Ireland 'A' confirmed to face Spain in November - Connacht coach revealed to lead the side

Friday, 10 October 2025 at 11:28

byTom Sansom

The IRFU has confirmed that Ireland ‘A’ will take on Spain in Leganés next month, handing a new wave of Irish talent the chance to impress in national colours. The clash will be played at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque on Saturday, November 8 (Kick-off 5pm local / 4pm Irish time), with streaming details set to be confirmed in due course.

Connacht Scrum and Contact Coach Cullie Tucker will lead the side as Head Coach, following his involvement with the senior Ireland setup during the Summer Tour of Georgia and Portugal. He’ll be joined by Mossy Lawler (Attack/Backs Coach), Jimmy Duffy (Forwards Coach) and Sean O’Brien (Defence Coach).

The fixture builds on last season’s Ireland ‘A’ meeting with England ‘A’ in Bristol, as the IRFU looks to expand its player pool and provide meaningful game time for those on the fringes of Andy Farrell’s senior squad.

It comes during a packed November international window, which sees Ireland’s senior team face New Zealand in The Gallagher Cup in Chicago, before returning to Dublin for the Quilter Nations Series against Japan, Australia and South Africa.

The Ireland ‘A’ squad for the Spain encounter will be announced in the coming weeks.