Ireland Under-20s Dethrone France To Guarantee Six Nations Title Win

The Ireland Under-20s secured the U-20 Six Nations title with a round still to play after dethroning defending champions France with a 31-29 win in front of a sell-out 8,008 crowd at Irish Independent Park.

Earning Ireland’s first U-20 Six Nations crown since 2010, Noel McNamara’s youngsters made it four wins out of four and took advantage of Wales’ surprise 27-20 loss to bottom side Scotland. Man-of-the-match Josh Wycherley crossed for two tries, his replacement Callum Reid also touched down and out-half Ben Healy, who started in place of the injured Harry Byrne, finished with a brilliant 16-point haul.

Healy’s opposite number Louis Carbonel was in inspirational form for France, scoring two tries and kicking nine points. Converted tries from Jean-Baptiste Gros and Carbonel had them 14-13 ahead at half-time, cancelling out Ireland’s early 10-point lead from prop Wycherley’s 13th-minute try.

The Ireland U-20s were missing two of their key man from the opening three rounds – injured captain David Hawkshaw and top scorer Byrne – but showed the greater accuracy and intent in the second period, maintaining a high pace which the visitors struggled to cope with. Two Healy penalties sandwiched a Carbonel effort as the home side moved back in front at 19-17.

Wycherley and Reid crucially piled over either side of Carbonel’s 64th-minute breakaway score, establishing a 31-22 advantage, and although French replacement Kevin Viallard snatched a last-minute try, Ireland were able to win a final turnover from a maul and set up a shot at a Grand Slam against Wales in Colwyn Bay next Friday night (kick-off 7.05pm).

A solid first lineout tackle from Ireland’s stand-in skipper Charlie Ryan, followed by a John Hodnett carry, led to Healy’s well-struck opening fourth-minute penalty from just inside the French 22. The visitors piled forward from a Paul Boudehent break, but their decision to go for the corner from a penalty backfired as Jordan Joseph knocked on on the ground.

As the pace quickened, Jake Flannery’s lovely delayed pass sent first-time starter Sean French through a gap and up towards France’s 22 with Healy in support to keep the move going. The forwards pressed closer in and were rewarded with Wycherley plunging over just to the right of the posts. Healy converted to open up a 10-point gap but les Bleuets wasted little time in responding.

Carbonel, one of seven of the French team involved in Top 14 action last week, broke the defensive line, linked with number 8 Joseph who was taken down by French’s tap tackle but got the ball away for supporting loosehead Gros to ground the ball to the left of the posts. After Carbonel converted, Jonathan Wren led Ireland’s response with a twinkle-toed break up the left touchline.

Pressure on the Irish lineout, combined with a missed touchfinder by Healy, gave France a foothold early in the second quarter, and they profited as they caught Ireland out wide with Carbonel sending Alexandre de Nardi dancing along the left touchline and taking the full-back’s return pass to run in a well-crafted try which he converted for a 14-10 lead.

Florent Vanverberghe went off his feet at a 30th minute ruck, allowing Healy to drill home a 38-metre kick and make it a one-point game. Ireland had a big let-off when de Nardi, racing onto a Carbonel grubber kick past the try-line, knocked on in the act of scoring. The home defence stood firm late on – including the great sight of the diminutive Craig Casey driving back the 18-stone Joseph in a tackle.

Cork favourite French stormed forward in the final minute of the first half, but could not connect with a support runner and France turned around with the slimmest of advantages. Referee Adam Leal kept his yellow card in his pocket despite France leaking three penalties close to their try-line on the restart, scrum half Casey going closest as he appeared to be high-tackled by Boudehent.

Ireland deservedly regained the lead with Healy’s close range penalty, yet an ill-advised offload from Scott Penny in his own 22 gave France the opportunity to force a scrum penalty and Carbonel landed the central three-pointer. Healy hit back just a couple of minutes later for an 19-17 lead, rewarding the attacking efforts of Casey, Dylan Tierney-Martin and newly-introduced debutant Ryan Baird.

The hosts hit the hour mark 26-17 to the good, French captain Arthur Vincent erring with a forward pass in his own 22 and Healy got over the gain-line from the scrum, the pack working their way up to the posts where Wycherley proved unstoppable again from a close-in ruck. Healy’s extras put nine points between the sides, only for Carbonel to lift his side with a try straight from a Irish ruck which saw the ball squirt free.

Back came McNamara’s tireless charges, half-backs Healy and Casey unlocking the defence with some sharp running that brought the table toppers right back up to the French whitewash. The forwards seized the initiative with Banbridge clubman Reid repeating Wycherley’s trick in driving over from a ruck. Healy’s conversion from the left bounced back off the near post, and Casey unfortunately had to come off with a suspected ankle injury.

The minutes were ticking by until resilient France found something once more in attack, splitting open the Irish midfield and a well-timed pass sent the fresh-legged Viallard over to the left of the posts despite Cormac Foley’s best attempts to hold him up. Despite Carbonel converting to make it a two-point deficit, last year’s champions were thwarted on the edge of their 22 as Ireland ensured they will receive the trophy in Wales next week.

The U-20 Six Nations table shows that Ireland, lying on 18 points, cannot be caught heading into the final round. France, who are also the reigning World champions, are second on 12 points following their second loss of the campaign, with England (11 points) and Wales (10) on two wins apiece as well.

TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Ireland penalty: Ben Healy – 3-0; 13 mins – Ireland try: Josh Wycherley – 8-0; conversion: Ben Healy – 10-0; 15 mins – France try: Jean-Baptiste Gros – 10-5; conversion: Louis Carbonel – 10-7; 26 mins – France try: Louis Carbonel – 10-12; conversion: Louis Carbonel – 10-14; 32 mins – Ireland penalty: Ben Healy – 13-14; Half-time – Ireland 13 France 14; 46 mins – Ireland penalty: Ben Healy – 16-14; 52 mins – France penalty: Louis Carbonel – 16-17; 55 mins – Ireland penalty: Ben Healy – 19-17; 59 mins – Ireland try: Josh Wycherley – 24-17; conversion: Ben Healy – 26-17; 64 mins – France try: Louis Carbonel – 26-22; 69 mins – Ireland try: Callum Reid – 31-22; conversion: missed by Ben Healy – 31-22; 79 mins – France try: Kevin Viallard – 31-27; conversion: Louis Carbonel – 31-29; Full-time – Ireland 31 France 29

IRELAND U-20: Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster); Angus Kernohan (Queen’s University/Ulster), Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster), Sean French (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster); Ben Healy (Garryowen/Munster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster); Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster), Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians/Connacht), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster), Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht), Martin Moloney (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Scott Penny (UCD/Leinster), John Hodnett (UCC/Munster).

Replacements used: Callum Reid (Banbridge/Ulster) for Wycherley (38 mins-half-time, blood sub), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster) for Murray (52), John McKee (Old Belvedere/Leinster) for Tierney-Martin, Reid for Wycherley, Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster) for Flannery (all 66), Cormac Foley (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) for Casey (68), Flannery for Kernohan (73). Not used: Ryan Lomas (Galwegians/Connacht), David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster), James McCarthy (UL Bohemians/Munster).

FRANCE U-20: Alexandre de Nardi (Stade Montois); Vincent Pinto (Section Paloise), Arthur Vincent (Montpellier RC) (capt), Julien Delbouis (Stade Francais Paris), Matthis Lebel (Stade Toulousain); Louis Carbonel (RC Toulon), Quentin Delord (Lyon OU); Jean-Baptiste Gros (RC Toulon), Rayne Barka (Section Paloise), Alex Burin (SU Agen), Gauthier Maravat (SU Agen), Florent Vanverberghe (RC Toulon), Paul Boudehent (Stade Rochelais), Sacha Zegueur (US Oyonnax), Jordan Joseph (Racing 92).

Replacements used: Maxence Lemardelet (AS Clermont Auvergne) for Boudehent (46 mins), Eli Eglaine (FC Grenoble) for Gros, Giorgi Beria (AS Clermont Auvergne) for Burin (both 54), Loris Zarantonello (US Montauban) for Barka, Mathieu Smaili (RC Toulon) for Delbouis, Adrien Warion (Provence Rugby) for Vanverberghe (all 66), Kevin Viallard (AS Clermont Auvergne) for Delord (75). Not used: Ethan Dumortier (Lyon OU).

Referee: Adam Leal (England)