LAST UPDATE | 15 Mar 2024

Gavan Casey

Ireland U20s 36

Scotland U20s 0

IRELAND U20S HAVE missed out on winning a third consecutive U20s Six Nations championship after England produced a stunning turnaround to beat France with a bonus point and claim the title in Pau.

In their game that kicked off an hour beforehand, Ireland eventually powered to their own bonus-point, 36-0 victory over Scotland in Cork to finish their campaign unbeaten.

But Richie Murphy’s men then watched in anguish the big screen at Virgin Media Park as England recovered from a 21-5 deficit to power to a 45-31 success against a fully loaded French outfit.

England, who were left heartbroken by Ireland’s last-gasp leveler in Bath a fortnight ago, finish a point ahead of Murphy’s side in the table to claim their first championship since 2021.

Mark Mapletoft’s English side trailed 21-12 at half-time but produced a stunning second-half fightback to spark wild celebrations for the young men in white near the Spanish border.

Earlier, there had been times in Cork during which Irish fans feared that England’s job would wind up being easier, such were Ireland’s first-half struggles with the tenacious Scots.

But inspired by an extraordinary performance by captain Evan O’Connell, and bolstered by a higher-quality bench, Ireland eventually surged to a victory that was more resounding in number than it was by nature.

O’Connell was among the try-scorers, along with Hugo McLaughlin, Seán Edogbo and Danny Sheehan (twice), while Jack Murphy was five from six off the tee as Ireland gave themselves a chance of an unprecedented championship three-peat.

Evan O'Connell was inspirational for Ireland U20s in Cork. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Scotland, who had lost all of their games in this year’s championship and have won just one of their last 19 at the age grade, made a bright start before absorbing Irish pressure with relative comfort throughout the opening quarter.

Home skipper Evan O’Connell went close off a short lineout only to get turned over in a choke tackle, while right wing Finn Treacy’s clever chip and chase down the right edge was tidied up in the in-goal by Scottish fullback Jack Brown.

Ireland’s lateral play and sloppiness in the Scottish 22′ rendered the game effectively a stalemate until a Scottish error finally opened the door.

Jack Murphy’s up-and-under was spilled under virtually no pressure by Scottish 15 Brown and Ireland immediately transitioned into a blistering attack. Inside the Scottish half, they swung left at pace, where Bryn Ward’s powerful carry and offload in contact sent over Hugo McLaughlin for the opening score in the left-hand corner.

Out-half Murphy bisected the posts from the touchline and Ireland took a 7-0 lead, but the game scarcely settled as both sides continued to make unforced errors on a dry, calm night in Cork.

Replacement Scotland loosehead Robbie Deans, on for Callum Smyth early, was giving his side a foothold: he won penalties in two of his first three scrums — the second of them on Irish ball deep inside the hosts’ 22′. It yielded nothing, however, as Ireland defended their line brilliantly and Scotland were penalised at the same set piece moments later.

The home side, meanwhile, were struggling to get change out of the Scottish defence, with backs forced to speculatively chip over the top as attacks broke down near halfway.

Try-scorer McLaughlin looked liveliest but for the most part, Ireland were being disrupted at the breakdown and blown backwards in the tackle.

Ireland's Hugo McLaughlin. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Off a brilliant lineout take by Joe Hopes on the stroke of half-time, number eight Luke Murphy, blindside Sean Edogbo and outside centre Wilhelm de Klerk injected some impetus with three consecutive, strong carries. Scotland were pinged for offside on their own 22′ and, with the clock red, Ireland went to the corner.

Their maul, ineffective, was stopped well short of the Scottish line and the Hamish Watson-like Scottish openside Freddy Douglas won a jackal penalty to lift the ensuing siege. It was a moment emblematic of the first half as Scottish out-half Isaac Coates tapped and booted the ball to touch to herald the break.

Ireland led 7-0 and, with France-England yet to kick-off in Pau, Richie Murphy’s side led the championship table by three points with significant improvement required if they were to make either margin more comfortable.

The second half was only a minute old when Ireland blew a gilt-edged chance to extend their lead: Hugh Gavin, impressive again, sent McLaughlin and hooker Henry Walker down the left on a two-on-one but McLaughlin’s pass after drawing the final Scottish defender was off the mark, flying into touch.

At around the same time, England took a 5-0 lead in Pau and nudged ahead in the table as things stood.

There was a further blow for Ireland when Luke Murphy, the hero in Bath a couple of weeks ago, was lost to a leg injury on 44 minutes. He was replaced by Ulster’s James McKillop, who would go on to impress on his first appearance at this level.

Jacob Boyd limped off a couple of minutes later to be replaced at tighthead by Patreece Bell and for a moment, Virgin Media Park fell flat.

Bell’s influence, though, was immediate, as he got one back for his side on Robbie Deans in the scrum. This time, Ireland pointed for the posts and Jack Murphy stretched their lead out to 10-0 with a super strike from a central position at medium to long range.

While O’Connell and Hopes continued to be colossuses at the lineout, Ireland’s attacking shape was poor enough to this point that they were unable to reap reward from several excellent platforms.

Some good news crept through the stands when France hit back against England in Pau. But there was bad news on the field closer to home: Hugh Gavin was the next Irishman forced off through injury. Davy Colbert came on in his place.

Ireland had lost a lot of torque with the withdrawals of Luke Murphy and Gavin but skipper O’Connell took their next attack by the scruff of the neck and finished the job himself.

Ireland celebrate Evan O'Connell's try, their second. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

The Munster lock was central to Ireland’s best attacking set of the game as they played direct and hard at the Scots, building multiple phases and bashing their way towards the line at the Dolphin End of the ground.

In the end, O’Connell finished with ease from close range and while Jack Murphy miscued his conversion, Ireland had a three-score lead and were halfway towards a potentially precious bonus point.

Most importantly, they had begun to hum, replenished by bench options who all greatly overshadowed their Scottish equivalents.

The Scots were then reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes when replacement back row Monroe Job inexplicably hit McLaughlin after the left wing had called a mark.

France, meanwhile, had stretched out to a 21-5 lead over England in the first half of their encounter. Suddenly, all was looking rosy for Richie Murphy’s men on Leeside.

Things took on an even better hue when replacement hooker Danny Sheahan dotted down for Ireland’s third try with nine minutes remaining, the hosts’ maul finally rolling with menace after another brilliant lineout take by O’Connell.

Jack Murphy converted for 22-0 and Ireland found themselves knocking on the door for the bonus point only seconds later when they chased down McLaughlin’s fly-hack and forced a penalty out of Scotland on the visitors’ own line.

The opportunity seemed lost when Sheahan spilled forward off one of his own player’s boots at the base of an ensuing ruck, but Ireland blew the Scots off their own ball and won back possession via a penalty.

After a couple of blasts at the line, Seán Edogbo took a nice reverse pass from McKillop and crashed over right of centre for the four-try bonus. Murphy made it 29-0.

With the clock red, Ireland bravely launched one last attack from their own half in attempt to improve their points difference in the event that it would count.

They scored their magnificent fifth try on 83 minutes, Sheahan again powering over with some help from fellow subs McKillop and Bell.

England, meanwhile, closed the gap to 21-12 in Pau just before proceedings reached their conclusion in Cork.

Ireland, rudderless at times, eventually motored in the right direction and held up their end of the bargain on what had proved to be a more difficult night than many expected.

That tricky night became a good one, and then a bad one again, as Richie Murphy’s side finished an altogether excellent campaign unbeaten but missed out on the title by a single point.

Scorers for Ireland U20s:

Tries: Hugo McLaughlin, Evan O’Connell, Danny Sheahan (2), Seán Edogbo

Cons: Jack Murphy (4/5)

Pens: Jack Murphy (1/1)

Scorers for Scotland U20s:

n/a