IRELAND HAVE DEDICATED their emphatic semi-final win against South Africa to squad member Jack Oliver – who lost his father in tragic circumstances earlier this week.
Ireland thumped South Africa 31-12 in Athlone on Sunday to book their place in the World Rugby U20 Championship final, which will be staged at the same venue on Friday 14 July.
They’ve been forced to overcome a series of challenges this past week, with one of their
players forced to travel home following his father’s death.
Greig Oliver, father of Ireland U20 scrumhalf Jack and Munster Rugby’s Elite Performance Officer, passed away after a freak paragliding accident in Cape Town on Monday. Ireland managed to lift themselves for the crucial pool match against Fiji on Tuesday, which they won 47-27.
Nevertheless, it’s been an emotional week for the coaches and players. In the aftermath of their 31-12 semi-final win against South Africa on Sunday, coach Richie Murphy spoke
about what the victory means to the group.
“It’s been so difficult since Greig’s passing,” said Murphy. “Jack was with the group until
Wednesday. Despite all he’s going through, he’s been sending messages of support for
the boys.
“In that respect, we’re absolutely delighted to come through this game against South
Africa. It means we’re through to the final, and win or lose, we’re bringing something back for Jack, no matter what.”
Captain Gus McCarthy highlighted how much the group has grown over the past few
months. Since winning the U20 Six Nations tournament, they have fought hard to progress to the final of the global competition in South Africa – in spite of the recent tragedy.
“If I had to pick a highlight of this tournament, I’d say the camaraderie,” McCarthy said.
“We come from four different provinces in Ireland, and six months ago, we hardly knew
one another. We’ve grown a lot since then, we’ve really connected and become a tight-knit squad. And that’s translated onto the field of play.
“You could see how we fought for one another against South Africa. We defended for
much of the first half, and it was a credit to us that their flyhalf [Jean Smith] eventually tried to kick a drop goal at the end.
“At half-time, we spoke about staying focused on the plan. We took the game into our own hands in the second half, and it all worked out.”
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