Ireland Men’s Sevens Team Secure European Division C Title And Promotion
The Ireland Men’s Sevens team swept past Turkey and hosts Bosnia & Herzegovina in today’s Rugby Europe Division C Cup semi-final and final, scoring 91 unanswered points in the process as they secured the title and promotion to Division B.
In very hot conditions in Zenica, Bosnia, Ireland chalked up their fourth successive victory of the tournament with a six-try 38-10 dismissal of Austria this morning. Diarmaid McCarthy bagged a brace in the Cup quarter-final with Cian Aherne, Alex Wootton, Michael Lawton and Adam Byrne also touching down.
Coached by Anthony Eddy and Stan McDowell, the Irish side then took on Turkey in a rematch in the last-four. They were 43-5 victors in the pool stages yesterday and this afternoon’s semi-final ended in a 41-0 success for the men in green, with Munster Academy member Wootton dotting down twice and the other five tries shared out by Gearoid Lyons, David McGuigan, captain Tom Daly, Aaron Cairns and Byrne.
Hosts Bosnia & Herzegovina provided the opposition in the Cup final, but another professional and clinical display saw Ireland take home the silverware on a 50-0 scoreline. They ran in eight tries through Aherne, Mark Roche, Wootton (2), Lawton, Shane Layden (2) and Byrne.
Ireland ended the weekend with six wins from six, 291 points and 47 tries scored and just 20 points and four tries conceded. UCD and Leinster speedster Byrne, who crossed the whitewash in each game, topped the try-scoring charts with eight, followed by skipper Daly (7), Wootton (6) and Lyons, Roche and McCarthy (4 each).
Ireland’s results in today’s knockout stages means they have achieved their first aim of this summer’s schedule as the top four teams in Zenica gain promotion to the Rugby Europe Men’s Sevens Division B tournament which will take place in Croatia over the weekend of June 20-21.
The highest ranked eligible team from Division B qualifies to participate in the Rugby Europe Olympic Repechage tournament in Lisbon on July 18-19.
The winners of the Lisbon tournament will then have the opportunity to compete in the World Olympic Repechage in 2016 to secure the last spot for Rio 2016.
Rugby Europe Men’s Sevens Division C – Fixtures/Results/Pool Tables
Visit www.irishrugby.ie/sevens for all Ireland Sevens news.
IRELAND MEN’S SEVENS Squad (Rugby Europe Men’s Sevens Division C, Stadion Kamberovica polje, Zenica, Bosnia, June 6-7):
1. Shane Layden (Buccaneers/Connacht)
2. Gearoid Lyons (Young Munster/Munster)
3. Diarmaid McCarthy (Young Munster/Munster)
4. Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
5. Aaron Cairns (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
6. Tom Daly (Lansdowne/Leinster) (capt)
7. David McGuigan (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
8. Harry McNulty (UCD/Leinster)
9. Cian Aherne (Lansdowne/Leinster)
10. Mark Roche (Lansdowne/Leinster)
11. Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster)
12. Michael Lawton (Exiles)
Ireland Men’s Sevens Management
Anthony Eddy – Head Coach
Stan McDowell – Assistant Coach
Sinead Bennett – Team Manager
Marian Earls – Strength & Conditioning
James Allen – Physio
2015 Rugby Europe Men’s Sevens Division C – Ireland Results:
Pool B –
Turkey 5 Ireland 43
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Tom Daly 2, Adam Byrne, Harry McNulty, Gearoid Lyons, Mark Roche, Aaron Cairns; Cons: Tom Daly 4
Team: Adam Byrne, Aaron Cairns, Tom Daly (capt), Shane Layden, Gearoid Lyons, David McGuigan, Harry McNulty.
Subs: Cian Aherne, Michael Lawton, Diarmaid McCarthy, Mark Roche, Alex Wootton.
Belarus 0 Ireland 60
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Cian Aherne, Mark Roche, Diarmaid McCarthy, David McGuigan, Tom Daly 3, Adam Byrne 3; Cons: Adam Byrne, Tom Daly, Diarmaid McCarthy, David McGuigan, Mark Roche
Team: Adam Byrne, Aaron Cairns, Tom Daly (capt), Shane Layden, Gearoid Lyons, David McGuigan, Harry McNulty.
Subs: Cian Aherne, Michael Lawton, Diarmaid McCarthy, Mark Roche, Alex Wootton.
Montenegro 5 Ireland 59
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Adam Byrne, Aaron Cairns, Tom Daly, Shane Layden, Gearoid Lyons 2, Diarmaid McCarthy, Mark Roche, Alex Wootton; Cons: Tom Daly 4, Shane Layden, Gearoid Lyons, Alex Wootton
Team: Adam Byrne, Aaron Cairns, Tom Daly (capt), Shane Layden, Gearoid Lyons, David McGuigan, Harry McNulty.
Subs: Cian Aherne, Michael Lawton, Diarmaid McCarthy, Mark Roche, Alex Wootton.
Sunday, June 7:
Cup Quarter-Finals –
Ireland 38 Austria 10
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Cian Aherne, Alex Wootton, Diarmaid McCarthy 2, Michael Lawton, Adam Byrne; Cons: Gearoid Lyons, Tom Daly 3
Serbia 35 San Marino 7
Bosnia & Herzegovina 26 Malta 17
Estonia 10 Turkey 45
Cup Semi-Finals –
Ireland 41 Turkey 0
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Alex Wootton 2, Gearoid Lyons, David McGuigan, Tom Daly, Aaron Cairns, Adam Byrne; Cons: Michael Lawton, Tom Daly 2
Team: Harry McNulty, Gearoid Lyons, David McGuigan, Shane Layden, Tom Daly (capt), Aaron Cairns, Adam Byrne.
Subs: Cian Aherne, Mark Roche, Alex Wootton, Diarmaid McCarthy, Michael Lawton.
Serbia 10 Bosnia & Herzegovina 29
Cup Final –
Ireland 50 Bosnia & Herzegovina 0
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Cian Aherne, Mark Roche, Alex Wootton 2, Michael Lawton, Shane Layden 2, Adam Byrne; Cons: Alex Wootton, Michael Lawton 2, Gearoid Lyons, Tom Daly
Team: Harry McNulty, Gearoid Lyons, David McGuigan, Shane Layden, Tom Daly (capt), Aaron Cairns, Adam Byrne.
Subs: Cian Aherne, Mark Roche, Alex Wootton, Diarmaid McCarthy, Michael Lawton.