Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: Ireland Under-20s v England Under-20s

The last remaining tickets have been snapped up for tonight’s Under-20 Men’s Six Nations opener, as Ireland and reigning champions England clash under the floodlights at Virgin Media Park in Cork (kick-off 7.45pm – live on Virgin Media Two/BBC iPlayer).

UNDER-20 MEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1:

Thursday, January 30 –

IRELAND UNDER-20 MEN v ENGLAND UNDER-20 MEN, Virgin Media Park, 7.45pm (live Virgin Media Two/BBC iPlayer)

Opta Facts: U-20 Men’s Six Nations – Ireland v England

Team News: For new head coach Neil Doak’s first competitive match in charge, Connacht Academy forward Éanna McCarthy will captain the home side as the Ireland Under-20s get their 2025 campaign underway on Leeside.

Emerging Ireland prop Alex Usanov and fellow front rowers Henry Walker and Alex Mullan are back having played for the U-20s last season, with Mahon Ronan and Billy Corrigan, another player who got capped last year, starting together at lock.

Cork youngster Michael Foy, who is in his first year with the Munster Academy, combines with Galwegians and Connacht duo Bobby Power and McCarthy, another Cork native, in the back row.

Sam Wisniewski and Clark Logan will make their U-20 international debuts at half-back, with the former scoring 109 points for Old Belvedere in Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1B so far this season.

Starting centres Connor Fahy and Eoghan Smyth have gained Division 1A experience with Clontarf and Cork Constitution respectively, and UCD’s Charlie Molony, last season’s Ireland U-18 Schools team captain, forms an exciting back-three with Derry Moloney and Ciarán Mangan.

All four provinces are represented on the Irish bench, and all eight players are standing by to win their first U-20 international caps. Connor Magee, the scorer of two tries against South Africa U-18s last August, Billy Bohan, Tom McAllister, David Walsh, and Oisin Minogue are the forward options.

Andrew Doyle, former Ireland U-18 Sevens captain Gene O’Leary Kareem, and Daniel Green, who has come through the IQ Rugby ands Ireland U-18 Clubs pathways, complete the matchday squad for Doak’s charges.

Speaking ahead of the game, skipper McCarthy said: “All the lads up there (at Connacht) are very helpful and obliging, they made it a lot easier for me. And with Ireland, there’s lot of leaders on the team. Captain is only a label at the end of the day.

“Those lads (who were involved last year) hopefully will be able to step up and kind of lead us through it as well. We’re gelling together now as a team.

“We’ve been in camp last week and this week. The two warm-ups (against Italy and Leinster), they were two very physical games, and I think we’re in the right place at the right time heading into the Six Nations.

“There’s a few work-ons but we should be fine. There’s enough talent in the team to push on and put it up to any team in the Six Nations. We have to progress every game and take each week as it comes.”

Meanwhile, debutant lock Tom Burrow from Sale Sharks will captain England as they kick off their U-20 Men’s Six Nations title defence away to Ireland.

This fixture brings back memories of last season’s thrilling 32-all draw in Bath and the World Rugby U-20 Championship semi-final in Cape Town which England won on a 31-20 scoreline.

England U-20 head coach Mark Mapletoft also hands full debuts at this grade to Leicester Tigers’ Jack Kinder, Exeter Chiefs’ Nic Allison, Sale prop Ralph McEachran, and Bath duo Charlie Griffin and Kepu Tuipulotu.

Notably, Northampton Saints forward Henry Pollock, the 2024 U-20 Six Nations Player of the Championship, will feature at openside flanker after training with the England senior squad in Girona ahead of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations.

Like Pollock, fellow back rowers, Racing 92’s Junior Kpoku and Kane James from Exeter, were key members of last year’s U-20 Six Nations and World Rugby U-20 Championship title-winning team.

Five of England’s eight replacements could make their U-20 bows in Cork, while Bath’s George Timmins and Harlequins pair Lucas Friday and Josh Bellamy add experience to the bench with 18 U-20 international caps between them.

Under-20 Men’s Six Nations Fixtures

Under-20 Men’s Six Nations Table

IRELAND U-20: Charlie Molony (UCD RFC/Leinster); Derry Moloney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Connor Fahy (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Eoghan Smyth (Cork Constitution FC/Munster), Ciarán Mangan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster); Sam Wisniewski (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Clark Logan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster); Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Henry Walker (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Alex Mullan (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Mahon Ronan (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Billy Corrigan (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Michael Foy (UCC RFC/Munster), Bobby Power (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Éanna McCarthy (Galwegians RFC/Connacht) (capt).

Replacements: Connor Magee (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Billy Bohan (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Tom McAllister (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), David Walsh (Terenure College RFC/Leinster), Oisin Minogue (Shannon RFC/Munster), Andrew Doyle (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Gene O’Leary Kareem (UCC RFC/Munster), Daniel Green (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster).

ENGLAND U-20: Jack Kinder (Leicester Tigers/Silhillians RUFC); Jack Bracken (Saracens/Barnet Elizabethans), Angus Hall (Saracens/Sevenoaks Rugby Club), Nic Allison (Exeter Chiefs/Bishops Diocesan College), Charlie Griffin (Bath/Rosslyn Park); Ben Coen (Exeter Chiefs/Teignmouth RFC), Archie McParland (Northampton Saints/Ruthin RFC); Ralph McEachran (Sale Sharks/Guildford RFC), Kepu Tuipulotu (Bath/Cwmbran RFC), Vilikesa Sela (Bath/Royal Wootton Bassett RFC), Olamide Sodeke (Saracens/Blackheath Rugby Club), Tom Burrow (Sale Sharks/Morley RUFC) (capt), Junior Kpoku (Racing 92/Saracens Amateurs), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/Buckingham Rugby Club), Kane James (Exeter Chiefs/St. Peter’s RFC).

Replacements: Louie Gulley (Exeter Chiefs/Crediton RFC), Ollie Scola (Northampton Saints/Old Northamptonians RFC), Tye Raymont (Sale Sharks/West Park Leeds RFC), Aiden Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints/Bedford Junior Blues), George Timmins (Bath/Market Harborough RUFC), Lucas Friday (Harlequins/Bromley RFC), Josh Bellamy (Harlequins/Rosslyn Park), Nick Lilley (Exeter Chiefs/Ivybridge RFC).

Referee: Jérémy Rozier (France)
Assistant Referees: Kevin Bralley, Evan Urruzmendi (both France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)

Watch

The game is live on Virgin Media Two in the Republic of Ireland, while viewers in Northern Ireland/the UK can watch it live on the BBC iPlayer.

Pre-Match Quotes – Neil Doak (Ireland U-20s): “Both teams are probably going to be a little bit undercooked, obviously first game of the competition, don’t have a lot of time together. I know England have played a few warm-up games like us.

“They’re probably slight favourites, I think they’ve got eight or nine players coming back from that World Cup-winning squad in the summer. We had chances in that (semi-final) game to sort of finish it off, and didn’t really take it.

“It was nip and tuck and they were probably just a little bit stronger in that last 25 minutes of the game. We were chasing it a little bit. A few of the boys have had experience against this squad because two years ago we played them at an U-18 Festival in Dublin.

“They’re a pretty strong side now. Some of the guys have got a lot of exposure in the Premiership, Top 14. They’re playing a lot of high level games at the moment, some of the squad members.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge, but the players and the management are looking forward to it. It will be a great experience to kick off the start of the Six Nations on Thursday evening.”

Mark Mapletoft (England U-20s): “As a team, we want to take a relentless approach from minute one and make our mark on the Six Nations once again this year.

“Coming into the tournament as previous winners is a privilege, but the highest level of expectation will come from the players themselves who want to play with freedom and uphold our principles of speed, attachment, and space.

“The squad have been working diligently to match our demands of them and are ready for a tough opening challenge in Ireland. We’ve had some exciting match-ups in recent times, and we know we’ll have another testing game against Neil’s side this week.”

Recent Meetings –

2022: Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: England U-20s 27 Ireland U-20s 42, StoneX Stadium, Barnet; Under-20 Men’s Six Nations Summer Series Pool A: Ireland U-20s 37 England U-20s 36, Payanini Rugby Centre, Verona

2023: Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: Ireland U-20s 36 England U-20s 24, Virgin Media Park; World Rugby Under-20 Men’s Championship Pool B: England U-20s 34 Ireland U-20s 34, Paarl Gymnasium, Paarl

2024: Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: England U-20s 32 Ireland U-20s 32, Recreation Ground, Bath; World Rugby Under-20 Men’s Championship Semi-Final: England U-20s 31 Ireland U-20s 20, DHL Stadium, Cape Town

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