (Munster), Evan O'Connell (Munster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Ethan Coughlan (Munster), Jack Murphy (Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster).