Ireland U-19 Men Warm Up For France Series With Win In Wales

UNDER-19 MEN’S INTERNATIONAL MATCH:

Sunday, April 6 –

WALES UNDER-19 MEN 24 IRELAND UNDER-19 MEN 46, Talbot Athletic Ground, Aberavon RFC
Scorers: Wales U-19s: Tries: Tries: Tom Cottle, Osian Williams, Luke Evans, Codi Purnell; Cons: Owen Erasmus, Math Jones
Ireland U-19s: Tries: Johnny O’Sullivan 2, Noah Byrne, James O’Dwyer, Rian Handley, Ben Blaney, Josh Gibson, Christopher Barrett; Cons: Conor O’Shaughnessy 3
HT: Wales U-19s 12 Ireland U-19s 12

An exciting April schedule for Kieran Hallett’s Ireland Under-19s kicked off with a trip to the sun-splashed Talbot Althetic Ground, and they overcame their Welsh counterparts to make a winning start to this three-match run.

The annual Easter series at this age-grade against France is still to come, with two clashes with the French Under-20 development side in La Roche-sur-Yon on Wednesday, April 23, and Sunday, April 27.

Johnny O’Sullivan, a recent Leinster Schools Senior Cup winner with Blackrock College, snapped up two first-half tries in Port Talbot, before Osian Williams’ converted effort on the stroke of half-time brought Wales level at 12-all.

However, inside nine minutes of the restart, Ireland had moved 31-12 clear. Noah Byrne and James O’Dywer both crossed before Rian Handley rumbled over from a lineout maul, with Conor O’Shaughnessy adding his second and third conversions of the day.

A lively Irish bench ensured it was an eight-try victory in the end, courtesy of further scores from replacements Ben Blaney, Josh Gibson, and Christopher Barrett. Forwards Luke Evans and Codi Purnell took the Welsh haul to four by the finish.

Captained by Clongowes Wood College prop Max Doyle, the Ireland U-19s showed a first glimpse of their attacking threat when O’Shaughnessy broke down the left wing. He fed Daniel Ryan on his outside but Wales managed to hold the winger up in the corner.

The hosts denied hooker Handley off the back of a lineout drive, and a couple of penalties, including one at scrum time, saw them gain ground after absorbing some powerful carries from Sean Walsh and Johnny O’Sullivan.

Defences remained on top with Galway Corinthians’ Diarmaid O’Connell wrestling a Welsh maul to the ground for a well-won turnover. Handley also did well to win a penalty at the breakdown, yet it was Wales who took the lead on the quarter hour mark.

Lewis Edwards ripped possession back in a tackle and second row Tom Cottle countered past halfway, setting up Gryff Watkins for a pacy run down the right touchline. The centre’s offload back inside bounced loose and Cottle made sure he was first to it to score.

Ireland responded within two minutes, their backs doing the damage as Jack Deegan ran hard and slipped a lovely offload out to full-back Byrne, who neatly sucked in two defenders and put O’Sullivan darting clear on a 30-metre run-in.

O’Shaughnessy’s well-struck conversion from the right made it 7-5, and the Welsh outfit were retreating again soon after as the Blackrock College out-half fastened onto his his chip kick in midfield.

The Welsh 22 remained out of reach for a short while until Ireland’s increasingly influential half-backs combined to release centre Deegan on a right wing raid in the 21st minute.

He broke through a gap out on the stand side, offloading back inside to tricky scrum half O’Dwyer who got his hands free in a tackle to send O’Sullivan scampering over from 10 metres out. O’Shaughnessy’s conversion missed on the near side.

Wales’ execution let them down at two lineouts, the first one an overthrow, in a promising position, that winger O’Sullivan collected at the rear. Nonetheless, they enjoyed a strong finish to the opening half.

Cardiff scrum half Sion Davies threatened from an 8-9 move off a scrum, and then a couple of penalties – either side of a maul opportunity – led to a close-in tap penalty. The momentum generated led to Welsh flanker Osian Williams powering over for Owen Erasmus to convert.

Ireland seized the intiative early on the resumption, though, and were close to edging back in front when a free-flowing attack had Deegan carrying deep into the Welsh 22. Play was called back for a slightly forward pass from the newly-introduced Blaney.

Donnacha McGuire pinched a Welsh lineout, teeing up replacement Christian Foley, Dylan McNiece, and Handley to carry and link well. With Ireland back inside the opposition 22, Byrne jinked past Sion Jones and broke clear on the outside for a smartly-taken try behind the posts.

O’Shaughnessy converted and also added the extras to O’Dwyer’s effort. The Gonzaga scrum half punished Edwards’ skewed kick by shrugging off the Welsh full-back and showing brilliant hands to put onrushing centre Walsh charging through a gap.

That set up quick ruck ball, 15 metres out from the hosts’ try-line, and O’Dwyer caught the defence napping with a clever snipe that took him over the whitewash, evading Lewis Jones’ tackle in the process.

Ireland continued to be clinical when in try-scoring range, with O’Shaughnessy getting every inch out of a penalty kick to touch, and a well-controlled drive from the forwards seeing Old Wesley’s Handley touch down to open up a 19-point advantage.

Welsh scrum half Davies took a penalty quickly to almost inspire a try in response, but Hallett’s youngsters, with their bench completely unloaded, succeeded in extending their lead in the 53rd minute.

A booming clearance kick from Daragh O’Dwyer, coupled with a loose Welsh lineout, put Ireland on the front foot again. Deegan drew a tackle in midfield, offloading for Ryan to spin the ball wide to Blaney who juggled the pass before finishing expertly in the left corner.

After Welsh lock Evans had scrambled over in the 55th minute to leave it 36-17, the visitors displayed some excellent handling to carve their way through for try number seven, run in by Banbridge full-back Gibson.

Springing through from a ruck, Blaney and CBC Cork’s Barrett linked up well, the latter getting the ball back to O’Connell whose direct carry took out two defenders, and Gibson was the beneficiary of the flanker’s terrific offload as he was double-tackled.

James O’Leary, a strong ball carrier off the bench, combined with Barrett to almost create a try for O’Connell, yet full-back Edwards covered across to deny him. A knock-on gave Ireland a close-in scrum, and the tireless Deegan crashed up close before Barrett squeezed over off the back of the ruck.

Wales gained some late consolation, putting together some of their best attacking phases during the final minutes. Purnell pounced to score from close in after good contributions from fellow front rowers James Talamai and George Tuckley during the build-up.

TIME LINE: 14 minutes – Wales U-19s try: Tom Cottle – 5-0; conversion: missed by Sion Jones – 5-0; 16 mins – Ireland U-19s try: Johnny O’Sullivan – 5-5; conversion: Conor O’Shaughnessy – 5-7; 21 mins – Ireland U-19s try: Johnny O’Sullivan – 5-12; conversion: missed by Conor O’Shaughnessy – 5-12; 35 mins – Wales U-19s try: Osian Williams – 10-12; conversion: Owen Erasmus – 12-12; Half-time – Wales U-19s 12 Ireland U-19s 12; 38 mins – Ireland U-19s try: Noah Byrne – 12-17; conversion: Conor O’Shaughnessy – 12-19; 40 mins – Ireland U-19s try: James O’Dwyer – 12-24; conversion: Conor O’Shaughnessy – 12-26; 43 mins – Ireland try: Rian Handley – 12-31; conversion: missed by Conor O’Shaughnessy – 12-31; 53 mins – Ireland U-19s try: Ben Blaney – 12-36; conversion: missed by Daragh O’Dwyer – 12-36; 55 mins – Wales U-19s try: Luke Evans – 17-36; conversion: missed by Math Jones – 17-36; 59 mins – Ireland U-19s try: Josh Gibson – 17-41; conversion: missed by Daragh O’Dwyer – 17-41; 63 mins – Ireland U-19s try: Christopher Barrett – 17-46; conversion: missed by Daragh O’Dwyer – 17-46; 67 mins – Wales U-18s try: Codi Purnell – 22-46; conversion: Math Jones – 24-46; Full-time – Wales U-19s 24 Ireland U-19s 46

WALES UNDER-19 MEN: Lewis Edwards (Ospreys); Jack Woods (Bath), Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff), Gryff Watkins (Scarlets), Sion Jones (Scarlets); Owen Erasmus (Ospreys), Sion Davies (Cardiff); Cam Tyler-Growcott (Cardiff), Lewis Jones (Scarlets), Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), Luke Evans (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Cottle (RGC), Osian Williams (Scarlets), Ryan Jones (Dragons) (capt), Keanu Evans (Scarlets)

Replacements used: Noah Mason (Ospreys) for Woods (half-time), Math Jones (Harlequins) for Erasmus (42 mins), James Talamai (Saracens) for L Jones, George Tuckley (Dragons) for Tyler-Growcott (both 50), Codi Purnell (Bath) for Pritchard, Oscar Rees (Gloucester) for L Evans, Jack Gilbert (Gloucester) for Williams, Ellis Lewis (Neath) for Davies, Ioan Penry (Cardiff) for Watkins (all 56), Williams for K Evans (62).

IRELAND UNDER-19 MEN: Noah Byrne (Dublin University FC/Leinster); Johnny O’Sullivan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Jack Deegan (Cistercian College Roscrea/Leinster), Sean Walsh (Coláiste Éinde/Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Daniel Ryan (St. Michael’s College/Leinster); Conor O’Shaughnessy (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), James O’Dwyer (Gonzaga College/Leinster); Max Doyle (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster) (capt), Rian Handley (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Blake McClean (RBAI/Ulster), Donnacha McGuire (UCD RFC/Leinster), Dylan McNeice (St. Michael’s College/Leinster), Diarmaid O’Connell (Galway Corinthians RFC/Sligo Grammar School/Connacht), Michael O’Sullivan (Blackrock College/Munster), Charlie Meagher (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster).

Replacements used: Christian Foley (Young Munster RFC/Munster) for Doyle, Ben Blaney (Terenure College/Leinster) for M O’Sullivan (both half-time), Rio McDonagh (Wallace High School/Ulster) for McClean, Christopher Barrett (CBC Cork/Munster) for J O’Dwyer (both 41), Sean Walsh (MU Barnhall RFC/Leinster) for McNiece, Josh Gibson (Banbridge RFC/Ulster) for Byrne (both 44), M O’Sullivan for Meagher (45), Luke McLaughlin (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) for Handley, Daragh O’Dwyer (Gonzaga College/Leinster) for O’Shaughnessy, James O’Leary (PBC Cork/Munster) for S Walsh (all 48).