Ryan Bailey reports from Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay
THE GAME’S DEFINING moment will always be remembered as Colm Reilly’s opportunistic score, the Buccaneers scrum-half marking his introduction by scampering clear and stepping on the gas to veer away from the covering Welsh fullback Cai Evans.
But, equally, Angus Kernohan’s virtuoso solo run down the far wing was the moment of quality Ireland had so desperately craved at the end of a sloppy first-half showing, his slaloming break eventually leading to Jonathan Wren’s crucial seven-pointer on the whistle.
Looking back, it was a crucial turning point in the context of the game as Ireland would go on to secure the victory required to augment their Six Nations crown with the ultimate prize, the Grand Slam.
Kernohan’s break and Wren’s finish meant Ireland, having been frustrated by their own errors and indiscipline, went into the sheds just three points in arrears, rather than 10, and returned for the second period with a spring in their step.
Having returned to the side for the final three games of the campaign after injury, it was the moment Kernohan had waited for all championship after seeing very little of the ball on the right flank during the wins over Italy and France. Sometimes, that’s just the way.
But the 20-year-old, who has already made 13 senior appearances for Ulster, showed all his ability with ball in hand when given a sniff, turning loose and scrappy ball into something much more as he weaved his way inside and out and past several Welsh defenders.
“Sometimes rugby is just as a game where the ball just doesn’t come to you, particularly on the wing,” he smiles.
“It can be frustrating but I think you just have to trust the system, as in there were a couple of times in the last game, there were flankers carrying down the channel and they made a good impact as well.
“Today, that was a lovely ball from Jake [Flannery], just to get that offload away. Whenever there is a bit of space in front of you, it’s nice to put the foot down.”
And that he did, bringing Ireland up to the 10-metre line and pressing them into attacking mode when it looked like they would have a mountain to climb in the second 40. The quality of ball allowed the visitors to strike quickly, Scott Penny again heavily involved as he fed Wren for the line. At 10-7, the scoreboard suddenly had a very different complexion.
Having been the provider in the first period, Kernohan — a member of the Ulster academy — very nearly registered his first Ireland U20 try, only for his smart finish in this near corner to be chalked off for a forward pass in the build-up.
It was a real shame from an Irish perspective, not only as it would have given them a healthy buffer heading into the final quarter of a helter-skelter contest, but it was a near-perfect strike move involving Liam Turner, Sean French and Kernohan.
“Yeah, it was frustrating that the pass was forward for the try but it was nice to carry the ball too,” the former Ballymena Academy flyer laughed, Six Nations medal around his neck as the enormity of the achievement sank in.
A member of last year’s U20s team, Kernohan found it hard to sum up the feeling at the full-time whistle in Wales last night: “I’m speechless, to be honest. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves but we have been a team right throughout the championship that has dug in and found a way to win.
“I think that’s an important thing behind great teams. We have real unity in the team and that common goal of putting teams to the sword.
“We did that in the end and it just shows with Colm [Reilly] coming on at the end and scoring. Your replacement scrum-half making such a big impact shows how much we trust our squad and rely on those guys.
“I’m completely elated, it was a brilliant win.”
Ireland had already shown remarkable resilience in securing the Six Nations title before last night’s trip to Colwyn Bay, and they had to delve deeper into their reservoirs of self-belief here, for this was an occasion that could have easily slipped from their grasp.
A jittery start, accentuated by uncharacteristic handling errors and a couple of lineout malfunctions, did little to settle the nerves and only presented Wales with access into the game, the home side duly accepting the invite.
Ireland also had three tries chalked off by the Television Match Official, notably in the first half when Scott Penny and then Sean French thought they had grounded the ball on the line, only for the officials to conclude both had come up just short. And then there was Kernohan’s disallowed score in the second half.
“The TMO decisions were very fine margins to be honest, all of them,” McNamara said afterwards.
They could have gone either way and another team, it might have got to them. The reality is with this group that their ability to refocus, their ability to stay in the blue, focus on the job in hand is absolutely first class. That was really evident and certainly called upon.
Just as they had the solutions in Cork, in Galashiels and in Rieti during this campaign, McNamara’s young charges had — or found — the solutions here too, culminating in Reilly’s superb pièce de résistance with Ireland three in arrears and just nine minutes left on the clock.
“Coming in and playing those three games means I have played over half a championship so you do feel part of it,” an ecstatic Kernohan added.
“Hopefully, I have played my part in helping the boys get the victory. It was a really closely knit team and it feels unbelievable.
“It is a different kettle of fish [than playing for Ulster] but it is something that is really nice to play with guys your own age.
“When you pull on that green jersey, it’s very special. Being able to come out here tonight and getting the ball a bit more and in more space, it’s nice to be able to attack.
“The U20s is a very important pathway, it’s just brilliant.”
Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Ryan Bailey on The42 Rugby Weekly as Ireland bid to spoil Wales’ Grand Slam party in Cardiff, and the U20s target their own piece of history.
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