AT HALF TIME in Cape Town, Ireland were very much in the fight after a gripping opening 40 minutes in tonight’s U20 World Championship final.
Richie Murphy’s team had come flying out of the blocks, scrum-half Fintan Gunne darting over inside the opening five minutes, the score converted by Sam Prendergast.
France responded with a converted try and penalty, but Ireland countered, their second try coming from centre John Devine after a patient, clever assault on the France tryline. The French quickly hit back to take a three-point lead into the break, but at that juncture, Ireland would have been happy enough with their lot. Despite being far from their best and making some uncharacteristic errors, they were within one score of this tournament’s standout team.
What came next was an utterly devastating display from a France side bursting with potential. Playing with a man advantage, they added 14 points to their tally in the early stages of the second half. Come 80 minutes, they’d hit the 50-point mark. An Ireland team that had been so impressive on their march to this final didn’t manage to score a single point across the second 40 minutes.
That was as much about the quality of the French performance as it was Ireland’s shortcomings.
However this Ireland squad set high standards for themselves and they will rue moments of inaccuracy when looking back on this game. Their lineout work was scrappy, exits were rushed, they missed tackles they should have made and at times their handling let them down. They are now acutely aware that at the top level, mistakes get punished, and tonight was all about how an exceptional France squad fully delivered on their own potential.
France were good in the first half, and simply irresistible in the second, finishing with seven tries to their name. Their workrate was outstanding throughout, they bossed the breakdown and as the game opened up their ability to strike from broken play proved devastating.
At this point, it’s worth highlighting a few things. This Ireland team were Grand Slam champions earlier this year, and tonight’s defeat represents Ireland’s first defeat of 2023. The only team to beat France at U20 level this year? Ireland, back in the U20 Six Nations.
Since that tournament the players in this Ireland squad have struggled for regular minutes, with Sam Prendergast’s two senior caps for Leinster the notable exception. Before flying out to South Africa, Murphy admitted that lack of match sharpness could be a problem for his players.
France, on the other hand, went into the World Cup battle hardened, with a core group of their players already lining out regularly in the Top 14.
Their powerhouse lock, Posolo Tuilagi, is still only 18 but played 16 times for Perpignan across the Top 14 and Challenge Cup last season. Centre Nicolas Depoortere featured 12 times for Bordeaux. Nineteen-year-old scrum-half Baptiste Jauneau has been capped in the Champions Cup and clocked up 30 appearances for Clermont across all competitions. Captain Lenni Nouchi played 10 Top 14 games for Montpellier.
On an athletic level, this French team are much further down the line than Ireland in terms of their development.
It’s also important to again note what this Irish team have lived through over the last couple of weeks. The death of former St Michael’s students Andrew O’Donnell and Max Wall rocked the group, while the tragic accident involving Greig Oliver brought further devastation just days later.
There was a moment where it was unclear if Ireland would be able to fulfil their final pool fixture against Fiji. Not only did they go out and win that game, they went on to beat the hosts South Africa in the semi-finals and will return home with a World Cup silver medal, having played some fantastic rugby along the way.
It’s a superb achievement for a group who have once again highlighted their potential across this tournament.
Brian Gleeson has been one of the players of the tournament. Captain Gus McCarthy has led by example with his relentless workrate. Sam Prendergast had some classy moments and will return to Leinster a better player for this experience. Connacht fans are right to be excited about centre John Devine and Henry McErlean is a lively, assured presence at fullback.
U20s rugby is primarily about development, and Ireland did themselves proud in South Africa. While this emotional, challenging World Cup journey came to a bitterly disappointing end, the future still looks promising for a highly talented group of players.
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