Ireland U-20s To Face Wales In 5th-8th Place Play-Offs

The Ireland Under-20s will face Wales in the 5th-8th place play-offs at the World Rugby U-20 Championship after losing their final pool game 25-3 to New Zealand.

MATCH PHOTOS: NEW ZEALAND U-20s 25 IRELAND U-20s 3

Nigel Carolan’s youngsters finished their Pool C campaign as runners-up to the unbeaten Baby Blacks, their eight-point haul seeing them ranked sixth for the knockout stages where they will play Wales at the same Viadana venue next Monday night (kick-off 8.30pm local time/7.30pm Irish time).

Joey Carbery’s 16th-minute penalty gave Ireland a brief lead in tonight’s round 3 tie, however New Zealand responded strongly with a Tevita Li try and two Otere Black penalties for an 11-3 half-time lead.

Ireland lost captain Nick McCarthy to a shoulder injury before the break, and two quick-fire converted tries from winger Li (44 minutes) and flanker Blake Gibson (49) opened up a decisive 22-point gap.

The best Irish try-scoring opportunity saw hard-working flanker Josh Murphy held up over the line, while they did well to avoid leaking a fourth try to the ever-threatening Kiwis.

Amid a scrappy opening spell, recalled winger Jack Owens chased down a kick towards the New Zealand try-line but Li got back to cover the danger. Carbery missed two penalty attempts inside the first seven minutes, the first falling short from a difficult angle on the left and he was wide with a second effort from the opposite wing.

The Irish scrum and maul offered a solid platform of possession and New Zealand’s attack was well contained initially, centre Garry Ringrose standing out with a couple of key tackles. Out-half Carbery, who threatened with a half-break, duly landed his third shot at the posts – this time from a central position.

But New Zealand hit back within two minutes, scrum half Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi almost sniping through on the right before out-half Black’s accurate long pass released Li for a simple finish in the left corner. Black missed the difficult conversion.

Ireland’s lineout was functioning well and they managed to exert some pressure on the Kiwis’ throws, stealing a couple of balls as well threading through some clever kicks from the heavily-involved Sam Arnold and Jacob Stockdale.

However, New Zealand were finding points easier to come by and a quick turnover led to them winning a penalty in the 22 which Black comfortably stuck over for 8-3.

Ireland’s defence coped well with a speedy onslaught from the Baby Blacks, a monster hit by Murphy stopping Li in his tracks but they suffered a setback with the injury-enforced departure of experienced scrum half McCarthy.

Although Stockdale did well to bring down Akira Ioane in a one-on-one, some late pressure led to prop Andrew Porter infringing at a ruck and Black mopped up with the three points.

The individual errors were proving costly for Ireland and on the restart, they fell further behind as New Zealand pressed in the 22 and Li slipped out of a tackle from Murphy to go in under the posts for a seven-pointer.

Nathaniel Apa then had a try ruled out for a forward pass from the increasingly influential Li, but Ireland gave way just moments later when the Kiwis won the resulting scrum against the head and Gibson burrowed over in the left corner.

Black swept over a terrific conversion and Ireland, with Tomás Quinlan and Conan O’Donnell both on, dug deep in their efforts to hit back. New Zealand defended well from a couple of close-in lineouts, though, and a well-positioned Li was first to reach Quinlan’s clever kick through.

Into the final quarter, prop O’Donnell had an impact in the scrum as Ireland forced a penalty inside the Kiwi 22 and following two well-orchestrated mauls, blindside Murphy was just thwarted from close range.

New Zealand had a let-off when a crooked throw from Adam McBurney five metres out gave them an opportunity claw territory back, and there were plenty of errors as both sides tired in the closing stages.

Ireland determinedly continued to probe for openings with Carbery one of their liveliest and most threatening runners with ball in hand and from the boot. Space was at a premium, though, and New Zealand were ultimately well worth their victory as they marched on into the semi-finals.

TIME LINE: 5 minutes – Ireland penalty: missed by Joey Carbery – 0-0; 7 mins – Ireland penalty: missed by Joey Carbery – 0-0; 16 mins – Ireland penalty: Joey Carbery – 0-3; 18 mins – New Zealand try: Tevita Li – 5-3; conversion: missed by Otere Black – 5-3; 30 mins – New Zealand penalty: Otere Black – 8-3; 40+3 mins – New Zealand penalty: Otere Black – 11-3; Half-time – New Zealand 11 Ireland 3; 44 mins – New Zealand try: Tevita Li – 16-3; conversion: Otere Black – 18-3; 49 mins – New Zealand try: Blake Gibson – 23-3; conversion: Otere Black – 25-3; Full-time – New Zealand 25 Ireland 3

NEW ZEALAND U-20: Luteru Laulala (Canterbury); Vincent Tavae-Aso (Auckland), Jack Goodhue (Canterbury), Nathaniel Apa (Canterbury), Tevita Li (North Harbour); Otere Black (Manawatu), Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (Taranaki); Isileli Tu’ungafasi (Auckland), Liam Polwart (Auckland), Atunaisa Moli (Waikato) (capt), Joshua Goodhue (Canterbury), Hamish Dalzell (Canterbury), James Blackwell (Wellington), Blake Gibson (Auckland), Akira Ioane (Auckland).

Replacements used: Tau Koloamatangi (Waikato) for Tu’ungafasi, Ricky Riccitelli (Hawke’s Bay) for Polwart (both 53 mins), Mitchell Hunt (Auckland) for Laulala (54), Henry Stowers (Wellington) for Ioane (58), Harrison Levien (Waikato) for Tahuriorangi, Aidan Ross (Bay of Plenty) for Moli, Mitchell Dunshea (Canterbury) for Joshua Goodhue (all 66), Tinoai Faiane (Auckland) for Jack Goodhue (70).

IRELAND U-20: Billy Dardis (UCD/Leinster); Jack Owens (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Sam Arnold (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster); Joey Carbery (UCD/Leinster), Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster) (capt); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Sean McNulty (UCD/Leinster), Oisin Heffernan (Terenure College/Leinster), David O’Connor (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Alex Thompson (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster), Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster), Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht), Lorcan Dow (Queen’s University Belfast/Ulster).

Replacements used: Liam O’Connor (Cork Constitution/Munster) for Porter (11-18 mins; 66), Charlie Rock (Old Belvedere/Leinster) for McCarthy (35), Tomás Quinlan (Cork Constitution/Munster) for Dardis (50), Conan O’Donnell (Sligo/NUIG/Connacht) for Heffernan (52), Cian Romaine (Buccaneers/Connacht) for Thompson, Stephen McVeigh (Buccaneers/Connacht) for Dow (both 60), Adam McBurney (Ballymena/Ulster) for McNulty (66), Fergal Cleary (Lansdowne/Leinster) for Arnold (71).

Referee: Matthew Carley (England)