Cork's Sean Edogbo grabs the winner and Ben O'Connor stars in a dramatic win over Italy
Ireland’s Sean Edogbo on his way to scoring the winner. Picture: INPHO/Ben Brady
A SUPERB late try from Cobh’s Sean Edogbo rescued victory from the jaws of defeat for Ireland against a game Italy in a hard-fought U20 Six Nations encounter at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Friday evening.
Ireland started brightly with out-half Jack Murphy slotting a penalty in the 4th minute to get them up and running.
Ireland dominated proceedings in the opening quarter but, due to resilient Italian defence, did not score until the 21st minute when number eight Luke Murphy popped it to fellow Limerick man Evan O’Connell, and the Irish captain blasted over from close range.
They were not going to have it all their own way with Italy scoring immediately from their first attack when right-wing Marco Scalabrin sliced through some poor Irish defending in midfield to dot down in the 24th minute.
Ireland scored again in the 29th minute with Man of the Match Ben O’Connor crossing in the right corner after being brilliantly put away by slick handling from Jack Murphy and Wilhelm de Klerk.
Ireland were making a mess of all of Italy’s restarts and they paid the price when Scalabrin ran in a simple second try, and in the 35th minute Martino Pucciarello, the son of former Munster prop Federico, slotted a penalty to give Italy a 15-17 lead.
Azzurri flanker Cesare Zucconi was sin-binned in the 37th minute but Ireland turned down the easy shot at goal to go for the seven-pointer only for the Italians to turn them over to ensure they led at the break.
Ireland thought they were scoring a third try in the 47th minute when winger Hugo McLaughlin brilliantly intercepted a loose Italian pass, but that man Scalabrin chased him down to halt him a yard short, and the Irish clear-out was subsequently penalised for going off their feet.
And six minutes later they botched another try when they knocked on over the line after the maul had seemingly made a try a formality.
Ireland had been turning down shots at the posts all night, but given the precarious position they now found themselves in they decided to take a more practical approach as Murphy slotted the first points of the half to give Ireland a one-point lead in the 61st minute.
Scalabrin is going to be a household name pretty soon, based on this performance, with him turning provider for second-row Piero Gritti to run in a brilliant try in the 66th minute.
Ireland needed a big moment and they got it when Edogbo collected a pass from Hugh Gavin 40 yards out on the right wing and showed incredible pass and power to blast over for a scintillating try in the 75th minute, for a third Munster try on the night.
Ireland survived a last-ditch scare to see it out for a famous victory on Leeside.
J Murphy (2 pens, 1 con), E O’Connell, B O’Connor, S Edogbo (1 try each).
M Pucciarello (1 pen, 2 cons), M Scalabrin (2 tries), P Gritti (1 try).
B O’Connor; F Treacy, W de Klerk, H Gavin, H McLaughlin; J Murphy, O Coffey; A Usanov, S Smyth, J Boyd; A Spicer, E O’Connell (c); J Hopes, B Ward, L Murphy.
D Sheehan, P Bell and B Corrigan for S Smyth, J Boyd and A Spicer (51), B Howard and S Edogbo for A Usanov and L Murphy (61), T Brophy for O Coffey (65), S Naughton and E Graham for J Murphy and H McLaughlin (67).
M Belloni; M Scalabrin, F Zanandrea, N Bozzo, L Elettri; M Pucciarello, L Casilio; F Pisani, N Gasperini, M Gallorini; T Redondi, P Gritti; C Zucconi, L Bellucci, J Botturi.
G Milano for T Redondi (22), S Pellicciolli for F Pisani (59), Patrick de Villiers for M Pucciarello (66), D Ascari, O D’Alessandro, F Fusari for N Gasperini, M Gallorini and L Casilio (74).
Jérémy Rozier (France).
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