CUT OUT ALL the storylines that catch our attention every year and the Ireland U20s set-up is simply a development programme.
It’s one rung on the ladder that produces professional rugby players in Ireland and certainly an important one.
In that sense, this year has already been a major success. Richie Murphy’s side have won a Grand Slam and reached a World Championship final. A big crop of players have shown clear progress over the course of 2023 and underlined that they have the potential to be professionals. Some of them are almost certainly future senior Ireland stars.
Murphy has continued to develop as a head coach, while his assistants – Mark Sexton, Aaron Dundon, Andrew Browne, and previously Willie Faloon – have enhanced their reputations and gained valuable experience.
IRFU performance director David Nucifora, who is in Cape Town for today’s final against a brilliant France team [KO 6pm Irish time, Virgin Media], can add this year’s U20s to the column marked ‘achievements’ on his personal record.
Regardless of what happens at Athlone Stadium this evening, this has all been a success and the future is clearly very bright for these young men.
But it’s about more than that. It always is with the U20s, even when they don’t reach finals or win Grand Slams. When the players are in it, it’s everything.
This Irish group has developed into a real band of brothers, dealing with deaths along the way in a mature fashion.
During the Six Nations, Munster development coach Tom Tierney – who worked closely with quite a few of these U20s – passed away suddenly. And this World Championship has seen more tragedy strike, first with former St Michael’s College students Max Wall and Andrew O’Donnell dying in Greece, then Munster academy coach Greig Oliver passing away in a paragliding accident in Cape Town. His son, Jack, is very much still part of the Ireland U20s group even if he returned home with his family last week.
So these Ireland players have been through some tough things. They’ve shared joy too. We’ve all seen their smiles upon winning match after match. They haven’t lost as a team and don’t plan on starting today.
U20s rugby is so fun to watch because there is still a hint of naivety about it, a sense that players haven’t yet had the sheer joy of playing squeezed out of them in any way. It means mistakes, sure, but it’s infectious to see that joie de vivre on the pitch.
This Ireland team care about each other. Helping to build that spirit has been one of Murphy’s greatest achievements. They’re playing for Jack Oliver today, but also for centre Hugh Cooney – who was red-carded in the opening game for a high tackle that left him concussed. His tournament was over just as it started and he’s now watching on from home. Cooney will be in their thoughts in Cape Town.
Ireland simply wouldn’t put in the physical efforts they have if that togetherness wasn’t real. The sense of camaraderie is why captain Gus McCarthy keeps thundering around the corner, why fullback Henry McErlean keeps putting his body in front of much bigger men, why centre John Devine keeps working so relentlessly in midfield.
All of these reasons explain why Irish people have felt themselves becoming so fond of this U20s team. Watching back at home, Ireland fans have had a great feeling of pride that these skillful, physical, mature lads are wearing the green jersey.
And over in the stadiums in South Africa, the players’ parents, brothers, sisters, and friends have been roaring them on every second of the way. There are bigger honours ahead for many of their sons and brothers and mates, but right now their whole world revolves around tonight’s battle with an imposing, classy France side.
Ireland’s journey has already been a success but it’s not over just yet.
Ireland U20s:
- 15. Henry McErlean (Terenure/Leinster)
- 14. Andrew Osborne (Naas/Leinster)
- 13. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
- 12. John Devine (Corinthians/Connacht)
- 11. James Nicholson (UCD/Leinster)
- 10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)
- 9. Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster)
- 1. Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
- 2. Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(captain)
- 3. Ronan Foxe (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
- 4. Diarmuid Mangan (UCD/Leinster)
- 5. Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
- 6. James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
- 7. Ruadhan Quinn (Old Crescent RFC/Munster)
- 8. Brian Gleeson (Garryowen/Munster)
Replacements:
- 16. Max Clein (Garryowen/Munster)
- 17. George Hadden (Clontarf/Leinster)
- 18. Fiachna Barrett (Corinthians/Connacht)
- 19. Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University/Ulster)
- 20. Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
- 21. Oscar Cawley (Naas/Leinster)
- 22. Matthew Lynch (Dublin University/Leinster)
- 23. Sam Berman (Dublin University/Leinster)
France U20s:
- 15. Mathis Ferté (Brive)
- 14. Maël Moustin (Bordeuax)
- 13. Nicolas Depoortère (Bordeaux)
- 12. Paul Costes (Toulouse)
- 11. Théo Attissogbe (Pau)
- 10. Hugo Reus (La Rochelle)
- 9. Baptiste Jauneau (Clermont)
- 1. Louis Penverne (La Rochelle)
- 2. Pierre Jouvin (Agen)
- 3. Zacharrie Affane (Bordeaux)
- 4. Hugo Auradou (Pau)
- 5. Posolo Tuilagi (Perpignan)
- 6. Lenni Nouchi (Montpellier) (captain)
- 7. Oscar Jégou (La Rochelle)
- 8. Marko Gazzotti (Grenoble)
Replacements:
- 16. Thomas Lacombre (Toulouse)
- 17. Lino Julien (Racing 92)
- 18. Thomas Duchene (Clermont)
- 19. Brent Liufau (Pau)
- 20. Mathis Castro Ferreira (Toulouse)
- 21. Léo Carbonneau (Brive)
- 22. Arthur Mathiron (Lyon)
- 23. Clément Mondinat (Pau)
