THEY MADE HEAVY weather of it, but Ireland scored the four tries they needed to secure a bonus point, and with it a semi-final berth, with this morning’s Junior World Championship win over Fiji.
Indeed, once the Pacific Islanders had been cut adrift by a hat-trick of penalty tries, Ireland grounded a fifth try; Conor McKeon adding to Ciaran Gaffney’s try from open play.
Perhaps much of Ireland’s difficulties can be put down to the rain-soaked conditions in Auckland, the pressure of making the step into the final four or even that most of the players were playing their third game inside a week.
Still, after Fiji lost three players to the sin-bin before the half-time break you would have expected Mike Ruddock’s side to cut loose rather than force the referee’s hand.
The scrum had been a potent weapon from the off for Ireland. Two early kickable penalties from that set-piece were sent to touch. Where, unfortunately, the second set-piece allowed to momentum to fizzle out.
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With the classy centre Gary Ringrose taking goal-kicking responsibility from Ross Byrne, it was odd to see the number 13 line up his second kick from over 35 metres on the angle having passed up two of his earlier three the earlier opportunities. At 3 – 0, the decision was not rewarded as the kick drifted wide.
With the vast majority of territory and possession, Ireland were continually in a position to force an opening – as long as errors were kept in check. After 32 minutes, the Fijian penalties showed no signs of abating and the scrum forced the opening after number eight Vincent Sosefo was sin-binned.
Openside Ameniasi Natuiyaga soon followed and the final nail in the Fijian resistance was the card flashed to loosehead prop Aseri Robarobalevu. Down to 12 men, and five starters from the pack, the second try was inevitable, and Alexandre Ruiz’ run to the poss signaled a 17 – 0 half-time lead.
Ireland seemed much more organised immediately after the break. Fiji’s binned back-rowers had returned by the 48th minute when an Irish move finally worked like clockwork. A sound line-out, backed up by a solid maul allowed Byrne to send Gaffney through the gap and the Connacht man galloped the 30 metres across the posts and over the try-line.
https://vine.co/v/MjZ6Tgh193r
It was only a matter of time before the fourth score came, but despite big impacts off the bench from Frankie Taggart and Harrison Brewer, Ireland as a collective were beginning to look weary.
The reward eventually came in the 68th minute. Incredibly, a third penalty try awarded shortly after Rory Moloney was denied by the TMO having appeared to ground the ball on the line following Oisin Heffernan’s powerful drive.
Bonus point in the bag, Ireland could plan for the semi-finals where they will carry injury concerns for Dan Goggin and Rory Burke along with several tired bodies.
https://vine.co/v/MjZrj29iXMi
With the bench emptied, Ireland conjured one last scything attack. Replacement out-half Conor McKeon sending Ringrose on a weaving run in and out of defenders before the spritely Lansdowne man collected the centres offload and crashed down for try number five.
A beautiful try to round off a game that was anything but.
Scorers
Ireland:
Tries: Penalty try (3), Gaffney, McKeon.
Conversions: Ringrose (3), McKeon.
Penalties: Ringrose.
IRELAND U-20: Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster); Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/Connacht), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster), Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster); Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Ryan Foley (Cork Constitution/Munster); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster), Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster), Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster), Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht), Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt).
Penalty try treble sends Ireland under 20s into JWC semi-finals for first time
Ireland 38
Fiji 0
THEY MADE HEAVY weather of it, but Ireland scored the four tries they needed to secure a bonus point, and with it a semi-final berth, with this morning’s Junior World Championship win over Fiji.
Indeed, once the Pacific Islanders had been cut adrift by a hat-trick of penalty tries, Ireland grounded a fifth try; Conor McKeon adding to Ciaran Gaffney’s try from open play.
Perhaps much of Ireland’s difficulties can be put down to the rain-soaked conditions in Auckland, the pressure of making the step into the final four or even that most of the players were playing their third game inside a week.
Still, after Fiji lost three players to the sin-bin before the half-time break you would have expected Mike Ruddock’s side to cut loose rather than force the referee’s hand.
The scrum had been a potent weapon from the off for Ireland. Two early kickable penalties from that set-piece were sent to touch. Where, unfortunately, the second set-piece allowed to momentum to fizzle out.
With the classy centre Gary Ringrose taking goal-kicking responsibility from Ross Byrne, it was odd to see the number 13 line up his second kick from over 35 metres on the angle having passed up two of his earlier three the earlier opportunities. At 3 – 0, the decision was not rewarded as the kick drifted wide.
With the vast majority of territory and possession, Ireland were continually in a position to force an opening – as long as errors were kept in check. After 32 minutes, the Fijian penalties showed no signs of abating and the scrum forced the opening after number eight Vincent Sosefo was sin-binned.
Openside Ameniasi Natuiyaga soon followed and the final nail in the Fijian resistance was the card flashed to loosehead prop Aseri Robarobalevu. Down to 12 men, and five starters from the pack, the second try was inevitable, and Alexandre Ruiz’ run to the poss signaled a 17 – 0 half-time lead.
Ireland seemed much more organised immediately after the break. Fiji’s binned back-rowers had returned by the 48th minute when an Irish move finally worked like clockwork. A sound line-out, backed up by a solid maul allowed Byrne to send Gaffney through the gap and the Connacht man galloped the 30 metres across the posts and over the try-line.
https://vine.co/v/MjZ6Tgh193r
It was only a matter of time before the fourth score came, but despite big impacts off the bench from Frankie Taggart and Harrison Brewer, Ireland as a collective were beginning to look weary.
The reward eventually came in the 68th minute. Incredibly, a third penalty try awarded shortly after Rory Moloney was denied by the TMO having appeared to ground the ball on the line following Oisin Heffernan’s powerful drive.
Bonus point in the bag, Ireland could plan for the semi-finals where they will carry injury concerns for Dan Goggin and Rory Burke along with several tired bodies.
https://vine.co/v/MjZrj29iXMi
With the bench emptied, Ireland conjured one last scything attack. Replacement out-half Conor McKeon sending Ringrose on a weaving run in and out of defenders before the spritely Lansdowne man collected the centres offload and crashed down for try number five.
A beautiful try to round off a game that was anything but.
Scorers
Ireland:
IRELAND U-20: Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster); Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/Connacht), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster), Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster); Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Ryan Foley (Cork Constitution/Munster); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster), Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster), Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster), Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht), Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster) (capt).
Replacements: Dylan Donnellan (UCD/Leinster), Denis Coulson (Lansdowne/Leinster), Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Darragh Moloney (Cork Constitution/Munster), Frankie Taggart (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), Conor McKeon (Lansdowne/Leinster), Harrison Brewer (Terenure College/Leinster).
FIJI U-20: Tubuka Vueti; Aisake Rokobuli, Poasa Waqanibau, Semi Camaisala, Adrea Cocagi (capt); Josese Kurukava, Leone Nawai; Aseri Robarobalevu, Peniona Toga, Apolosi Ranawai, Lote Nasiga, Simione Naiduki, Paula Bukavece, Ameniasi Natuiyaga, Vincent Sosefo.
Replacements: Wilisoni Lagi, Jack Dreunimolea, Samuela Tawake, Marika Tokalauvere, Vasikali Mudu, Marika Tivitivi, Elia Mroisio, Orisi Nawaqaliva.
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France).
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