Andrew Burke, a late call-up at out-half, kicked all of Ireland’s points as they dug deep to complete the 2009 RBS Under-20 6 Nations with a gritty 9-6 victory over Wales at Parc y Scarlets.
2009 RBS UNDER-20 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Friday, March 20
WALES UNDER-20s 6 IRELAND UNDER-20s 9, Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Scorers: Wales: Pens: Jason Tovey 2
Ireland: Pens: Andrew Burke 3
This tense but deserved victory was Ireland’s fourth of the Championship and saw the Peter O’Mahony-captained side get back to winning ways after last weekend’s 35-20 defeat in Scotland.
It was also good enough to see Ireland finish second in the table, behind new champions France who took the title on scoring difference after a 43-10 win over Italy. England finished third thanks to a 20-6 triumph over the Scots.
The Irish management were forced into a late change. Full-back David Kearney was ruled out with a knock, prompting a recall for Andrew Burke at out-half and a positional switch for Ian Madigan from out-half to full-back.
In what was the first international match to take place at Parc y Scarlets, the new home of the Welsh region, Wales started strongly with full-back Jason Tovey sending some probing kicks down the left touchline.
Tovey, one of the few players on show with Magners League experience, looked sharp in the early stages but his influence was negated as the first half wore on.
The Dragons starlet kicked Wales into a sixth-minute lead, landing a straight-on penalty after Ireland skipper O’Mahony was pinged for not rolling away in the tackle.
But the Irish, benefiting once again from a solid lineout platform, were level just three minutes later.
Welsh centre Ashley Beck was penalised for a push in midfield and Garryowen clubman Burke stepped to fire a superb strike through the posts from just inside the Welsh half.
It was a cautious opening quarter from both sides and this pattern continued throughout the game, with some aimless kicking and the lack of clean line-breaks making this a poor spectacle. All four wingers were starved of possession.
Beck was whistled up for an offside, on 12 minutes, after a charging run through the middle from Shane Gahan, who almost got his offload away out of a tackle.
Burke made no mistake, kicking sweetly from the right to move Allen Clarke’s side into a 6-3 lead.
Matthew Healy, the Irish scrum half, was operating well at this stage behind a hard-working pack, in which Ciaran and Rhys Ruddock, the sons of former Welsh Grand Slam-winning coach Mike Ruddock, were obviously determined to impress.
Mike and his family were in the stands, possibly with split loyalties, but his Dublin-born wife Bernadette was most definitely behind the boys in green.
A harsh penalty on Irish prop Adam Macklin, on the quarter-hour, gave Tovey a chance to restore parity but he pulled his kick away to the right of the posts.
Referee Greg Garner was keeping a tight grip on affairs. It was a sporting game and there was very little in the way of foul play, although on the odd occasion, Rhys Ruddock was afforded a ‘warm’ welcome back to Wales by some of his former team-mates.
Tovey made it 6-6 when Jack McGrath was penalised for his binding at a scrum, but a defensive offside, just three minutes later, gave Burke the chance to put the visitors back in front – he duly did, squeezing his kick inside the left-hand post.
As the half wore on and neither defence was giving way, it became clear that place-kicks may decide the outcome.
The pressure increased and the kickers missed three shots at the posts between them as the half came to a close. After some very good picking and driving from O’Mahony, Dominic Ryan and James Sandford, Burke pushed a 29th-minute penalty to the left.
Ryan was then whistled up for going off his feet at a ruck, only for Tovey to hit his penalty off an upright. Ireland recovered and got back into the Welsh 22 in injury-time, winning another penalty which Burke unfortunately sent across the posts for right to left.
Leading 9-6 at the break and enjoying a decent share of possession and territory, Clarke’s charges would have been reasonably happy with their lot.
But Wales came out with renewed enthusiasm and energy on the restart with lock James King making a barnstorming run. Their scrum half Tavis Knoyle, the eventual man-of-the-match, pressed and made good ground on the counter but Ireland were rarely stretched.
When under pressure in their 22, Ireland’s well-oiled lineout did the business – with Thomas Sexton’s accurate throwing being gobbled up by O’Mahony, Sandford and Ciaran Ruddock – and Burke and Madigan kept the kicking errors to the minimum.
Wales, on the other hand, made a couple of mistakes when kicking straight into touch after the ball have been passed back into their 22 but frustratingly, despite some decent driving, Ireland could never take full advantage.
Burke had the distance but not the accuracy when presented with a 46th-minute penalty, after the Irish had weathered that early storm.
Madigan missed a subsequent drop goal and Wales, coming up to the hour mark, began to find favour with the referee.
Knoyle made a scampering break after gathering a chip kick from Ronan O’Mahony, getting Wales within scoring range. However, out-half David Langdon, kicking for the injured Tovey, hit the woodwork with two quick-fire penalty attempts.
Wales’ luck was definitely not in. Ireland failed to hold a bouncing ball, with O’Mahony and Burke under pressure, and it took a superb tackle from replacement prop Paddy McAllister to shunt Langdon over the touchline as he tried to ground the ball in the left corner.
Video evidence showed Loxton’s left foot was in touch and Ireland survived what was the closest either side got to a try.
Clarke raided his bench for the closing stages, sending on Noel Reid at full-back (Madigan made the switch back to out-half), Mark Flanagan in the second row and Conor Murray at scrum half.
The Irish pack showed great control as they barged forward, picking and driving and bringing play up to 12 metres out from the Welsh whitewash.
Rhys Ruddock and the tireless Ryan and O’Mahony were central to the attack but Sandford got isolated and the ball was knocked on.
Play swung between the 22-metre lines as the minutes ticked by. With Burke now on the bench, Madigan took over the kicking duties and he pulled a 64th-minute penalty attempt to the left as he looked to strengthen Ireland’s slender lead.
Wales did look dangerous at times, particularly when they moved the ball wide. Nonetheless, time and again, the Irish tackles came in and it is this defensive durability, allied to a strong set piece, which has stood Clarke’s side in such good stead during the Championship.
They showed composure when they needed it most, in the final minutes, and defended their 22 manfully. The likes of McGrath, Sexton and Sheridan deserve special mention for the hits they put in.
With seconds left in the game, a disciplined Ireland won a relieving penalty close to their 22. They tapped the penalty, ran down the clock and kicked the ball dead soon after to start the celebrations of their fourth win of the campaign and cap an encouraging few weeks for the squad.
So Clarke, his management team and the players will have solid foundations to build on as they look forward to making their mark on the IRB Junior World Championship in Japan in June.
WALES U-20: Jason Tovey (Dragons); James Loxton (Blues Academy/Glamorgan Wanderers), Scott Williams (Scarlets Academy/Llanelli), Ashley Beck (Ospreys/Aberavon), Nick Reynolds (Llanelli); David Langdon (Dragons Academy/Ebbw Vale), Tavis Knoyle (Neath); Aaron Coundley (Dragons Academy/Ebbw Vale), Rhys Williams (Blues Academy/Pontypridd), Scott Andrews (Blues Academy/Glamorgan Wanderers), James King (Ospreys Academy/Aberavon), Ashley Sweet (Dragons Academy/Cross Keys), James Thomas (Dragons Academy/Ebbw Vale), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys Academy/Aberavon) (capt), Rory Pitman (Ospreys Academy/Bridgend).
Replacements: Craig Attwell (Dragons Academy/Newbridge), Simon Gardiner (Scarlets Academy/Llanelli), Rhys Jenkins (Dragons Academy/Ebbw Vale), Josh Navidi (Blues Academy/Glamorgan Wanderers), James Leadbeater (Cross Keys), Rhys Downes (Blues Academy/Pontypridd), Matthew Jarvis (Ospreys Academy/Neath).
IRELAND U-20: Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster); Ronan O’Mahony (Garryowen/Munster), Shane Gahan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Eamonn Sheridan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Michael Keating (Clontarf/Leinster); Andrew Burke (Garryowen/Munster), Matthew Healy (Lansdowne/Leinster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Thomas Sexton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Adam Macklin (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Ciaran Ruddock (Neath/Exiles), James Sandford (Queens University/Ulster), Rhys Ruddock (Millfield School/Exiles), Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt)
Replacements used: Ian McKinley (UCD/Leinster) for Gahan (49 mins), Paddy McAllister (Ballynahinch/Ulster) for Macklin (55), Noel Reid (UCD/Leinster) for Burke (58), Mark Flanagan (UCD/Leinster) for Sandford (61), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) for Healy (66). Not used: David McGregor (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Michael Noone (Seapoint/Leinster).
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
This website uses cookies.
Read More