Murphy The Match Winner As Impressive Ireland U-20s Overcome France

The Ireland Under-20s (sponsored by PwC) completed a famous double for Irish Rugby on French soil with a momentum-building 37-31 bonus point win over France in Aix-en-Provence.

UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1:

Saturday, February 3 –

FRANCE UNDER-20s 31 IRELAND UNDER-20s 37, Stade Maurice David
Scorers: France: Tries: Mathis Castro-Ferreira 2, Patrick Tuifua, Maël Perrin; Cons: Tom Raffy 4; Pen: Tom Raffy
Ireland: Tries: Danny Sheahan, Brian Gleeson, Hugh Gavin, Finn Treacy; Cons: Jack Murphy 4; Pens: Jack Murphy 3
HT: France 14 Ireland 17

Out-half Jack Murphy kicked two closing penalties to decide this enthralling eight-try encounter, on a night when player-of-the-match Hugh Gavin and fellow try scorer Brian Gleeson picked up from where they left off from last season.

Danny Sheahan and Gleeson swapped tries with France captain Mathis Castro-Ferreira, who bagged a first half brace, before a late Murphy penalty had Ireland leading 17-14 at half-time.

Cancelling out a Patrick Tuifua effort, Gavin scored while France’s Grégoire Arfeuil was in the sin bin. Les Bleuets twice got back on level terms, with Finn Treacy and Maël Perrin exchanging bonus point tries during the final quarter.

However, it was the defending U-20 Six Nations champions who prevailed thanks to the unerring goal-kicking of their new number 10, who finished out his first U-20 appearance with 17 points from seven successful kicks.

Ireland captain Evan O’Connell was one of five returning players from last year, while head coach Richie Murphy handed debuts to 16 players, including his youngest son Jack, as they posted a record away victory over France at this level.

Coming on the back of Friday night’s historic result in Marseille, this is the first time that the Ireland senior and U-20 Men’s teams have both beaten France away in the same Six Nations campaign. The U-20s’ only previous away successes in this fixture were in 2012 and 2022.

Two years ago, also on Stade Maurice David’s all-weather pitch, Charlie Tector converted Ben Brownlee’s late try to take a tight 17-16 verdict. This time around, Ireland tallied up the joint-most tries and points they have ever scored against France in an U-20 Six Nations game.

Murphy’s young guns return to their Cork fortress to face Italy next Friday (kick-off 7.15pm) in the first of their three home matches at Virgin Media Park. The Italians lost 36-11 to England in the opening round. Tickets are available to buy here from Ticketmaster.ie.

The French squad contained five players who were involved in last summer’s 50-14 World Rugby U-20 Championship final win over Ireland, including number 8 Castro-Ferreira and loosehead prop Lino Julien.

A Bryn Ward turnover was part of some solid early Irish defence, and two penalties allowed Jack Murphy to plunge the visitors deep inside the French 22. A well-executed lineout drive propelled Sheahan over the line with just four minutes gone.

Murphy’s crisp conversion from the right made it the full seven points, and Ulster’s Joe Hopes continued to impress in the lineout when stealing a French throw. However, the home backs soon showed how dangerous they can be.

La Rochelle’s Hoani Bosmorin tore down the left wing, putting Ireland right back on their own line, before Castro-Ferreira burrowed over just a couple of phases later. Tom Raffy nailed the conversion to make it seven points apiece.

Ireland centres Gavin and Wilhelm de Klerk stood up well to the next blue wave, as did Hugo McLaughlin who claimed and marked a crucial high ball, under pressure from both Arfeuil and Bosmorin.

Léo Carbonneau almost profited from a Tuifua break, and Ireland countered brilliantly on the 20-minute mark. A dummying Gavin broke from deep and linked with Ben O’Connor who was brought down just metres short by Bosmorin’s try-saving tackle.

The Cork native, who injured himself and had to be replaced, had McLaughlin on his outside but backed himself to make it. Although the Lansdowne winger did touch down the loose ball, O’Connor’s knock-on on the ground gave France a scrum.

Nonetheless, Gavin, de Klerk, and Ward combined in a choke tackle to force a turnover close to the French posts. 18-year-old lock Alan Spicer and Gavin were both narrowly denied, either side of a tap penalty, before Gleeson drove over from a ruck in the 24th minute.

Murphy’s ultra-reliable right boot opened up a 14-7 lead, and despite more strong defence from the Irish centres, France got their tails up through a couple of penalties. Oliver Coffey brought down Barnabé Massa off a maul, but les Bleuets’ persistence duly paid off.

With Ireland’s scrum under pressure five minutes before the break, Castro-Ferreira carried off the back and twisted his way over the whitewash for Raffy to convert, bringing the teams level again.

The U-20 Six Nations title holders did take a narrow lead back to the dressing room, though, as Gavin, Gleeson, and Ward all carried forcefully, and a late penalty – from just inside France’s 10-metre line – was sweetly struck by Murphy.

The hosts began the second half in purposeful fashion, with replacement Ethan Graham needing to react quickly to deny Mathis Ferté a try. Minus the injured Andrew Sparrow, Ireland could not prevent Tuifua from scoring off a five-metre tap penalty.

Following Raffy’s conversion for a 21-17 scoreline, Murphy’s charges built momentum through their carries. With a promising overlap developing, Arfeuil saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on and Ireland immediately made him pay.

Armed with a penalty advantage off another well-driven maul, they worked the ball infield towards the posts and quick ruck ball allowed Coffey to fizz a pass out for Gavin to crash over from close range. Murphy tagged on the extras with 53 minutes on the clock.

The tit-for-tat exchanges saw Gleeson rip the ball away in a tackle before Joé Quere Karaba pinched an Irish lineout. Scrum half Coffey made an important tap tackle on Tuifua as France threatened a breakout near the hour mark.

Gleeson’s breakdown work went unrewarded in the 64th minute, allowing Raffy to land a levelling penalty. Crucially though, Ireland replied inside two minutes. A French pass went to ground, Murphy hacked through and winger Treacy got to the ball ahead of Maxence Biasotto, dribbling through to score.

Bouncing back from an O’Connell lineout steal, France came with another surge. Quere Karaba offloaded out of a tackle for fellow replacement Perrin to barge over to the left of the posts. Raffy’s conversion made it 31-all with just over six minutes remaining.

However, the tireless Gavin drew a high tackle from Léo Ametlla, setting up Murphy to coolly kick Ireland back in front from just inside France’s 10-metre line.

A key Gleeson turnover launched his team-mates forward again, with replacements Billy Corrigan, Luke Murphy, Jacob Boyd, and Ben Howard all prominent in an attack that reached the French 22. A final close-in strike from Jack Murphy sealed the deal.

TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Ireland try: Danny Sheahan – 0-5; conversion: Jack Murphy – 0-7; 11 mins – France try: Mathis Castro-Ferreira – 5-7; conversion: Tom Raffy – 7-7; 24 mins – Ireland try: Brian Gleeson – 7-12; conversion: Jack Murphy – 7-14; 35 mins – France try: Mathis Castro-Ferreira – 12-14; conversion: Tom Raffy – 14-14; 40 mins – Ireland penalty: Jack Murphy – 14-17; Half-time – France 14 Ireland 17; 46 mins – France try: Patrick Tuifua – 19-17; conversion: Tom Raffy – 21-17; 49 mins – France yellow card: Grégoire Arfeuil; 51 mins – Ireland try: Hugh Gavin – 21-22; conversion: Jack Murphy – 21-24; 64 mins – France penalty: Tom Raffy – 24-24; 67 mins – Ireland try: Finn Treacy – 24-29; conversion: Jack Murphy – 24-31; 72 mins – France try: Maël Perrin – 29-31; conversion: Tom Raffy – 31-31; 76 mins – Ireland penalty: Jack Murphy – 31-34; 80 mins – Ireland penalty: Jack Murphy – 31-37; Full-time – France 31 Ireland 37

FRANCE U-20: Mathis Ferté (CA Brive); Grégoire Arfeuil (Section Paloise), Robin Taccola (RC Vannes), Axel Desperes (Section Paloise), Hoani Bosmorin (Stade Rochelais); Tom Raffy (CA Brive), Léo Carbonneau (CA Brive); Lino Julien (Racing 92), Barnabé Massa (FC Grenoble), Zinedine Aoaud (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Charly Gambini (Provence Rugby), Corentin Mézou (RC Toulon), Noa Zinzen (Racing 92), Patrick Tuifua (Hawke’s Bay Magpies), Mathis Castro-Ferreira (Stade Toulousain) (capt).

Replacements used: Antonin Corso (Oyonnax Rugby) for Gambini (47 mins), Joé Quere Karaba (RC Toulon) for Zinzen (48), Léo Ametlla (RC Toulon) for Julien (52), Robin Couly (ASM Clermont Auvergne) for Massa, Maxence Biasotto (CA Brive) for Arfeuil (both 62), Thomas Duchene (ASM Clermont Auvergne) for Aoaud (63), Noah Nene (Stade Français) for Bosmorin (65), Maël Perrin (Montpellier HR) for Castro-Ferreira (69).

IRELAND U-20: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster); Finn Treacy (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Wilhelm de Klerk (UCD RFC/Leinster), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Hugo McLaughlin (Lansdowne FC/Leinster); Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Oliver Coffey (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster); Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster), Andrew Sparrow (UCD RFC/Leinster), Alan Spicer (UCD RFC/Leinster), Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) (capt), Joe Hopes (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Bryn Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster).

Replacements used: Ethan Graham (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) for O’Connor (22-33 mins, half-time), Jacob Boyd (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for Sparrow (45), Luke Murphy (Shannon RFC/Munster) for Spicer (59), Henry Walker (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for Sheahan (62), Ben Howard (Terenure College RFC/Leinster) for Usanov (68), Billy Corrigan (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster) for Ward (74). Not used: Tadhg Brophy (Naas RFC/Leinster), Sean Naughton (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht).

Referee: Morne Ferreira (South Africa)