Ireland 53
Wales 5
RICHIE MURPHY’S Ireland U20s were ostensibly in the dark as to what they might face in Byron Hayward’s Wales, the pandemic putting paid to the type of visual evidence of the opposition on which a side can typically base some of their preparation.
The same could mostly be said for tonight’s visitors, who would have seen only Ulster back row Reuben Crothers, Bristol wing Chay Mullins, Leinster loosehead Jack Boyle and his provincial peer Mark Morrissey, a lock, play at this level last year; and who could at least give Munster’s away Champions Cup victory over Wasps a once-over to catch a glimpse of starting Irish fullback Patrick Campbell or replacement half-backs Ethan Coughlan and Tony Butler.
By the half-hour mark at Musgrave Park, though, all mystery had vanished.
Ireland’s blistering performance was enough to warm hands and hearts in Cork, their total eight tries more than sufficient in inflicting upon their Welsh counterparts a chastening beating.
Their forwards were dominant. Their half-backs were pinpoint. The midfield was quick, powerful, effective. The back three was clinical and, at times, electric. Between them, Murphy’s young men set a tempo that Wales simply couldn’t live with. They stuck to it for 80 minutes, just as their coach had asked, earning a record Six Nations victory in front of over 7,000 supporters.
The tone was set within minutes: an early error by the visitors at the breakdown allowed Irish out-half Charlie Tector to pump his side into the opposition 22′. From the resulting home lineout, the Welsh maul crumbled dramatically enough that Ireland nine Matthew Devine could scarcely keep up with his pack.
Skipper Reuben Crothers pointed to the posts as Wales again infringed. Tector — who by the sounds of things in the West Stand brought with him a huge Kilkenny contingent — did the rest from centre-right.
Wales replied with a spell of pressure built upon Ireland’s own infringements at the breakdown. A wonderfully crafted back-three move saw them charge down the Irish right flank and into the 22′. Only for some superb cover work by Leinster 13 Fionn Gibbons, who caught a chip and chase and called a mark as he frantically retreated, prevented a certain Welsh try.
Both sides then exchanged attacks, Wales pinged in the Irish 22′ and Ireland conspiring to botch a lineout on the Welsh five.
Prior to kick-off, a moment’s silence was held in honour of the great Tom Kiernan, whose exploits in the 15 shirt throughout his career make for only a portion of his overall rugby legacy in this country.
Five minutes into the game, a young family friend of another Pres and Munster fullback, Patrick Campbell, had bemoaned from his seat behind this writer that “Patrick hasn’t even touched the ball yet.” The eager observer wasn’t long waiting for his guy to spark into life, however.
Campbell slalomed into midfield and put captain Crothers through a hole in the Welsh line. The move broke down when one of Devine’s passes from the base of a ruck hit referee Julianne Zussman, resulting in an Irish scrum.
From there, a sweeping backline move from left to right prompted Campbell to explode into space. His opposite number, Cameron Winnett, waited as long as he could before abandoning his outside post in a bid to take out the Young Munster man but Campbell perfectly timed his pass to set free right wing Chay Mullins. The Bristol rocket, still with work to do, powered over from 10 yards for a sublime opening try. Tector’s compass was marginally off from the resulting kick, which sailed across the face of the posts towards the Sunday’s Well entrance. Ireland led 8-0 after a quarter of an hour.
Six minutes later, Ireland almost produced a carbon copy of the same move. Again, Campbell straightened to create a yard of space for Mullins but this time, Dragons left wing Oli Andrew took one for his team with a deliberate knock-on. Andrew was given 10 minutes on the bold-boy step and Ireland went for the jugular.
Scrum-half Devine, the fourth man from Galway school Garbally to make the 20s squad in as many seasons, crossed second for the hosts and he made it look simpler than it was. Fed by Ballymena hooker James McCormick, who dove on a ball that bobbled out of Irish hands in a five-metre attacking lineout, Devine sent Wales’ Joe Cowell out for the Evening Echo, cutting back inside the tighthead’s soft shoulder and waltzing past replacement back row Tom Cowan to dot down under the sticks.
After a pile-on from his elated team-mates, Devine’s partner in crime Tector slotted the afters from point-blank range.
That made for 15-0 and despite Ireland’s increasingly apparent superiority in their forward units, Wales came within a couple of yards of an immediate response. With a beautifully crafted attack down Ireland’s blindside, Harri Houston of the Ospreys appeared home and hosed only for Leinster wing Shane Mallon to produce a firm, last-gasp hit as he flew across his own five-metre line.
Showing street smarts belying his age, Mallon went one better as he regained his feet, a tug of Houston’s leg ensuring the Welshman was in touch. It was one of several key defensive interventions by Ireland’s impressive left wing who was also influential in attack, linking up especially well with 13 Gibbons.
Back, then, came Ireland again. After Crothers was held up on the line, the unpreventable player of the match James Culhane paraded his athleticism as he collected a goal-line drop-out behind his own 10′ and ploughed through the Welsh line deep into their 22′. However, after Mullins was subsequently put over in the right-hand corner, Ireland were pinged by the TMO for crossing during Culhane’s initial burst. It looked like an extremely harsh decision by the officiating team: the supposedly obstructed Welsh defender was practically admiring Culhane’s linebreak with the rest of Musgrave Park so far away was he from making a tackle.
Mullins’ lost try was lock Mark Morrissey’s gain only moments later, however, and McCormick was again the de facto provider. After a blistering break by tighthead Jack Boyle and a consequent booming carry by outside centre Gibbons, Devine fed the Irish hooker who picked a sumptuous line just inside the 22′, making holograms of two Welsh defenders until he was dragged down a yard short. The rest was processional: a scrambling Welsh defence could only watch while Devine popped left to Morrissey, who crashed over halfway between the posts and the left-hand touchline. Tector found the mark again from the tee, nudging Ireland out to a 22-0 lead.
The margin remained the same until the turnaround despite further dominance from the hosts, including a breathtaking 70-metre attack down the Welsh right during which inside centre Ben Brownlee got a chance to show his wheels.
Fullback Campbell, meanwhile, who had shown a few glimpses of his brilliance, was withdrawn through injury and replaced by Clontarf’s Aitzol King.
It took Richie Murphy’s men less than two minutes of the second half to breach the whitewash for the bonus point, Crothers crowning a fine individual performance as he burrowed over from a yard.
Two minutes later, his fellow back row James McNabney, the Ulster blindside, added his own name to the scoresheet as the Irish pack again bent their Welsh counterparts until they broke. Tector converted Crothers’ try but missed his attempt from McNabney’s finish, albeit from the left-hand touchline.
Wales’ second yellow — lock Joe Peard the fall guy after several warnings — preceded a wonderful second score by Mullins on 52 minutes: after two thudding carries by Crothers and lock Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Devine fed Tector who shipped it onto Gibbons, and the midfielder supplied Mullins who cut back across a flailing Welsh body to trot under the posts.
Tector’s conversion took Ireland’s lead to 41-0 and he was replaced seconds later by Garryowen and Munster’s Tony Butler as Murphy began to give minutes to his reinforcements.
Credit to Byron Hayward’s Wales who kept fighting where others, mentally at least, would have been halfway to Cork Airport by this stage. They came within an inch of crossing for their first score just before the hour mark but a couple of assaults on the Irish line were denied — including by one monstrous hit by McNabney.
Getting no purchase with one-outs from five or so yards, the visitors attempted to improvise: out-half Daniel Edwards attempted a crossfield kick to the left but it came slightly wonkily off his boot. Though it was taken well by left wing Andrew, a loose ball from the next phase was pounced upon by Mullins, who fly-hacked on and was deemed to have been hauled down on his chase as Ireland attempted to turn sturdy defence into stunning counter attack.
Ireland turned that penalty into their seventh try, and it was deserved score for the excellent McCormick who peeled off the back off a maul and found his way over. It was also his last act: he subbed out for fellow Ulsterman Josh Hanlon of Ballynahinch.
Wales, who had all but emptied their bench, again knocked on the door. A combination of exceptional five-metre defence by Ireland, two unfortunate knock-ons and one forward floated pass ultimately kept them out as far as 68 minutes. Even the Irish fans, at this point, were half-willing them on.
After O’Tighearnaigh — part of an imperious tight-five unit along with fellow lock Morrissey, Boyle, McCormick and loosehead Scott Wilson — was denied Ireland’s eighth try by dint of an off-the-ball tackle by Hanlon, the visitors got something to take home with them: a beautiful pass by Jac Lloyd put left wing Andrew into space, and he finished powerfully to warm applause from both the home support and a sizeable Welsh contingent.
Centre Brownlee, though, did grab Ireland’s eighth, powering over on 79 minutes with replacement 10 Butler having the final say from the tee.
A romping start for Richie Murphy’s men who will certainly face greater tests in this competition but are on the right track to pass them.
Scorers for Ireland: Tries: Mullins (2), Devine, Morrisssey, Crothers, McNabney, McCormick, Brownlee; Pens: Tector (1/1); Conversions: Tector (4/6), Butler (1/2).
Scorers for Wales: Try: Andrew
Ireland U20s
15. Patrick Campbell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
14. Chay Mullins (Bristol Bears/IQ Rugby)
13. Fionn Gibbons (UCD RFC/Leinster)
12. Ben Brownlee (Blackrock College/Leinster)
11. Shane Mallon (UCD RFC/Leinster)
10. Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9. Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
1. Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster)
2. James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
3. Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster)
4. Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
5. Mark Morrissey (UCD RFC/Leinster)
6. James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
7. Reuben Crothers (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)(Captain)
8. James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster)
17. Oisin Michel (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
18. Rory McGuire (UCD/Leinster)
19. Adam McNamee (Malone RFC/Ulster)
20. Ronan O’Sullivan (Highfield RFC/Munster)
21. Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster)
22. Tony Butler (Garryowen FC/Munster)
23. Aitzol King (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
Wales
15 Cameron Winnett (Cardiff Rugby)
14 Harri Houston (Ospreys)
13 Bryn Bradley (Harlequins)
12 Eddie James (Scarlets)
11 Oli Andrew (Dragons)
10 Daniel Edwards (Ospreys)
9 Harri Williams (Scarlets)
1 Joe Cowell (Cardiff Met)
2 Efan Daniel (Cardiff Rugby)
3 Nathan Evans (Cardiff Rugby)
4 Joe Peard (Dragons)
5 Lewis Jones (Ospreys)
6 Alex Mann (Cardiff Rugby – Captain)
7 Ethan Fackrell (Cardiff Rugby)
8 Ben Moa (Dragons)
Replacements:
16 Morgan Veness (Ealing Trailfinders)
17 Rhys Barratt (Cardiff Rugby)
18 Ellis Fackrell (Ospreys)
19 Benji Williams (Opsreys)
20 Tom Cowan (Bath Rugby)
21 Morgan Lloyd (Dragons)
22 Jac Lloyd (Bristol Bears)
23 Joe Hawkins (Ospreys)