Head coach Richie Murphy is pictured with the Ireland Under-20 squad at the Captain's Run in Cork ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Final round fireworks await at a packed-out Musgrave Park as the Ireland Under-20s (sponsored by PwC) aim to see off England’s challenge and join the senior team as Grand Slam champions for 2023.
Sunday, March 19 –
IRELAND UNDER-20s (1st) v ENGLAND UNDER-20s (3rd), Musgrave Park, 5pm (live Virgin Media Two/BBC iPlayer)
Team News: Ireland Under-20 head coach Richie Murphy’s selected team shows three changes to the side that posted a record 82-7 victory over Scotland in Glasgow last week.
Paddy McCarthy and Diarmuid Mangan return to the tight five, swapping in for Fiachna Barrett, who moves back to the bench, and the injured Evan O’Connell respectively.
UCD’s James Nicholson, the scorer of two tries on the tournament’s opening night against Wales, comes back in on the right wing. Andrew Osborne, fresh from his try-scoring debut last time out, is listed among the replacements.
Just three days after his 19th birthday, Ulster Academy lock Joe Hopes is added to the matchday squad for a potential first cap at this level.
As Ireland bid to become the first ever side to win back-to-back U-20 Six Nations Grand Slams, scrum and contact coach Aaron Dundon said: “Richie mentioned it at one of our meetings (the different scenarios regarding points and the outcomes), but his main thing is not to think about points and all that sort of stuff.
“We just have to go out and win the game and do what we’re doing, putting a performance together.
“Obviously England still have a chance to win it and so do France, for us it’s just making sure we perform on the day and it will take care of itself.”
Meanwhile, with England still in title contention and needing a bonus point win in Cork, their U-20 boss Alan Dickens has freshened up his starting XV with a total of five personnel changes.
London Irish talent Chandler Cunningham-South bolsters the back row at number 8, with Greg Fisilau moving to openside. Afolabi Fasogbon and Gloucester lock Danny Eite also feature in the tight five.
The inclusion of a fully-fit Cassius Cleaves on the right wing sees Tobias Elliott switch to the left, while Leicester Tigers’ Joseph Woodward replaces Joe Jenkins in the centre. He combines with Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, one of their best performers so far.
The visitors are captained by Woodward’s club-mate, Lewis Chessum, a younger brother of England senior lock Ollie. Scrum half Charlie Bracken is a son of former England scrum half Kyran.
Under-20 Six Nations Results/Fixtures
IRELAND U-20: Henry McErlean (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); James Nicholson (UCD RFC/Leinster), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster), John Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); George Hadden (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster) (capt), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Ruadhán Quinn (Old Crescent RFC/Munster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster).
Replacements: Danny Sheahan (UCC RFC/Munster), George Morris (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Fiachna Barrett (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Joe Hopes (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Liam Molony (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Oscar Cawley (Naas RFC/Leinster), Harry West (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht), Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster).
ENGLAND U-20: Sam Harris (Bath); Cassius Cleaves (Harlequins), Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Sale Sharks), Joseph Woodward (Leicester Tigers), Tobias Elliott (Saracens); Monty Bradbury (London Irish), Charlie Bracken (Saracens); Archie McArthur (Gloucester), Finn Theobald-Thomas (Gloucester), Afolabi Fasogbon (London Irish), Danny Eite (Gloucester), Lewis Chessum (Leicester Tigers) (capt), Finn Carnduff (Leicester Tigers), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Chandler Cunningham-South (London Irish).
Replacements: Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), Tim Hoyt (Leicester Tigers), Robert Carmichael (Leicester Tigers), Tristan Woodman (Sale Sharks), Nye Thomas (Sale Sharks), Sam Worsley (Bristol Bears), Joe Jenkins (Bristol Bears).
Referee: Adriaan Jacobs (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Luc Ramos (France)
Television Match Official: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
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 – Fintan Gunne (Ireland U-20s): “Myself and Sam, we know how each other plays and even being in Leinster together, in the gym every day, we have built up a good relationship.
“We feel comfortable with each other on the pitch and are not afraid to pass ideas. I think that it is a good advantage when you are in the same province together.
“England have a few of their big dogs coming back this week. Their number 8 (Chandler Cunningham-South) is a massive ball carrier who plays for London Irish and they are bringing him back for this game.
“They have a good 13 [Rekeiti Ma’asi-White] and their back three is very strong. Fast lads and they will try and get it into their hands, use their pace out wide.
“It would be absolutely incredible (to win the Grand Slam), something you dream of as a kid. We won the Leinster Schools Junior Cup when I was in school with St. Michael’s, but this would definitely top it.”
Alan Dickens (England U-20s): “We were obviously disappointed with the result against France, but we’ve taken lessons from that loss against a very good side.
“This is a tight squad of players which has regrouped and is focused on facing Ireland. In camp this week the players’ attention has been on the core skills and values, including taking the opportunity to improve at any given chance, that saw us open our campaign so well.
“For Sunday’s fixture we’ve selected a team that we think can meet the challenge that Ireland brings – they carry hard, play well off a talented out-half, and with a quality goal kicker, they can punish mistakes from anywhere on the pitch.”
Opta Facts – Ireland Under-20s v England Under-20s:
– Ireland have won three of their last four Under-20 Six Nations matches against England (L1), after winning just two in eight against them previously
– Ireland scored 42 points in their most recent U-20 Six Nations match against England (42-27 in 2022), their highest ever tally against them in the competition
– Ireland have won each of their last nine games in the U-20 Six Nations, and should they beat England, they will become the first team to win back-to-back Grand Slams in the Championship. It would be their fourth Grand Slam overall (also 2007, 2019 and 2022)
– Ireland have won each of their last nine home games in the U-20 Six Nations, their longest ever such run in the competition and should they defeat England they will become just the third side to have won 10 or more home games in a row in the competition, after England (W13 between 2011 and 2015) and France (W13 between 2013 and 2018)
– England lost their most recent match in the U-20 Six Nations (42-7 v France), after winning their first three of the 2023 edition. Their 35-point margin of defeat against France was their heaviest ever in the history of the Championship
– Ireland have scored more points (203) and tries (26) than any other team in the U-20 Six Nations this year, while they are the only side with a goal-kicking success rate above 80% (89%)
– Ireland have made more carries (590) and carried for more metres (3698) than any other team in the U-20 Six Nations this year, however England have carried for the second most metres (2818) and have the highest average carry distance of any team in the Championship (7.7m per carry)
– England have the highest carry dominance rate of any team in this year’s U20 Six Nations (43%), while Ireland have crossed the gain-line from a greater percentage of their carries than any other side in the Championship this year (61%)
– England’s Josh Hathaway and Ireland’s Ruadhán Quinn have scored the most tries (4) in this year’s U-20 Six Nations, while Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (England) and Sam Prendergast (Ireland) have provided the most assists (4 each)
– Three players have made five or more line breaks in the U-20 Six Nations this year, all of whom play for England – Tobias Elliot (7), Sam Harris (6) and Josh Hathaway (5)
– Ireland full-back Henry McErlean has carried for more metres than any other player in the U-20 Six Nations this year (463) while he has also beaten the joint most defenders (13), alongside team-mate Hugh Cooney
Recent Meetings –
2020: Under-20 Six Nations: England U-20s 21 Ireland U-20s 39, Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
2021: Under-20 Six Nations: Ireland U-20s 15 England U-20s 24, Cardiff Arms Park
2022: Under-20 Six Nations: England U-20s 27 Ireland U-20s 42, StoneX Stadium, Barnet; Under-20 Six Nations Summer Series Pool A: Ireland Under-20s 37 England Under-20s 36, Payanini Rugby Centre, Verona
Support the Ireland U-20s on www.facebook.com/irishrugby or search #FutureIsGreen, #IREvENG and #ShouldertoShoulder on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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