Murphy’s Young Guns Make It A Senior And Under-20 Grand Slam Double

Irish Rugby is celebrating a historic Six Nations senior and Under-20 double after the Ireland U-20s (sponsored by PwC) saw off England’s challenge with a well-earned 36-24 bonus point victory in Cork.

UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 5:

Sunday, March 19 –

IRELAND UNDER-20s 36 ENGLAND UNDER-20s 24, Musgrave Park
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Hugh Gavin 2, Brian Gleeson 2, George Hadden, Fintan Gunne; Cons: Sam Prendergast 3
England: Tries: Tobias Elliott 2, Joe Jenkins; Cons: Sam Harris, Sam Worsley 2; Pen: Sam Harris
HT: Ireland 12 England 7

A capacity Musgrave Park crowd watched Ireland punish Monty Bradbury’s 52nd-minute red card – he upended Henry McErlean in a dangerous tackle – as Fintan Gunne’s try, with two minutes remaining, sealed a clean sweep for Richie Murphy’s side.

Ireland are the first team to win back-to-back Grand Slams at this level, while it is their third U-20 Six Nations title since 2019. Diarmuid Mangan, Conor O’Tighearnaigh and James McNabney were also Grand Slam winners last season.

Tries from Hugh Gavin (3 minutes) and player-of-the-match Brian Gleeson (26) sandwiched a Tobias Elliott effort as Ireland worked hard for a 12-7 half-time, the wet and windy weather having an impact.

England captain Lewis Chessum almost gave his side a dream start to the second half, but their discipline let them down with a yellow card for Elliott quickly followed by Bradbury’s dismissal.

Superbly marshalled by Gus McCarthy, Ireland opened up a 31-10 lead as Gleeson and Gavin added to a George Hadden try. 14-man England rallied with converted scores from replacement Joe Jenkins and Elliott.

However, Murphy’s charges closed out a memorable Championship run with Gunne sniping over from a ruck. The result means Ireland are the first nation to win a senior and underage Grand Slam double since Wales (senior and U-21 teams) in 2005.

Sam Prendergast’s kick-off put England under immediate pressure, a subsequent lineout allowing the Irish forwards to carry up close. John Devine and Prendergast combined, the latter’s long skip pass putting Gavin over in the left corner.

Following Prendergast’s missed conversion, O’Tighearnaigh and Paddy McCarthy’s choke tackle on Danny Eite won back possession for Ireland. A blistering six-man break deserved a try but Joseph Woodward denied Gunne with a last-ditch challenge.

The hosts remained on the front foot, James Nicholson’s chip kick forcing Cassius Cleaves back to touch down behind the English try-line. Yet, a couple of penalties allowed England’s forwards to press off close-in lineout maul.

A crisp passing move infield saw out-half Bradbury send winger Elliott in under the posts. Sam Harris’ conversion edged the visitors in front but he miscued a 23rd-minute penalty as an Irish offside went unpunished.

Although Ireland skipper McCarthy’s turnover penalty was spoiled by a overcooked kick from Prendergast, the back-three led a superb kick chase. The resulting penalty was pinged into the left corner and a barnstorming maul landed Gleeson over the whitewash.

Prendergast’s well-struck conversion from out wide restored the five-point advantage (12-7), both sides mounting big defensive shifts to avoid any further concessions before the interval.

Paddy and Gus McCarthy had some key involvements both in contact and at the breakdown, while big winger Gavin continued to impress out wide, making one notable surge downfield and also sidestepping into space to launch a late kick chase.

Ireland were kicking themselves, though, as a maul opportunity – in a similar position to their second try – was foiled by a Chessum lineout steal. England also blew a promising attack when Greg Fisilau spilled a pass.

Ireland had a big let-off at the start of the second half, with the 6ft 7in Chessum narrowly knocking on as a TMO review ruled out his try from a charge-down on Gunne.

England let a maul chance slip through their grasp due to obstruction, and then Afolabi Fasogbon’s high tackle on Gunne allowed Ireland to advance. A further choke tackle, with half-backs Prendergast and Gunne right in the thick of it, kept the momentum with the hosts.

Cheesum came to his team’s rescue by pinching back a lineout five metres out, but the Irish maul did damage from further out before prop Hadden brilliantly burrowed over with McNabney on the latch. Prendergast slid the conversion just wide.

England were down to 14 men at that stage due to Elliott’s sin-binning for a deliberate knock-on, and when the fast-breaking McErlean was flipped through the horizontal in a poor attempt at a tackle, Bradbury received a red card.

Ireland took full advantage, Ruadhán Quinn crashing up in midfield off a lineout and Gunne sniping up to five metres out. Replacement Andrew Osborne’s excellent pick-up kept the attack going and Gleeson was able to spin and score from a subsequent ruck, with Prendergast converting.

Harris pulled back three points from a close-range penalty, only for Ireland to ramp it up again in attack. Osborne and Devine running hard, Gunne threatening from a McNabney turnover before Prendergast’s cross-field kick bounced up for Gavin to complete his brace.

Prendergast added the extras with a classy strike from the tee, the pace of the game finally taking a dip past the hour mark. An obstruction call against Hadden ruined an Irish maul, while another knock-on halted England just as they gained ground out wide.

England’s bench brought some energy to their attack, Jenkins slipping in under the posts from a well-timed Rekeiti Ma’asi-White pass. Sam Worsley drop-kicked the conversion as the margin was cut to 14 points.

They made it a tougher finish for Ireland with a further spell of phase-building seeing replacement Worsley loop a pass wide for Elliott to double his try tally. Worsley tagged on a terrific conversion from far out.

The hosts needed to respond and they did in fine style, Osborne’s hard work from the restart setting the wheels in motion for a sixth try. The forwards began to make metres again with their carries, taking up prime position.

Gunne’s arrowing run from a ruck saw him deservedly get on the scoresheet, his pace off the mark beating Chandler Cunningham-South’s reach and the influential scrum half got the grounding despite two covering defenders.

Ulster Academy lock Joe Hopes was introduced for his U-20 debut during the closing stages, their rewarding spring campaign putting Ireland in good stead ahead of the summer’s World Rugby U-20 Championship in South Africa where England are among their pool opponents.

TIME LINE: 3 minutes – Ireland try: Hugh Gavin – 5-0; conversion: missed by Sam Prendergast – 5-0; 15 mins – England try: Tobias Elliott – 5-5; conversion: Sam Harris – 5-7; 23 mins – England penalty: missed by Sam Harris – 5-7; 26 mins – Ireland try: Brian Gleeson – 10-7; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 12-7; Half-time – Ireland 12 England 7; 48 mins – England yellow card: Tobias Elliott; 50 mins – Ireland try: George Hadden – 17-7; conversion: missed by Sam Prendergast – 17-7; 52 mins – England red card: Monty Bradbury; 53 mins – Ireland try: Brian Gleeson – 22-7; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 24-7; 57 mins – England penalty: Sam Harris – 24-10; 58 mins – Ireland try: Hugh Gavin – 29-10; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 31-10; 70 mins – England try: Joe Jenkins – 31-15; conversion: Sam Worsley – 31-17; 75 mins – England try: Tobias Elliott – 31-22; conversion: Sam Worsley – 31-24; 78 mins – Ireland try: Fintan Gunne – 36-24; conversion: missed by Sam Prendergast – 36-24; Full-time – Ireland 36 England 24

IRELAND U-20: Henry McErlean (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); James Nicholson (UCD RFC/Leinster), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster), John Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); George Hadden (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster) (capt), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Ruadhán Quinn (Old Crescent RFC/Munster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster).

Replacements used: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster) for McErlean (52-60 mins), Osborne for Nicholas (60), Liam Molony (Dublin University FC/Leinster) for Quinn (62), George Morris (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) for Hadden, Fiachna Barrett (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht) for P McCarthy (both 67), Joe Hopes (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for Mangan, Harry West (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht) for Devine (both 70), Oscar Cawley (Naas RFC/Leinster) for Gunne, Danny Sheahan (UCC RFC/Munster) for G McCarthy (both 78).

ENGLAND U-20: Sam Harris (Bath); Cassius Cleaves (Harlequins), Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Sale Sharks), Joseph Woodward (Leicester Tigers), Tobias Elliott (Saracens); Monty Bradbury (London Irish), Charlie Bracken (Saracens); Archie McArthur (Gloucester), Finn Theobald-Thomas (Gloucester), Afolabi Fasogbon (London Irish), Danny Eite (Gloucester), Lewis Chessum (Leicester Tigers) (capt), Finn Carnduff (Leicester Tigers), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Chandler Cunningham-South (London Irish).

Replacements used: Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks) for McArthur, Tim Hoyt (Leicester Tigers) for Fasogbon (both 54 mins), Joe Jenkins (Bristol Bears) for Ma’asi-White (56), Tristan Woodman (Sale Sharks) for Carnduff (60), Nathan Jibulu (Harlequins) for Theobald-Thomas, Nye Thomas (Sale Sharks) for Bracken, Robert Carmichael (Leicester Tigers) for Eite, Sam Worsley (Bristol Bears) for Harris, Ma’asi-White for Woodward (all 67), McArthur for Opoku-Fordjour (79).

Referee: Adriaan Jacobs (South Africa)