Ireland U20s fail to fire against England on Leeside
Ireland's Éanna McCarthy makes a run against England. Picture: INPHO/Andrew Conan
Neil Doak’s first competitive game in charge of Ireland U20s ended in an underwhelming 16-point defeat to defending champions England at Virgin Media Park.
The hosts played 23 minutes of the first half with a numerical advantage and it was even 15 versus 13 for nine minutes. But during that spell, England outscored Ireland 6-3 for a wind-assisted 9-3 half-time lead.
A second-half stalemate ensued was broken by a late penalty try.
Captain Éanna McCarthy had the honour of leading out the team in his home city and was even joined in the back-row by his former CBC teammate Michael Foy.
Cork centres Eoghan Smyth and Gene O’Leary Kareem, who lifted the Munster Schools Senior Cup for PBC here last spring, also featured.
England began with a strong wind at their backs and the even opening exchanges were broken in the 13th minute. Ireland strayed offside and Ben Coen made the straightforward kick for a 3-0 lead.
Within two minutes, French referee Jérémy Rozier would become the centre of attention after two English high hits on Irish players.
After multiple viewings on the big screen and howls from the crowd, Rozier deemed Junior Kpoku’s shoulder to the head of Smyth a sending-off offence. The World Rugby law trial of the 20-minute red card meant the flanker could be replaced before the break.
After brief examination, Rozier decided the high tackle on Sam Wisniewski was just a penalty. The out-half chose to kick to the corner but a crossing penalty gave England an easy escape.
Their numbers were depleted even further when second-row and captain Tom Burrow was pinged in a ruck for slapping the ball out of scrum-half Clark Logan’s hands. Ireland, again, didn’t press home their advantage as Wisniewski booted the ball dead into the deceptive gale.
Those errors were compounded when Coen kicked 13-man England into a 6-0 lead after Ireland coughed up their fifth penalty.
Tighthead prop Alex Mullan was putting in an eye-catching shift and his good work got Ireland into the 22, where the visitors were caught offside. This time, Wisniewski chose the kicking tee to narrow the gap to 6-3 on the half-hour.
But Coen would soon nudge the 13 men back into a six-point lead after play was called back for an Irish high tackle.
Foy twice mined turnovers, including some fierce pressure to force England over the dead-ball line, but Irish frustration grew with their maul held up before knocking on within a sniff of the tryline.
If the momentum had gone against Ireland, with England restored to a full complement and 9-3 ahead at the break, at least the wind was turning in their favour.
Wisniewski had a shot at the posts which the wind stubbornly wouldn’t draw in before a crossfield kick almost turned to disaster.
Charlie Griffin won the contest and kicked to the Sunday’s Well End tryline. O’Leary Kareem stopped any potential try but couldn’t prevent a penalty, although England’s line-out malfunction saved Ireland.
The away team wouldn’t make the same mistake in the 68th minute. Although their maul was stopped, it was done illegally. Oisín Minogue was sin-binned and a penalty try made it 16-3.
Foy almost got in for a try in response but was tripped up just short of the line before another chance for the impressive flanker didn’t go to hand and Coen added an insurance penalty.
Pen: S Wisniewski.
Try: Penalty try; Pens: B Coen 4.
C Molony; D Moloney, C Fahy, E Smyth (G O’Leary Kareem 55), C Mangan; S Wisniewski (D Green 62), C Logan (A Doyle 68); A Usanov (B Bohan 15), H Walker (C Magee 51), A Mullan (T McAllister 51); M Ronan (D Walsh 67), B Corrigan; M Foy, B Power (O Minogue 66), É McCarthy (c).
O Minogue (68-78).
J Kinder (J Bellamy 72); J Bracken, A Hall, N Allison (N Lilley 75), C Griffin; B Coen, A McParland (L Friday 26); R McEachran (O Scola 78), K Tuipulotu (L Gulley 74), V Sela (T Raymont 77); O Sodeke (A Ainsworth-Cave 78), T Burrow (c); J Kpoku (G Timmins 35), H Pollock, K James.
J Kpoku (15).
T Burrow (26-38).
J Rozier (FFR).
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