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Irish Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ireland Under-20s finish World Championship campaign with narrow win over Spain
Under-20 World Championship: Ireland 38 Spain 37 Ireland brought their Under-20 World Championship campaign to an end with a fortuitous 38-37 victory over Spain to finish 11th of 12 teams in the tournament. It took a 79th-minute try from hooker Henry Walker, his second of the game, to rescue the win after their opponents looked like pulling off a shock victory. Neil Doak's side had led 14-0, with tries from centre Jonny Scott and wing Charlie Molony, but Spain reduced the deficit to 26-15 by half-time, Scott grabbing a second try while the rest of Ireland's points came through the boot of outhalf Tom Wood. Spain, with several players who play their club rugby at Toulouse, rattled off 10 points in the first five minutes after the interval and added a further two tries between the 58th and 61st minutes. Walker scored his first try seven minutes into the second half to push Ireland out to a 37-33 lead. READ MORE Spain lost Daniel Chico to a yellow card which was upgraded to red, reducing them to 14 men for the last 15 minutes. Ireland huffed and puffed and had a try disallowed before Walker plunged over the try line at the back of a rolling maul to deny the Spaniards a victory. Next year's Under-20 World Championship will take place in Georgia with the tournament expanded to 16 teams with the addition of Fiji, Uruguay, the USA and Japan.
Irish Examiner
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Late try saves Irish blushes against Spain in World Rugby U20 Championship
World Rugby U20 Championship: Ireland 38 Spain 37 Neil Doak's Ireland managed to avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Calvisano but only by scoring a match-winning try less than two minutes from the end against 14-man Spain. It was a heart-breaking loss for the Spanish but relief for an Ireland side who had already finished bottom of this year's Six Nations having been finalists and semi-finalists in the last two World Rugby U20 Championships in South Africa. The jeopardy had already been removed from this 11th place final in midweek when World Rugby confirmed there would not be any relegation as there will be an expanded 16-team tournament in Georgia next year when Fiji, Japan, Uruguay and the USA will join the dozen who took place this summer in Italy. It was a first ever meeting between these sides in the grade, the 16th country that Ireland have played against at U20 level. But there was one familiar face in the Spanish line-up in lock Liam McNamee, who was born in Valencia, a current University of Galway student who came through the ranks with Carrick-on-Shannon RFC and Sligo Grammar and who played for the Connacht juniors this year. Ireland laid the foundation for victory with two converted tries in the opening eight minutes. Centre Jonny Scott got his first after a good move off a lineout penalty while winger Charlie Molony scored off a scrum move inside the 22, with out-half Tom Wood converting both. But Spain, who had only won one match in their two years in this tournament and who had lost all previous games to European opposition by an average of 25 points, hit back and after scrum-half Nicola Infer kicked a penalty, hooker Pau Massoni got in for a try. Full-back Daniel Green got in for a try after a move off a right-wing lineout penalty at the end of the opening quarter but while they increased their lead through Scott when debutant lock Donnacha McGuire was in the bin when the former Blackrock College player was pinged for a late tackle, Spain struck for a second try when loosehead Alberto Gomez bulldozed over to cut the gap to 26-15 at the interval. Spain cut the gap to the minimum with a converted try from Marcel Carreras and the boot of Infer. Hooker Henry Walker got over off a lineout but was then binned and while he was off Spain hit the front for the first time, with lock Victor Ofgojetu scoring after having one scratched and then when skipper Eanna McCarthy took over the throws in the absence of his hooker, Spain robbed one and scored from halfway from out-half Lucien Richardis, who has made his Top 14 debut for Toulouse, to lead 37-33 with 15 minutes left. Spain were reduced to 14 men a minute later when replacement prop Danny Chico was sent off for a dangerous tackle. Ireland, with scrum-half Chris O'Connor and prop Jack Ryan coming on for their U20 debuts, rallied and seemed set for a shock defeat when Wood had a 73rd minute try ruled out after Scott was pinged on review for a knock-on in the build-up. Ireland came with one final rally and Walker got through to score with less than two minutes remaining when they got the drive off a penalty in the right corner to prevent an embarrassing defeat. Scorers for Ireland: Tries: J Scott (2), H Walker (2), C Molony, D Green. Cons: Wood (4). Scorers for Spain: Tries: P Massoni, A Gomez, M Carreras, V Ofjetu, L Richardis. Cons: N Infer (2), G Otamendi. Pens: Infer (2). IRELAND: D Green; C Molony (P Farrell 56), J Scott (G O'Leary Kareem 75), E Smyth, D Moloney; T Wood, W Wootton (C O'Connor 67); A Usanov (P Moore 60), H Walker, T McAllister (J Ryan 72); D Walsh (B Corrigan 53), D Maguire; M Foy (B Power 23), E McCarthy, O Minogue. SPAIN: B Ortega (Gomez 70-76); J Garreta (G Otamendi 53), O Marsinyac (U Zuriarrain 74), H Pichardia, P Serrano; L Richardis, N Infer; A Gomez (H Gonzalez 49), P Massoni (M Perez 60), G Reyes Rendon (D Chico 65); V Ofojetu, L McNamee (G Gonzalez 63); U Salvador, M Carreras (M Lopez 58), M Pujana Lendinez. Referee: Tomas Bertazza (Argentina).
The 42
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Ireland U20s in danger of wooden spoon after defeat to Scotland
IRELAND U20S suffered a 22-21 loss to Scotland at the World Rugby U20 Championship this evening in Verona, Italy. The defeat means Neil Doak's side need to beat Spain on Saturday to avoid receiving the tournament's wooden spoon. A last-gasp try from hooker Jake Shearer ensured the continuation of a miserable year for Ireland U20s, who previously finished bottom of the Six Nations table. Advertisement The Scots had the better of the first half. Tries from Nairn Moncrieff and Seb Stewart put their side in command, before Henry Walker's score was converted by Sam Wisniewski to get Ireland back in the game. However, Scotland finished the opening period the stronger — Ollie Duncan's try was converted by Matthew Urwin to establish a 17-7 half-time lead. Ireland breathed a sigh of relief that the advantage was not more sizeable, as tries from Ollie Duncan and Hector Patterson were both disallowed. The Irish youngsters then threatened to mount a second-half comeback. Replacement Liam McLaughlin's try, converted by Daniel Green, cut the deficit to three points and set up an exciting finale. Ireland looked like they were going to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat late on, as Paidí Farrell's try saw them take the lead in the game for the first time, with Green adding the conversion. But Shearer's intervention in the final play of the match ensured it would be Scotland to play Georgia for ninth place.
Irish Examiner
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ireland U20 boss Doak makes seven changes for Scotland clash
Ireland under-20s head coach Neil Doak has named his side for Monday's lower-tier clash against Scotland in the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship (Kick-off, 5pm, Payanini Center, Verona). There are seven changes to the starting team that fell 69-22 to New Zealand last Wednesday. The back line sees Clarke Logan, Sam Wisniewski, Gene O'Leary Kareem, Eoghan Smyth and Paidi Farrell start against the U20 Scotland side. Mahon Ronan comes into the second row and Bobby Power joins the back row as Oisin Minogue moves to number eight. Luke McLaughlin, Paddy Moore, Tom McAllister, Billy Corrigan and Eanna McCarthy are the forwards available on the bench, with backs Will Wootton, Jonny Scott and Charlie Molony completing Ireland's 23. Even if Ireland finish bottom — with the loser of their clash with Scotland facing either Georgia or Spain — they are unlikely to be relegated as World Rugby proposes increasing this tournament from 12 to 16 teams in 2026. Ireland: D Green; P Farrell, C Mangan, E Smyth, G O'Leary Kareem; S Wisniewski, C Logan; A Usanov, H Walker - captain, A Mullan; M Ronan, C Kennelly; M Foy, B Power, O Minogue. Replacements: L McLaughlin, P Moore, T McAllister, B Corrigan, E McCarthy, W Wootton, J Scott, C Molony.
Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ireland U20s in wooden spoon battle, but relegation trapdoor may shut
The scale of Ireland's 69-22 hammering by New Zealand on Wednesday evening has meant Neil Doak's side now go into the lower tier to see who finishes bottom of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy. But even if Ireland finish bottom — they play Scotland with the loser facing either Georgia or Spain — they are unlikely to be relegated as World Rugby proposes increasing this tournament from 12 to 16 teams in 2026. Ireland have played in every one of the 15 tournaments since this grade started in 2008, twice finishing runners-up, but they have been in this position before and came close to being relegated to the U20 World Trophy in 2018 with a management team headed by Noel McNamara and which also included current interim senior Ireland coach Paul O'Connell. Back then they were pushed all the way before seeing off Japan 39-33 in the relegation final in Beziers with a side which included current Irish captain Caelan Doris and other future internationals such as Dan Sheehan, Harry Byrne, and a duo, Tommy O'Brien and Jack Aungier, who made their senior bows in Georgia last weekend. That 2018 team finished mid-table with 12 points in that season's Six Nations with wins over Scotland and Italy, while the current crop were bottom this year with just six points and one win over Scotland, a 33-15 victory in Edinburgh. The scale of the loss to New Zealand saw Ireland finish below Wales and Italy on points difference and drop to the third tier of play-off games. They will now face Scotland in Verona on Monday (5pm Irish time) where a win will see them bid for ninth place the following Saturday and a loss will see them in a battle to avoid the wooden spoon of a tournament where they were semi-finalists last year and runners-up the previous season. Captain Éanna McCarthy, who has done extremely well to front up after the losses, said they can take a lot of positives from Wednesday's loss, not least the way they took the game initially to the Junior All Blacks and built a 12-0 lead. 'There are a lot of learnings from that but we can take energy from the first 20 minutes,' said the Connacht academy player from Cork. 'There are not many teams that can do that to an All Blacks side. We can take the learnings and the positives out of it as well."
