NIGEL CAROLAN’S IRELAND U20s got their Six Nations campaign off to the perfect start last night with a 47-15 win over Italy at Stadio Pozzi Lamarmora in torrid conditions in Biella.
There were a total of seven tries in a strong all-round performance against an Italian side that were in the contest up until half time. The fixture saw a number of excellent individual displays across the park from Ireland, but here we highlight three players who stood out.
Ross Byrne
The UCD out-half was our man of the match, managing the testing conditions expertly and displaying the sort of composure that comes with being in his second year of international U20s rugby.
Byrne’s kicking from hand was particularly strong, as he dropped inch-perfect sweepers in behind Italy’s wings, rolling them into touch to ensure Ireland had a consistent supply of ideal territory.
From the tee, the former St. Michael’s man knocked over six from seven, many of them close to the touchlines. Furthermore, his passing of a wet, mucky ball was generally crisp, with a floated effort to Joey Carbery just before Billy Dardis’ try demonstrating his vision.
Alongside the similarly-assured captain and scrum-half Nick McCarthy, Byrne’s experience will be vital again next Friday as the French come to Dubarry Park.
Josh Murphy
The blindside flanker was on the end of Ireland’s superb early maul try, which saw the Irish pack splinter off dynamically to the left of an Alex Thompson take in the lineout. Murphy then benefited from some nice protection on his way to the tryline.
However, it was the Leinster back row’s work rate for the remainder of the 80 minutes that helped him to shine, as he made the most carries of an Irish player in Biella with 13. The soft ground underfoot meant big yardage was never likely, but Murphy battled for every inch he made.
Having played in the second row previously, Murphy remains a superb lineout operator and Ireland repeatedly looked to him in the air. Furthermore, the St. Michael’s alumnus topped Ireland’s tackle count with nine firm hits and no misses.
The UCD back row put in a majorly impressive shift, while openside Rory Moloney was busy too.
Billy Dardis
There’s been a buzz around Dardis for some time based on the clear potential he showed at schools level, and this was a strong reminder of exactly why. On a sloppy evening in Piedmont, the full back was never likely to see a steady flow of possession, but he made almost every involvement a strong one.
Like Byrne and Murphy, Dardis played for the Ireland U20s last year, and will look to occupy a leader’s role this season. The Terenure College graduate possesses rapid-fire footwork and pace, showing both on a boggy pitch in his five carries of the ball.
Dardis got on the end of a clever Carberry pass to score his second-half try, while a couple of darts down the right-hand wing were impressive too. The Leinster academy man has superb balance, meaning he keeps his feet well despite a relative lack of bulk.
The hope is that Dubarry Park is a little drier and firmer next weekend, as Dardis looks primed to break out in attack every time he’s near the ball.
