Ireland XV hopefuls to get an outing against England 'A' in February

THE RUGBY FOOTBALL Union of England have confirmed an upcoming fixture against Ireland XV in early 2027.

The two sides will meet at Sandy Park, home of the Exeter Chiefs, on Saturday, 20 February, with a 7pm kick-off time.

This will be the third time the two have met since the reformation of the England ‘A’ side in 2024.

The two met last February in Limerick, and it was a chastening evening for Cullie Tucker’s Ireland side as they lost 52-14. One of the players to actually show up well in that game was Bryn Ward, who went on to win full International honours.

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The IRFU has previously said that the Ireland XV will “provide a broader pool of players with exposure to the national team” and a “valuable opportunity for players of national interest to be exposed to high-level game time in a green jersey”.

Games for Ireland XV have no caps awarded and their games are sporadic. They beat Spain 61-25 in November 2025 in their last outing before that defeat to England.