IRELAND WILL MEET the USA next Tuesday in Georgia hoping to avoid going into the relegation play-offs at the Junior World Championship after they were blown away by Argentina in another frustrating outing for Andrew Browne’s men.
Ireland ran in six tries but never looked like winning at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi as Argentina made it two wins from two with some superb running from deep and a clinical edge that Ireland lacked.
The defeat, which at one stage looked like would surpass the 69-3 drubbing suffered against New Zealand in 2017 when the competition was last held in Georgia, ends Ireland’s hopes of making the semi-finals, and they will now take on the Americans hoping to avoid finishing bottom and ending up in the relegation dogfight for the second year in a row in this competition.
Head coach Andrew Browne. Levan Verdzeuli
Levan Verdzeuli
Ireland, having opened up an early 12-0 lead to England on Saturday, this time found themselves 14-0 adrift after just 10 minutes after a disastrous opening which also saw them into an early change when outhalf Tom Wood had to be replaced by Charlie O’Shea following a head injury.
By then Argentina had dotted down two tries, the first coming from left-winger Luciano Avaca from a lineout, while he then made the break from deep which was finished by out half Federico Laporte under the posts.
Ireland, having sorted out their lineout and with their scrum continuing to be strong, got back in contention at the end of the opening quarter when hooker Rian Handley scored after an excellent drive off a lineout, with O’Shea’s conversion making it 14-7.
Argentina coughed up half a dozen penalties, three of them for tackles above the sternum in the new law being trialled in this competition, but they escaped with just a warning.
O’Shea failed to find touch down the right with the penalty and Argentina, superb from deep, made them pay.
Winger Daniel Ryan, who scored a hat-trick against England, was binned for a deliberate knock-out which denied Argentina a line break opportunity and Argentina scored 17 points with the extra man.
Charlie O'Shea celebrates the second try for Ireland. Levan Verdzeuli
Levan Verdzeuli
Ireland’s poor handling, eight dropped balls in the opening half, undermined their challenge and Argentina made hay with fullback Simon Pfister, who scored three of their dozen tries against the USA, finished from deep and then captain Tomas Dande did likewise into another counter.
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Remarkably, Argentina’s four tries in the opening half came from spending just 30 seconds in the Irish 22. In contrast, Ireland spent 2.04 minutes inside the Argentinian 22 and only scored one try.
The trend continued after the restart. Pfisher got his second try and after O’Shea pulled one back after centre Benjamin Yujnovsky was binned, Avaca got his second try to push the lead out to 45-14 after 53 minutes.
Ireland never gave up and at one stage a remarkable comeback was on the cards as Jack Deegan, Blake McClean and O’Shea again cut the gap to 45-35 with 10 minutes remaining.
But Argentina then struck two tries inside a minute to pull away with Josh Neill getting Ireland’s sixth try at the death.
Argentina scorers:
Tries: S Pfister (2), L Avaca (2), F Laporte, T Dande, B Lescano, M Giannantonio.
Cons: Laporte (8 from 8).
Pens: Laporte (2 from 2).
Ireland scorers:
Tries: C O’Shea (2), R Handley, J Deegan, B McClean, J Neill.
Cons: O’Shea (5 from 6).
Argentina: Simon Pfister; Bautista Lescano, Pedro Coll (Ramon Fernandez 56), Benjamin Yujnovsky, Luciano Avaca (Manuel Giannantonio 68); Federico Laporte, Juan Preumayr (Valentino Reggiardo 57); Benjamin Ceroni (Fabrizio Cebron 52), Manuel Camargo (Nicolas Cambiasso 53), Bautista Mallea (Federico Narvaez 74); Joaquin Viale, Bautista Benavides; Tomas Dande (capt) (Felipe Hygonenq 76), Jeronimo Sorondo (Basilio Canas 560, Federico Torre.
Ireland: Noah Byrne; Charlie Molony, Jack Deegan, James O’Leary (Rob Carney 67), Daniel Ryan; Tom Wood (Charlie O’Shea 11), Christopher Barrett (James O’Dwyer 46-54); Max Doyle (Adam Cooper 54), Rian Handley (Duinn Maguire 46), Sami Bishti (capt) (Blake McClean 54); Joe Finn, Donnacha McGuire (Dylan McNeice 54); Josh Neill, Alex Lautsou (Ben Blaney 46), Diarmaid O’Connell.
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Ireland U20s' semi-final hopes ended in heavy defeat to Pumas
Argentina 62
Ireland 40
IRELAND WILL MEET the USA next Tuesday in Georgia hoping to avoid going into the relegation play-offs at the Junior World Championship after they were blown away by Argentina in another frustrating outing for Andrew Browne’s men.
Ireland ran in six tries but never looked like winning at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi as Argentina made it two wins from two with some superb running from deep and a clinical edge that Ireland lacked.
The defeat, which at one stage looked like would surpass the 69-3 drubbing suffered against New Zealand in 2017 when the competition was last held in Georgia, ends Ireland’s hopes of making the semi-finals, and they will now take on the Americans hoping to avoid finishing bottom and ending up in the relegation dogfight for the second year in a row in this competition.
Ireland, having opened up an early 12-0 lead to England on Saturday, this time found themselves 14-0 adrift after just 10 minutes after a disastrous opening which also saw them into an early change when outhalf Tom Wood had to be replaced by Charlie O’Shea following a head injury.
By then Argentina had dotted down two tries, the first coming from left-winger Luciano Avaca from a lineout, while he then made the break from deep which was finished by out half Federico Laporte under the posts.
Ireland, having sorted out their lineout and with their scrum continuing to be strong, got back in contention at the end of the opening quarter when hooker Rian Handley scored after an excellent drive off a lineout, with O’Shea’s conversion making it 14-7.
Argentina coughed up half a dozen penalties, three of them for tackles above the sternum in the new law being trialled in this competition, but they escaped with just a warning.
O’Shea failed to find touch down the right with the penalty and Argentina, superb from deep, made them pay.
Winger Daniel Ryan, who scored a hat-trick against England, was binned for a deliberate knock-out which denied Argentina a line break opportunity and Argentina scored 17 points with the extra man.
Ireland’s poor handling, eight dropped balls in the opening half, undermined their challenge and Argentina made hay with fullback Simon Pfister, who scored three of their dozen tries against the USA, finished from deep and then captain Tomas Dande did likewise into another counter.
Remarkably, Argentina’s four tries in the opening half came from spending just 30 seconds in the Irish 22. In contrast, Ireland spent 2.04 minutes inside the Argentinian 22 and only scored one try.
The trend continued after the restart. Pfisher got his second try and after O’Shea pulled one back after centre Benjamin Yujnovsky was binned, Avaca got his second try to push the lead out to 45-14 after 53 minutes.
Ireland never gave up and at one stage a remarkable comeback was on the cards as Jack Deegan, Blake McClean and O’Shea again cut the gap to 45-35 with 10 minutes remaining.
But Argentina then struck two tries inside a minute to pull away with Josh Neill getting Ireland’s sixth try at the death.
Argentina scorers:
Tries: S Pfister (2), L Avaca (2), F Laporte, T Dande, B Lescano, M Giannantonio.
Cons: Laporte (8 from 8).
Pens: Laporte (2 from 2).
Ireland scorers:
Tries: C O’Shea (2), R Handley, J Deegan, B McClean, J Neill.
Cons: O’Shea (5 from 6).
Argentina: Simon Pfister; Bautista Lescano, Pedro Coll (Ramon Fernandez 56), Benjamin Yujnovsky, Luciano Avaca (Manuel Giannantonio 68); Federico Laporte, Juan Preumayr (Valentino Reggiardo 57); Benjamin Ceroni (Fabrizio Cebron 52), Manuel Camargo (Nicolas Cambiasso 53), Bautista Mallea (Federico Narvaez 74); Joaquin Viale, Bautista Benavides; Tomas Dande (capt) (Felipe Hygonenq 76), Jeronimo Sorondo (Basilio Canas 560, Federico Torre.
Ireland: Noah Byrne; Charlie Molony, Jack Deegan, James O’Leary (Rob Carney 67), Daniel Ryan; Tom Wood (Charlie O’Shea 11), Christopher Barrett (James O’Dwyer 46-54); Max Doyle (Adam Cooper 54), Rian Handley (Duinn Maguire 46), Sami Bishti (capt) (Blake McClean 54); Joe Finn, Donnacha McGuire (Dylan McNeice 54); Josh Neill, Alex Lautsou (Ben Blaney 46), Diarmaid O’Connell.
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Georgia on my mind Junior World Championship losing streak Rugby U20s