RICHIE MURPHY HAS praised Ireland for staying true to themselves in the semi-final win against South Africa and believes that his side is in a confident space ahead of the decider.

Ireland beat hosts South Africa in Athlone on Sunday to book their place in the World Rugby U20 Championship final. Murphy’s charges kept the Junior Boks scoreless in the first half, and then shifted gear in the second stanza to score three tries and secure an
emphatic 31-12 win.

“We’re in a World Cup final, which is exactly where we want to be,” a visibly satisfied Murphy said afterwards. “The first half was all about grit and determination. In the second, we stayed true to who we are. We showed what we can do.”

South Africa dominated possession and territory in the first half. Despite creating a number of chances, they could not register a single point.

“South Africa were very good in the first half,” Murphy admitted. “They had the edge at the set piece, and that put them on the front foot. We were taking a lot of shots in that period, and you could see how hard it was to keep tackling those big boys coming round the corner.

“The talk at half-time was about getting back into the game and playing how we know we can. We conceded early points, but Brian Gleeson scored soon after that.

“We started to lift our game at the collisions and the set pieces, and that allowed us to take control. I thought Sam Prendergast was very good, too, in terms of how he managed the game.”

Ireland came into this tournament on the back of a successful U20 Six Nations campaign, they would dearly love to add a global title to their trophy cabinet.

“We’re in a really good position, and that’s a credit to everyone involved,” said Murphy. “We went unbeaten in the Six Nations, and then faced a few challenges in this tournament.

England had a real crack at us in the opening game, but we managed to hang on for a draw. Now we’re in a position to play for a title.

“The Six Nations provides these young men with an opportunity to compete at a high level on a regular basis,” he said, when asked for his take on why two northern hemisphere teams are in the World Rugby U20 Championship final. “That provides them with a great chance to bond and develop.”

Meanwhile, losing coach Bafana Nhleko lamented the fact that South Africa don’t compete in a similar tournament.

“Ireland were good value for their win, and we don’t want to make excuses. But it’s clear to see how much better they were in pressure situations,” Nhleko said.

“That comes from spending 10 to 12 games together, and being in those situations on a regular basis in a competition like the U20 Six Nations.

“We did all out preparation for this match, but on the day, we just weren’t good enough at dealing with that pressure. Things may have been different if we had the opportunity to experience that pressure prior to the tournament. Maybe we can look at getting more
games in the lead-up. It’s above my pay grade, though.”

Ireland will play in the final on Friday 14 July, while South Africa will feature in the third-place playoff.

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