Emerging Ireland v Pumas TV and streaming information for today's game

Alex Kendellan to captain a team that, in the main, is short on first team URC experience

Alex Kendellan captains The Emerging Ireland against The Pumas in the opening game of the three-match Tour of South Africa this afternoon (3pm Irish time, Supersport, IrishRugby+)

He is one of the three former Ireland U20 captains in the squad alongside his Munster colleague Evan O’Connell and Leinster’s Gus McCarthy, both of whom are named on the bench.

Sam Prendergast, looking to catch Andy Farrell and Simon Easterby's attention with the hope of making the Ireland squad for the November series games against the All Blacks, Argentina, Fiji and Australia, is at out-half.

READ MORE: Cormac Izuchukwu has gone from '50 quid in a bag' to the senior Ireland squad in five seasons

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Rob Russell, who many rate as the best back not in the Leinster first team - the competition comprises James Lowe, the rejuvenated Jordan Larmour and the returned to fitness Jimmy O'Brien - gets a chance on the right wing.

Ireland Sevens Olympian Zac Ward is named on the left wing and while he is not an Ulster regular either, this is a chance to make his case as a XVs player as opposed to being seen as purely a short-sided game star.

The inclusion of former Leinster and current Connacht tighthead prop Jack Aungier could be significant given there is some worry about 'depth' internationally in the no3 shirt.

It is a big day in the back-row for Alex Kendellen and Cormac Izuchukwu, two of the more senior players in the squad as they are provincial regulars at Munster and Ulster respectively.

It would be a surprise if these two are not in the running for the player of the match award as they should be prominent in terms of leadership, carries and tackles throughout.

Former Ireland international and Ulster centre Darren Cave notes it is a very young side and not all of the players have much BKT URC experience:

"I am a great fan of players playing, it is not about training, it is about playing and this is a great opportunity for the coaches to see these players in action, monitor them up close and see what value they have.

"It is a chance to shape certain players around set-pieces such as the lineout or trying find out a little bit more about them.

"There are a couple of players who the provinces would like to have playing but that is part and parcel of the way the game is set up in Ireland. It is no secret the point of the provinces is to provide players for the national team.

"I think Rob Russell is a good example, every time I see him playing Leinster he seems to score at least a brace of tries and if he is not playing in blue it is great to see him in green."

Up front, Cave suggests the game is there for Izuchukwu to dominate .

"It is amazing how things change. He had done very little, showed few signs at Ulster until maybe Richie Murphy arrived about six months ago and now he seems like the experienced guy on that team.

"Lots of talk about whether he is a second-row or a no6, I just think he is a very young talented guy, very abrasive. From an Ulster point of view I think he is very much the profile of player they will continue to push over the next months and years.

"That is big, physical, back-five players. Ulster's homegrown back-five if you think about it, outside of Iain Henderson there are not many big, big men that have come through.

"So that is an area where Ulster are going to push players like Cormac and Harry Sheridan."

Emerging Ireland:

15. Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)

14. Rob Russell (Dublin University FC/Leinster)

13. Sean O’Brien (Clontarf FC/Munster)

12. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)

11. Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)

10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)

9. Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)

1. Mark Donnelly (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)

2. Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)

3. Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)

4. Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)

5. Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)

6. Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)

7. Alex Kendellen (UCC RFC/Munster)(captain)

8. James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster)

Replacements:

16. Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster)

17. Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)

18. Ronan Foxe (Garryowen FC/Munster)

19. Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster)

20. Sean Jansen (Connacht)

21. Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster)

22. Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)

23. Jude Postlethwaite (City of Armagh RFC/Ulster).

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