THERE’S ALWAYS AN element of the unknown when it comes to the learning stage that is U20s international rugby, but on the back of Thursday’s impressive defeat of the Junior Wallabies, Richie Murphy’s Ireland squad should now be aiming high at the U20s World Championship in South Africa.
The bonus-point win, which came on the back of a thrilling 34-34 draw with England on the opening day, has left Ireland well-placed to seal a spot in the semi-finals when they play Fiji on Tuesday. Fiji – who have been sharing a hotel with Ireland in South Africa – lost 46-37 to Australia before a 52-7 defeat to England, who currently share top spot in Pool B with Ireland but enjoy a healthier points difference.
The winners of each of the three pools will advance to the semi-finals, where they will be joined by the best-placed second ranked team. With England taking on Australia next, Ireland will hope to put a big score on Fiji and finish their pool campaign on a high.
Pre-tournament, head coach Murphy spoke about how valuable the experience of going down to South Africa and playing cup rugby would be for this group as they learn to deal with the challenges of a five-day turnaround between games, and facing teams with a different athletic profile to that which they encounter in the U20 Six Nations.
With the U20 World Championship taking place for the first time since 2019, the players who didn’t get the opportunity to line out in this competition over the last few years missed out on an important part of their development, and for young athletes robbed of so much gametime during the pandemic, the chance to test yourself on the world stage is one to relish.
Whatever happens from here, the experience itself will stand to this Ireland team, but the Grand Slam winners have the talent to make their mark on the competition and achieve something special.
Against Australia, Ireland showed excellent game management as they adapted to deal with the difficult conditions and take control of the game. After overcoming a tricky start, the Ireland pack started to bully the Junior Wallabies in the wind and rain at Paarl, with three of Ireland’s four tries coming from the forwards.
Tipperary native Brian Gleeson was the outstanding performer, but the number eight was able assisted by fellow Munster man Ruádhan Quinn, loosehead Paddy McCarthy – who played tighthead against England – and captain Gus McCarthy, who delivered another energetic performance at hooker.
Sam Prendergast may be the headline name in this young side but the strength of the collective is what spurred this team on to Grand Slam glory, and that depth can stand to them in South Africa again – the team to play Australia showed four changes from the starting XV against England.
Prendergast continues to attract plenty of attention but so far, the out-half has led the team well, despite some issues from the tee (although the conditions haven’t helped). Against Australia, Prendergast’s kicking from hand was excellent and in flashes, the out-half showcased the sharp passing skills which have already sparked comparisons to Johnny Sexton, even as Ireland moved towards a more direct gameplan.
Despite calls for him to train with the senior squad this summer, he’s in the right place for now, learning how to guide a team through different challenges in competitive games and new surroundings.
On a day when things could easily have become difficult for an Ireland team who prefer a faster, more open game, they adapted, played the smarter rugby and got the result.
Even if Ireland should have wrapped up the bonus point sooner, it will have been a very pleasing day’s work for the Ireland coaching team.
Murphy, who has led Ireland to back-to-back Grand Slams over the last two years, has done an excellent job since taking the reins in 2021. Mark Sexton has also impressed in his role as backs and skills coach, his work earning him a position as Connacht’s new assistant attack coach next season (he currently works with the province’s Academy as an Elite Player Development Officer).
The squad will have been feeling good about themselves over the weekend but the Irish coaches will now face some interesting selection decisions heading into the Fiji game.
Centre Hugh Cooney was red-carded against England, and his tournament is now over given he has to complete his return to play protocols before his suspension kicks in. Winger Rory Telfer then saw his late yellow card against the Junior Wallabies upgraded to a red post-game, while flanker James McNabney was cited for a high tackle in the same game. Both Telfer and McNabney have been handed three-game bans – which can be cut to two games if they complete a World Rugby coaching intervention programme.
Having travelled to South Africa with 13 backs, the loss of both Cooney and Telfer has cut Ireland’s backline options down to just 11. Ireland’s discipline needs to improve or they run the risk of losing more key men going forward.
It’s all part of the challenges that come with cup rugby, and the onus now is on the squad to deal with those setbacks and perform.
Given what we’ve seen from them so far this season, they certainly look capable of doing just that.
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