IRELAND MADE A frustrating start to their Junior World Championship campaign in Georgia despite outscoring England by five tries to four but ultimately didn’t do enough with 59% possession against the wind in the second half.
A couple of bonus points was scant consolation, and they now face an uphill battle to qualify for the semi-finals as only one team goes through from a pool where Argentina hammered the USA 78-14 in the opening game in Tbilisi.
A strong running backline, where winger Daniel Ryan scored a hat-trick, a solid scrum and some excellent ball-carrying forwards should have been enough to lay the foundation for victory, but it was undone by indiscipline and a lineout which lost half a dozen of their own throws.
Dejected Ireland players after the game. Levan Verdzeuli
Levan Verdzeuli
England were much more efficient and made it count in the end, even if they were on the back foot for most of the second half.
Ireland enjoyed a dream start at the Avchala Stadium and raced into a 12-0 lead after eight minutes as England struggled to get into the game playing against the wind.
But Ireland got on the wrong side of Welsh referee Ben Connor and two yellow cards in succession saw them go in at the break trailing by double scores at 24-12.
Ryan, the former St Michael’s College winger who made his Connacht senior debut against Ulster in December, scored both of Ireland’s tries in that blistering, both of which came when they had penalty advantage.
He crossed for the first after just 75 seconds after a neat cross kick from out half Charlie O’Shea, and scored again down the left after eight minutes after a good move.
In between the other winger Charlie Molony did well to get back to deny Sam Winters, but in England’s next attack down the right, Ireland lock Dylan McNeice was binned for offside. It proved costly as England scored 21 points while he was in the bin.
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Hooker Jimmy Shields scored off a line after 14 minutes, then fullback James Pater raced through to touchdown with a penalty advantage and just before McNeice returned, referee Connor awarded England a penalty try and binned Ireland flanker Ben Blaney.
Ireland dug in and did well to hold England scoreless during the second yellow card before out half Hugh Shields pushed the lead out to 24-12.
Ryan completed his hat-trick two minutes after the restart when he fended off the challenge of lock Eliot Williams after being set up by O’Shea, but England hit back with their only try of the second half from Will Knight four minutes later.
Daniel Ryan celebrates with team-mates after his third try of the game. Levan Verdzeuli
Levan Verdzeuli
Ryan was harshly denied a fourth try on review, while a horrible bounce thwarted him on the hour when a cross kick from replacement out half Tom Wood bounced back into the hands of full-back Pater instead of the Irish winger.
By then referee Connor had finally lost patience with England and binned flanker Seb Kelly after a fifth penalty in a row and Ireland made it count when fullback Noah Byrne scored after good work by the impressive McNeice.
Ireland's Josh Neill is tackled by England’s Ollie Streeter. Levan Verdzeuli
Levan Verdzeuli
Laois native Jack Deegan crowned a superb display off the bench at half-time by finishing off a great break from Josh Neill, but the conversions from opposite wings were narrowly missed by Wood.
England pushed the lead out to seven with a penalty from Shields in a rare second half attack but the Northampton Saints player missed one from the left in the final play in a game that Andrew Browne’s men will feel slipped from their grasp.
Scorers for England: Tries: J Staples, J Pater, W Knight, penalty try; Cons: H Shields (3 from 4); Pens: Shields (2 from 3).
Scorers for Ireland: Tries: D Ryan (3), N Byrne, J Deegan. Cons: C O’Shea (1 from 3), T Wood (0 from 0).
England: James Pater; Zac Finch (George Pearson 64), Nick Lilley, Will Knight, Sam Winters; Hugh Shields, Lucas Friday; Alan Poku (Oliver Spencer 56), Jimmy Staples, Ollie Streeter (Sonny Tonga’uiha 72); Elliot Williams, Aiden Ainsworth-Cave; Tate Williams (Patrick Hogg 72), Seb Kelly (Jack Lewis 73), Connor Treacey (c).
Ireland: Noah Byrne; Charlie Molony, Rob Carney (Jack Deegan half-time), James O’Leary, Daniel Ryan; Charlie O’Shea (Tom Wood 60), Christopher Barrett; Max Doyle (Adam Cooper 65), Rian Handley (Duinn Maguire 58), Sam Bishti (Blake McClean 71); Donnacha McGuire (Paddy Woods 65), Dylan McNeice; Josh Neill, Ben Blaney (Alex Lautsou 58), Diarmaid O’Connell.
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Frustration for Ireland with opening game defeat to England
England 34
Ireland 27
IRELAND MADE A frustrating start to their Junior World Championship campaign in Georgia despite outscoring England by five tries to four but ultimately didn’t do enough with 59% possession against the wind in the second half.
A couple of bonus points was scant consolation, and they now face an uphill battle to qualify for the semi-finals as only one team goes through from a pool where Argentina hammered the USA 78-14 in the opening game in Tbilisi.
A strong running backline, where winger Daniel Ryan scored a hat-trick, a solid scrum and some excellent ball-carrying forwards should have been enough to lay the foundation for victory, but it was undone by indiscipline and a lineout which lost half a dozen of their own throws.
England were much more efficient and made it count in the end, even if they were on the back foot for most of the second half.
Ireland enjoyed a dream start at the Avchala Stadium and raced into a 12-0 lead after eight minutes as England struggled to get into the game playing against the wind.
But Ireland got on the wrong side of Welsh referee Ben Connor and two yellow cards in succession saw them go in at the break trailing by double scores at 24-12.
Ryan, the former St Michael’s College winger who made his Connacht senior debut against Ulster in December, scored both of Ireland’s tries in that blistering, both of which came when they had penalty advantage.
He crossed for the first after just 75 seconds after a neat cross kick from out half Charlie O’Shea, and scored again down the left after eight minutes after a good move.
In between the other winger Charlie Molony did well to get back to deny Sam Winters, but in England’s next attack down the right, Ireland lock Dylan McNeice was binned for offside. It proved costly as England scored 21 points while he was in the bin.
Hooker Jimmy Shields scored off a line after 14 minutes, then fullback James Pater raced through to touchdown with a penalty advantage and just before McNeice returned, referee Connor awarded England a penalty try and binned Ireland flanker Ben Blaney.
Ireland dug in and did well to hold England scoreless during the second yellow card before out half Hugh Shields pushed the lead out to 24-12.
Ryan completed his hat-trick two minutes after the restart when he fended off the challenge of lock Eliot Williams after being set up by O’Shea, but England hit back with their only try of the second half from Will Knight four minutes later.
Ryan was harshly denied a fourth try on review, while a horrible bounce thwarted him on the hour when a cross kick from replacement out half Tom Wood bounced back into the hands of full-back Pater instead of the Irish winger.
By then referee Connor had finally lost patience with England and binned flanker Seb Kelly after a fifth penalty in a row and Ireland made it count when fullback Noah Byrne scored after good work by the impressive McNeice.
Laois native Jack Deegan crowned a superb display off the bench at half-time by finishing off a great break from Josh Neill, but the conversions from opposite wings were narrowly missed by Wood.
England pushed the lead out to seven with a penalty from Shields in a rare second half attack but the Northampton Saints player missed one from the left in the final play in a game that Andrew Browne’s men will feel slipped from their grasp.
England: James Pater; Zac Finch (George Pearson 64), Nick Lilley, Will Knight, Sam Winters; Hugh Shields, Lucas Friday; Alan Poku (Oliver Spencer 56), Jimmy Staples, Ollie Streeter (Sonny Tonga’uiha 72); Elliot Williams, Aiden Ainsworth-Cave; Tate Williams (Patrick Hogg 72), Seb Kelly (Jack Lewis 73), Connor Treacey (c).
Ireland: Noah Byrne; Charlie Molony, Rob Carney (Jack Deegan half-time), James O’Leary, Daniel Ryan; Charlie O’Shea (Tom Wood 60), Christopher Barrett; Max Doyle (Adam Cooper 65), Rian Handley (Duinn Maguire 58), Sam Bishti (Blake McClean 71); Donnacha McGuire (Paddy Woods 65), Dylan McNeice; Josh Neill, Ben Blaney (Alex Lautsou 58), Diarmaid O’Connell.
Referee: Ben Connor (Wales).
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