Ireland U-20s Beat England To Set Up Grand Slam Shot

Aitzol King’s superb second half brace of tries sealed a memorable 42-27 bonus point victory for the Ireland Under-20s over England, the reigning U-20 Six Nations champions, on a windy night in Barnet.

Match Photo Gallery: England Under-20s 27 Ireland Under-20s 42

Charlie Tector coolly slotted over 17 points, missing only one kick in an astute player-of-the-match performance, as Richie Murphy’s young guns left StoneX Stadium with maximum points to stay on course for the title.

Leading France by three points at the summit, the Reuben Crothers-captained squad will bid for the Grand Slam against Scotland at Musgrave Park next Sunday (kick-off 5pm), attempting to follow in the footsteps of the 2007 and 2019 Ireland teams.

Erasing an early 10-point deficit at the home of Saracens FC, converted tries from Matthew Devine and Lorcan McLoughlin had Ireland ahead before England captain Emeka Ilione scored to make 17-all for half-time.

Rory McGuire and Cassius Cleaves swapped tries before King’s electric double, combined with Tector’s reliable right boot, guided Ireland to their second away triumph of the 2022 campaign.

The result also completed a well-deserved double for Irish Rugby on English soil. It is the first time both the men’s senior and Under-20 sides have both beaten England away in the same Six Nations since 2010.

England were first to settle, Deago Bailey gaining ground out wide and full-back George Hendy, fed from a fourth-minute scrum, flew through a gap for a well-taken opening try.

Patrick Campbell was then penalised for holding on, allowing Jamie Benson to make it 10-0 after as many minutes. Ireland soon began to make headway in attack, though, with scrum half Devine to the fore.

Devine’s sniping run and offload to Mark Morrissey paved the way for Tector’s opening penalty in the 13th minute, before tighthead McGuire’s counter-ruck – and Jack Boyle’s follow-up at the breakdown – had the visitors on the move again.

England thwarted a lineout maul, but Ben Carson’s man-and-ball tackle led to a Boyle turnover, and a further steal from Crothers allowed Devine to scamper in beside the posts, evading two defenders straight from a ruck.

Tector’s conversion made it 10 points apiece at the end of the first quarter, with Ireland’s diligent defensive work further enhanced by a Chay Mullins turnover penalty and James Culhane’s strong tackling.

Incisive running from Jude Postlethwaite and Culhane set up Ireland’s second try, the forwards having a few goes at the line before flanker McLoughlin plunged over in the 22nd minute. Tector converted impressively to make it 17-10.

England levelled on the half hour mark, a TMO review giving the grounding to English skipper Ilione after John Stewart had been just held up having broken off the back of a maul. Benson’s kick squared things up.

The home side could not turn some late first half pressure into points, with James McCormick gobbling up an overthrown lineout and busy centre Postlethwaite earning a clearing penalty at a ruck.

Murphy’s charges were clinical on the restart, the pack carrying hard around the corner with Devine maintaining the high tempo. Culhane and company made inroads in the 22 before McGuire muscled over with Morrissey on the latch.

Tector converted the prop’s try, and after Postlethwaite’s midfield break quickly threatened another score, Campbell’s coolness under the high ball ensured Ireland remained in the right areas of the pitch.

Quick ruck ball allowed Crothers and Devine to punch more holes in the English defence, with McLoughlin narrowly missing out on a second try as replacement Chandler Cunningham-South got in under the ball.

Although the visitors could not take advantage of a Fionn Gibbons break, Tector extended the lead to 27-17 after a big double hit from McLoughlin and Culhane with McGuire hoovering up the turnover penalty.

A good spell from England resulted in winger Cleaves evading Mullins to score out wide on the left, although replacement Louie Johnson missed the conversion.

Mullins missed out on a quick-fire response, a foot in touch denying him after replacement Ethan Coughlan’s opportunistic grubber kick through from turnover ball.

King marked his entrance with the bonus point score soon after, Coughlan’s clever inside pass releasing the big Clontarf winger on the edge of the English 22 and neither Cleaves or Lucas Brooke were able to stop him from crashing over.

Tector’s conversion had the scoreboard showing 34-22 and England conceded again just five minutes later. Crothers did well to turn Tector’s bouncing pass into a sudden break for Culhane who was invited into space past halfway.

He fed King near the right touchline and the Balbriggan youngster produced a stunning finish from 30 metres out. He fended off Hendy, evaded the chasing Ethan Grayson and acrobatically grounded the ball one-handed in the right corner despite Johnson’s tackle.

Tector missed the touchline conversion but tagged on a 71st-minute penalty, rewarding replacement Scott Wilson’s work at the breakdown, as Ireland, who brought on Diarmuid Mangan for his debut, moved 20 points clear.

England did manage to pocket a bonus point of their own, replacement Will Joseph using a turnover to break from halfway and chip through for Bailey to touch down with six minutes remaining.

TIME LINE: 4 minutes – England try: George Hendy – 5-0; conversion: Jamie Benson – 7-0; 10 mins – England penalty: Jamie Benson – 10-0; 13 mins – Ireland penalty: Charlie Tector – 10-3; 17 mins – Ireland try: Matthew Devine – 10-8; conversion: Charlie Tector – 10-10; 22 mins – Ireland try: Lorcan McLoughlin – 10-15; conversion: Charlie Tector – 10-17; 30 mins – England try: Emeka Ilione – 15-17; conversion: Jamie Benson – 17-17; Half-time – England 17 Ireland 17; 43 mins – Ireland try: Rory McGuire – 17-22; conversion: Charlie Tector – 17-24; 53 mins – Ireland penalty: Charlie Tector – 17-27; 57 mins – England try: Cassius Cleaves – 22-27; conversion: missed by Louie Johnson – 22-27; 61 mins – Ireland try: Aitzol King – 22-32; conversion: Charlie Tector – 22-34; 66 mins – Ireland try: Aitzol King – 22-39; conversion: missed by Charlie Tector – 22-39; 71 mins – Ireland penalty: Charlie Tector – 22-42; 74 mins – England try: Deago Bailey – 27-42; conversion: missed by Louie Johnson – 27-42; Full-time – England 27 Ireland 42

ENGLAND U-20: George Hendy (Northampton Saints); Deago Bailey (Bristol Bears), Jacob Cusick (Leicester Tigers), Ethan Grayson (Northampton Saints), Cassius Cleaves (Harlequins); Jamie Benson (Harlequins), Sam Edwards (Leicester Tigers); Fin Baxter (Harlequins), John Stewart (Bath), Tim Hoyt (Leicester Tigers), Lewis Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints), Ewan Richards (Bath), Toby Knight (Saracens), Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers) (capt).

Replacements used: Will Joseph (London Irish) for Cusick, Louie Johnson (Newcastle Falcons) for Benson, Chandler Cunningham-South (London Irish) for Lockett (all 47 mins), Lucas Brooke (London Irish) for Knight (55), Mike Summerfield (London Irish) for Hoyt (64), Nye Thomas (Sale Sharks) for Edwards (69), Mark Dormer (Newcastle Falcons) for Baxter (71), Finn Theobald-Thomas (Worcester Warriors) for Stewart (80).

IRELAND U-20: Patrick Campbell (Young Munster RFC/Munster); Chay Mullins (Bristol Bears/IQ Rugby), Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Ben Carson (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Fionn Gibbons (UCD RFC/Leinster); Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Matthew Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht); Jack Boyle (UCD RFC/Leinster), James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Rory McGuire (UCD RFC/Leinster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), Mark Morrissey (UCD RFC/Leinster), Lorcan McLoughlin (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Reuben Crothers (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) (capt), James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster).

Replacements used: Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster) for Devine (58 mins), Aitzol King (Clontarf FC/Leinster) for Mullins (60), Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) for McCormick, Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for McGuire (both 69), Tony Butler (Garryowen FC/Munster) for Tector, Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster) for McLoughlin (both 71), James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster) for Morrissey (72), Oisin Michel (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) for Boyle (75).

Referee: Damian Schneider (Argentina)