Ireland U-20s Remain In Pole Position After Second Cork Win

The Ireland Under-20s produced a four-try second half salvo to keep up their winning form in this season’s U-20 Six Nations at Musgrave Park.

Match Photo Gallery: Ireland Under-20s 39 Italy Under-20s 12

Matthew Devine, replacement Lorcan McLoughlin, captain Reuben Crothers and Chay Mullins all crossed during a 19-minute spell that sealed a 39-12 victory over an ill-disciplined Italy.

Charlie Tector converted Fionn Gibbons’ 16th-minute try and added two penalties to give the hosts a 13-7 lead after a scrappy first half.

Luca Rizzoli touched down on the stroke of half-time to lift an Italian side that had lost both David Odiase and captain Giacomo Ferrari to the sin bin.

They suffered a third sin-binning, and with Jude Postlethwaite and PwC player-of-the-match James Culhane both impressing, Ireland’s clinical edge returned before Tommaso Scramoncin’s late consolation try.

It was a cagey opening in Cork, wing Gibbons soaring impressively to win a high ball before both sides did well to defend mauls with Italy, who were buoyed by their historic win over England, pinged for a ‘truck and trailer’ offence.

Nicolò Teneggi pulled a 13th minute penalty wide before Ireland began to make some headway, a promising blindside break – involving both wingers – foiled by a foot in touch from Gibbons.

There was no denying the UCD clubman just a few phases later, good hands releasing Mullins and Patrick Campbell on the counter. James McNabney and Mark Morrissey made use of the space out wide as they fed Gibbons for a fine 25-metre run-in.

Odiase made contact with James McCormick’s face in dragging him to the ground, earning him a yellow card. Nice footwork from Postlethwaite and Mullins had the Italian defence under further pressure.

Tector knocked over a penalty for 10-0 and then full-back Campbell caught the eye again, his direct run seeing him bounce off Teneggi before he popped up later to lob an inviting pass out to Gibbons on the touchline.

Back rowers Culhane and McNabney continued to get over the gain line, a scrum penalty setting up Tector to split the posts again on the half hour mark.

Italy began to build some phases and despite losing skipper Ferrari to the bin for leading with his forearm, they closed out the opening 40 minutes with a well-taken converted try.

Prop Rizzoli showed impressive power and footwork to break two tackles and score just to the right of the posts. Teneggi’s conversion closed the gap to just six points.

Ferrari’s return saw Italy continue to probe early in the second half, working the ball wide for Filippo Lazzarin but Campbell caught him with a very good tackle.

The next score was crucial and it went to Ireland, who made the most of well-won lineout ball. Scrum half Devine reached over for a try after big centre Postlethwaite had been stopped just short. Tector converted.

It was a double blow for the Azzurrini with hooker Lapo Frangini seeing yellow. The hosts soon took advantage with Conor O’Tighearnaigh carrying twice before McLoughlin flashed onto a Devine pass to crash over, bouncing off Alessandro Garbisi’s attempted tackle.

Tector’s only missed kick of the night left it 25-7, Crothers and Culhane’s breakdown work preventing Italy from building for a response before Mullins was almost away down the right wing.

The bonus point try arrived in the 69th minute, number 8 Culhane again wilting the Italian defence at close range, setting up Crothers to ground the ball from the resulting ruck.

Replacement Tony Butler converted and also added the extras to Mullins’ speedy effort, as the winger dashed over from outside the visitors’ 22, neatly stepping inside the covering Gianluca Tomaselli.

A nice wraparound move involving Butler and Gibbons had set up the attack, but Italy managed to have the final say, replacement hooker Scramoncin crossing from a maul which saw McLoughlin binned for attempting to collapse it.

TIME LINE: 13 minutes – Italy penalty: missed by Nicolò Teneggi – 0-0; 16 mins – Ireland try: Fionn Gibbons – 5-0; conversion: Charlie Tector – 7-0; 17 mins – Italy yellow card: David Odiase; 24 mins – Ireland penalty: Charlie Tector – 10-0; 28 mins – Ireland penalty: Charlie Tector – 13-0; 35 mins – Italy yellow card: Giacomo Ferrari; 40+2 mins – Italy try: Luca Rizzoli – 13-5; conversion: Nicolò Teneggi – 13-7; Half-time – Ireland 13 Italy 7; 56 mins – Ireland try: Matthew Devine – 18-7; conversion: Charlie Tector – 20-7; 57 mins – Italy yellow card: Lapo Frangini; 60 mins – Ireland try: Lorcan McLoughlin – 25-7; conversion: missed by Charlie Tector – 25-7; 69 mins – Ireland try: Reuben Crothers – 30-7; conversion: Tony Butler – 32-7; 74 mins – Ireland try: Chay Mullins – 37-7; conversion: Tony Butler – 39-7; 78 mins – Italy try: Tommaso Scramoncin – 39-12; conversion: missed by Giovanni Sante – 39-12; 78 mins – Ireland yellow card: Lorcan McLoughlin; Full-time – Ireland 39 Italy 12

IRELAND U-20: Patrick Campbell (Young Munster RFC/Munster); Chay Mullins (Bristol Bears/IQ Rugby), Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge RFC/Ulster), Ben Brownlee (UCD RFC/Leinster), 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), James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Reuben Crothers (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) (capt), James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster).

Replacements used: Dylan O’Grady (UCD RFC/Leinster) for Brownlee (half-time), Lorcan McLoughlin (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for McNabney (51 mins), Darragh McSweeney (Shannon RFC/Munster) for McGuire (59), Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster) for Devine, Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) for McCormick (both 67), Tony Butler (Garryowen FC/Munster) for Tector, Oisin Michel (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) for Boyle (both 68), Adam McNamee (Malone RFC/Ulster) for O’Tighearnaigh (70).

ITALY U-20: Lorenzo Pani (Benetton Rugby Treviso Srl); Federico Cuminetti (Asd Rugby Lyons), Francois Carlo Mey (HBS Colorno), Dewi Passarella (Ruggers Tarvisium Asd), Filippo Lazzarin (Petrarca Rugby); Nicolò Teneggi (Valorugby Emilia), Alessandro Garbisi (Mogliano Rugby 1969 Ssd Arl); Luca Rizzoli (Unione Rugby Capitolina), Lapo Frangini (Accademia Nazionale Ivan Francescato), Riccardo Genovese (Cus Torino), Alessandro Ortombina (Valorugby Emilia), Riccardo Andreoli (FEMI-CZ Rovigo), David Odiase (HBS Colorno), Ross Vintcent (Accademia Nazionale Ivan Francescato), Giacomo Ferrari (Unione Rugby Capitolina) (capt).

Replacements used: Giovanni Cenedese (Villorba Rugby) for Vintcent (36 mins-half-time; 45), Tommaso Scramoncin (Petrarca Rugby) for Ferrari (59), Giovanni Sante (Mogliano Rugby 1969) for Teneggi, Arturo Fusari (G.S. Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma) for Mey (both 62), Ferrari for Frangini (67), Valerio Bizzotto (Rugby Bassano 1976) for Genovese (68), Lizardo Rodriguez Carlos Berlese (Ruggers Tarvisium Asd) for Odiase (69), Gianluca Tomaselli (G.S. Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma) for Garbisi (70), Riccardo Bartolini (Florentia Rugby Asd) for Rizzoli (76).

Referee: Aled Evans (Wales)