IRELAND’S EMERGING RUGBY squad were out-gunned 19-8 by their South African equivalents in the Tbilisi Cup today.
Having trailed 10-3 at half time, Ulster wing Michael Allen touched down the only try for Allen Clarke’s side just after the hour mark to spark hope of a big comeback.
By that stage, however, the President’s XV were well in control with a 16-8 lead thanks to three penalties from Carl Bezuidenhout and a conversion of Alshaun Bock’s 20th minute try.
Trailing 10-0 minutes before half time, Ian Keatley put the first points on the board for Ireland and could have brought the deficit to just four points at the break, but was off target.
Keatley’s next kick at goal was the conversion attempt off Allen’s score. That too trailed wide and, despite winning a sizeable chunk of territory, Ireland were unable to muster another score after prop Ivann Espag’s sin-bin period expired.
Instead, it was the emerging ‘Boks who took the last score of the game, Bezuidenhout bringing his tally to 14 points from five kicks with an 80th minute penalty.
EMERGING IRELAND: David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Niall Morris (Leicester Tigers/Exile), Brendan Macken (Blackrock College/Leinster), Noel Reid (Clontarf/Leinster), Tiernan O’Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht); Ian Keatley (Young Munster/Munster), John Cooney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Michael Bent (Leinster), David Foley (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rhys Ruddock (capt, St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Robbie Diack (Malone/Ulster).
Replacements: Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Ricky Lutton (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Dave O’Callaghan (Dolphin/Munster), Eoin McKeon (Galwegians/Connacht), Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Eoin Griffin (Galwegians/Connacht), Michael Allen (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster).
SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT’S XV: Coenie van Wyk (Steval Pumas); Alshaun Bock (SWD Eagles), Wilmaure Louw (Steval Pumas), Adriaan Engelbrecht (Leopards), Rosco Speckman (Steval Pumas); Carl Bezuidenhout (Steval Pumas), Ntando Kebe (Regent Boland Cavaliers); Vincent Koch (Steval Pumas), Frank Herne (Steval Pumas), Ivann Espag (Steval Pumas), Eduan van der Walt (Steval Pumas), Brendon Snyman (Leopards) (capt), Brian Shabangu (Border Bulldogs), Uzair Cassiem (Steval Pumas), Zandre Jordaan (Regent Boland Cavaliers).
Replacements: Khwezilokuza Mkhafu (Border Bulldogs), Martin Dreyer (Leopards), Giant Mtyanda (SWD Eagles), Jaco Bouwer (Steval Pumas), Sinovuyo Nyoka (Border Bulldogs), Stefan Watermeyer (Steval Pumas), Jerome Pretorius (Steval Pumas).
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
