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Garry Ringrose tries to offload. Photosport/Andrew Cornaga/INPHO

Second half surge sees New Zealand past Ireland U20s

Mike Ruddock’s men had led at the break.

New Zealand U20 45

Ireland U20 23

NEW ZEALAND MAY have outscored Ireland by seven tries to two in their Junior World Championship third/fourth place playoff in Eden Park this morning but the final scoreline only tells some of the story.

After Tevita Li opened the scoring for New Zealand, the Wolfpuppies fought back with two Ross Byrne penalties before Richard Mo’unga stretched his side’s lead to 14-6.

However, four minutes later Ireland were awarded a penalty try after forcing New Zealand over their own try line at a 5m scrum. Byrne converted and his third penalty of the half had Ireland leading for the first time three minutes later.

In a frantic few minutes the lead was to change hands twice more when, first, Li went over for his second try before Oisin Heffernan finished off a Garry Ringrose break, Byrne’s extras giving Ireland a 23-21 half time lead.

After James Tucker – who had spent ten minutes in the bin in the first half – restored New Zealand’s lead after the break, the flood gates opened, Ireland’s cause not helped by a yellow card for Cian Kelleher.

Three tries in the final 13 minutes from Mitchell Drummond, Mo’Unga and Lachlan Boshier sealed an emphatic 22 point win and means Mike Ruddock’s men must settle for fourth spot.

Scorers for New Zealand 
Tries: Li (2), Mo’unga (2), Tucker, Drummond, Boshier
Cons: McKenzie (4)
Scorers for Ireland 
Tries: Penalty try, Heffernan
Cons: Byrne (2)
Pens: Byrne (3)

NEW ZEALAND U20s
15 Damian McKenzie
14 Vincent Tavae-Aso
13 Anton Lienert-Brown (capt)
12 TJ Faiane
11 Tevita Li
10 Richard Mo’unga
9 Mitchell Drummond
1 Atunaisa Moli
2 Hame Faiva
3 Tau Koloamatangi
4 James Tucker
5 Geoffrey Cridge
6 Tom Sanders
7 Lachlan Boshier
8 Matt Peni

Replacements: Kyle Harris for Sanders 37 mins; D Kaetau Havili for Faiane half-time; Tim Cadwallader for Koloamatangi 41 mins; , Josh Renton for Lienert-Brown 54 mins; James O’Reilly for Faiva 60 mins; Troy Callander for Cridge 63 mins.

IRELAND U20s
15 Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)
14 Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/Connacht)
13 Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)
12 Harrison Brewer (Terenure/Leinster)
11 Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster)
10 Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
9 Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)
1 Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster)
2 Dylan Donnellan (UCD/Leinster)
3 Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
4 Darragh Moloney (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster)
6 Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster) (capt.)
7 Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht)
8 Frank Taggart (Belfast Harlequins/ Ulster)

Replacements: Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne/Leinster) for D Moloney half-time; Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster) for Wootton 52 mins; Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster) for Heffernan 54 mins; Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster) for Donnellan 60 mins; Ryan Foley (Cork Constitution/Munster) for McCarthy 66 mins; Conor McKeon (Lansdowne/Leinster) for Byrne 66 mins; Lansdowne/Leinster, Denis Coulson (Lansdowne/Leinster) for Dooley 73 mins; Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster) for Moloney 69 mins.

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Author
Steve O'Rourke
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