IRELAND UNDER 20s head coach Nigel Carolan has made five changes to his side for Monday’s fifth place playoff against Wales at the Junior World Championship.

Captain Nick McCarthy returned home with a shoulder injury during the week and is replaced at scrum-half by Charlie Rock while Ciaran Gaffney returns to the starting XV at full-back with Billy Dardis dropping out of the squad.

The other personnel change in the backline sees Stephen Fitzgerald come in for Jack Owens on the wing.

Ireland lost their final Pool C game to New Zealand on Wednesday and Carolan has shuffled his pack after a taxing fortnight in sweltering conditions in Italy.

UCD’s Sean McNulty starts at hooker while there is a new back-row combination of Conor Oliver and Nick Timoney with blind-side flanker Josh Murphy skippering the side.

Carolan’s side will be hoping to gain revenge for their 19-12 defeat to Wales in the Six Nations earlier this year.

Victory in Viadana for Ireland would see them qualify for the fifth place playoff final against either Australia or Scotland with the loser dropping into the seventh place game.

Ireland U20s (v Wales: 14 June, KO 1930)

15. Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/ Connacht)
14. Stephen Fitzgerald (Shannon/ Munster)
13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)
12. Sam Arnold (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
11. Jacob Stockdale (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster)
10. Joey Carbery (UCD/Leinster)
9. Charlie Rock (Old Beveldere/ Leinster)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)
2. Sean McNulty (UCD/Leinster)
3. Oisin Heffernan (Terenure College/Leinster)
4. David O’Connor (St. Mary’s /Leinster)
5. Alex Thompson (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster)
6. Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster) (Capt)
7. Conor Oliver (St. Mary’s/ Leinster)
8. Nick Timoney (St. Marys/ Leinster)