Prendergast’s Late Heroics See Ireland U-20s Edge Out England

Sam Prendergast’s monster late penalty saw the Ireland Under-20s pick up a memorable first U-20 Six Nations Summer Series win in Verona as they beat England for the second time this season.

UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS SUMMER SERIES POOL A: Tuesday, July 5

IRELAND UNDER-20s 37 ENGLAND UNDER-20s 36, Payanini Rugby Centre
Scorers: Ireland U-20s: Tries: Fionn Gibbons, James McCormick, Penalty try, Lorcan McLoughlin; Cons: Sam Prendergast 3, Pen try con; Pens: Sam Prendergast 3
England U-20s: Tries: George Hendy 2, Alex Harmes, Lewis Chessum, Mikey Summerfield, Iwan Stephens; Cons: Fin Smith 3
HT: Ireland Under-20s 28 England Under-20s 19

Match Photo Gallery: Ireland U-20s 37 England U-20s 36

Highlights & Reaction: Ireland U-20s 37 England U-20s 36

Out-half Prendergast, a year young for this level, showed nerves of steel to hand Ireland a 37-36 victory, with Richie Murphy’s side rewarded for a tenacious four-try performance.

Having conceded two tries inside the opening five minutes, they battled back brilliantly to take a 28-19 half-time lead with Fionn Gibbons, James McCormick and the excellent Lorcan McLoughlin all touching down.

Ireland also squeezed in a penalty try, but England’s strong bench became a factor in the second half as they put together tries from Mikey Summerfield, Iwan Stephens and George Hendy.

Crucially, only one of them was converted as Hendy’s 68th-minute effort saw the English lead 36-34. Ireland had relied on two Prendergast penalties to keep the scoreboard moving in the right direction.

As good as the Irish attack was in registering their bonus point by the 35-minute mark, it was their composure that made the difference late on as Prendergast made the most of that all-important penalty from just inside halfway.

The result was not enough for Murphy’s charges to avoid finishing bottom of Pool A – they will face either Georgia or Scotland in next Tuesday’s play-offs – but it does mark only the second time that Ireland have defeated England twice in the same U-20 campaign.

The 2019 Grand Slam-winning team achieved the feat at Musgrave Park and during that year’s World Rugby U-20 Championship in Argentina, aided by current senior internationals Craig Casey, Harry Byrne and Ryan Baird.

It was a tough start to the Summer Series for injury-hit Ireland, losing to both France (42-21) and South Africa (33-24), and full-back Hendy’s try gave England an early advantage in tonight’s clash.

The English backs put him over from close range, replying to a promising Irish start that had seen Dylan O’Grady making headway. Fin Smith converted and also added the extras to an Alex Harmes score to quickly make it 14-0.

England captain Emeka Ilione had done well to gobble up Patrick Campbell’s attempted chip over the top, bringing play up to the Irish 22 before the ball was worked wide for debutant winger Harmes to finish off.

Undaunted, Ireland captain Reuben Crothers led an initial break and then a few minutes later, number 8 McLoughlin beat two defenders with a sidestep and his strength as he charged through to send Gibbons in behind the posts.

England’s lead was completely wiped out by the 16th minute, centre Gibbons doing well to deny Hendy before full-back Campbell fought to retain possession from a Prendergast garryowen.

With the forwards now putting phases together, hooker McCormick soon crossed from close range after good work from Conor O’Tighearnaigh off a lineout and a short pass from the newly-introduced Andrew O’Mahony.

Prendergast supplied his second conversion in humid conditions to draw Ireland level, and as England attempted to hit back, McLoughlin caught Hendy with an important tackle to foil a fast-paced attack.

A pinpoint 50:22 kick from Prendergast brought play back into the English 22, and following good metres made by Diarmuid Mangan and McCormick, the out-half scooped a long pass out for Dylan O’Grady to dart towards the left corner.

The UCD flyer absorbed a tackle from Stephens but was hit with a high shot from centre Rekeiti Ma’asi-White as he attempted to ground the ball. Following a TMO review, referee Federico Vedovelli produced his yellow card and awarded a penalty try.

Despite Ireland then winning a scrum against the head, 14-man England exerted some territorial pressure and Lewis Chessum charged down an O’Mahony box kick to reduce the arrears to 21-19.

However, within a few minutes, a smart one-two between McCormick and Crothers at a lineout put Ireland on course for their bonus point try. Scott Wilson drove up to the line and McLoughlin was able to power over from the ruck.

Prendergast slotted over a superb conversion from the left, giving Ireland a nine-point buffer at the break. It might have been more, but England scrambled to bring down replacement George Coomber after McLoughlin had reacted quickest to a blocked kick.

Some nice passing from Prendergast and Campbell saw Ireland make inroads early on the restart. Aitzol King came more into the game as a running threat, and an offside decision allowed Prendergast to make it 31-19.

England’s play improved approaching the hour mark, Ireland being pinned back by a couple of penalties and replacement prop Summerfield charged over from lineout maul for Smith to convert.

It was two tries in the space of five minutes as, following a penalty miss from Prendergast, English winger Stephens used a long skip pass from Smith to dive over in the right corner.

Smith was unable to convert from the touchline and it was all-square for only a brief spell, good defensive pressure from Ireland earning them a scrum and then a subsequent offside was punished by Prendergast for a 34-31 scoreline.

Nonetheless, another penalty landed Ireland back in their own 22 and off the subsequent maul, Smith fired a cross-field kick over to the left for Hendy to complete his brace.

Crucially, the conversion from replacement Sam Harris hit the post so the gap stayed at just two points. England also paid the price for turning down points a few minutes later, their decision to go for the corner backfiring due to a crooked throw.

Campbell ran hard to win back some yards, this time it was England’s turn to be whistled up for back-to-back penalties, the latter one bravely taken on by Prendergast who nailed his kick with just two minutes remaining.

England came with another surge, a penalty leading to a maul but Ireland did well to defend it and Crothers, a real driving force for his team, and replacement Charlie Irvine combined to force a knock-on and the sweet sound of the final whistle.

TIME LINE: 3 minutes – England try: George Hendy – 0-5; conversion: Fin Smith – 0-7; 5 mins – England try: Alex Harmes – 0-12; conversion: Fin Smith – 0-14; 9 mins – Ireland try: Fionn Gibbons – 5-14; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 7-14; 16 mins – Ireland try: James McCormick – 12-14; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 14-14; 22 mins – Ireland penalty try & conversion – 21-14; England yellow card: Rekeiti Ma’asi-White; 31 mins – England try: Lewis Chessum – 21-19; conversion: missed by Fin Smith – 21-19; 35 mins – Ireland try: Lorcan McLoughlin – 26-19; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 28-19; Half-time – Ireland 28 England 19; 46 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 31-19; 53 mins – England try: Mikey Summerfield – 31-24; conversion: Fin Smith – 31-26; 56 mins – Ireland penalty: missed by Sam Prendergast – 31-26; 58 mins – England try: Iwan Stephens – 31-31; conversion: missed by Fin Smith – 31-31; 64 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 34-31; 68 mins – England try: George Hendy – 34-36; conversion: missed by Sam Harris – 34-36; 78 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 37-36; Full-time – Ireland 37 England 36

IRELAND U-20: Patrick Campbell (Young Munster RFC/Munster); Aitzol King (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Fionn Gibbons (UCD RFC/Leinster), Daniel Hawkshaw (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Dylan O’Grady (UCD RFC/Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster); George Hadden (Gorey RFC/Clontarf FC/Leinster), James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), Adam McNamee (Malone RFC/Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Reuben Crothers (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) (capt), Lorcan McLoughlin (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster).

Replacements used: Andrew O’Mahony (UCC RFC/Munster) for Coughlan (15 mins), George Coomber (UCC RFC/Munster) for O’Grady (25), Darragh McSweeney (Shannon RFC/Munster) for Wilson (49), Kieran Ryan (Shannon RFC/Munster) for Hadden (54), Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for O’Tighearnaigh (65), Ronan O’Sullivan (Highfield RFC/Munster) for Mangan (72), Shay McCarthy (Young Munster RFC/Munster) for Campbell (76). Not used: Dominic Rhys Heys (Gloucester Hartpury Rugby/IQ Rugby), Reece Malone (Loughborough University/Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), George Shaw (Cardiff University/IQ Rugby).

ENGLAND U-20: George Hendy (Northampton Saints); Iwan Stephens (Newcastle Falcons), Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Wasps), Ethan Grayson (Northampton Saints), Alex Harmes (London Irish); Fin Smith (Worcester Warriors), Charlie Bracken (Saracens); Tumy Onasanya (Sale Sharks), Ollie Fletcher (Newcastle Falcons), Jevaughn Warren (Saracens), Ewan Richards (Bath), Lewis Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Ethan Staddon (Bath), Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers) (capt), Toby Knight (Saracens).

Replacements used: Chandler Cunningham-South (London Irish) for Knight, Mikey Summerfield (London Irish) for Warren (both half-time), Lucas Brooke (London Irish) for Staddon, John Stewart (Bath) for Fletcher, Tom Litchfield (Northampton Saints) for Ma’asi-White (all 49 mins), Archie McArthur (Wasps) for Onasanya, Tom Carr-Smith (Bath) for Bracken (both 54), Sam Harris (Bath) for Harmes (65), Charlie Rice (Bristol Bears) for Edwards (67), Greg Fisilau (Wasps) for Ilione (74). Not used: Jed Walsh (Leicester Tigers).

Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)