Ireland u20 v Scotland u20

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

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http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_20360.php

IRELAND U-20: Andrew Conway (Blackrock College/Leinster); Tiernan O'Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht), Eoin Griffin (Corinthians/Connacht), Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); James McKinney (Queen's University/Ulster), John Cooney (UCD/Leinster); Jack O'Connell (Lansdowne/Leinster), Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Stewart Maguire (Old Belvedere/Leinster), David O'Callaghan (UCC/Munster), Ben Marshall (UCD/Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Patrick Butler (Shannon/Munster).

Replacements: Risteard Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Bryan Cagney (UCC/Munster), Brian Hayes (Cork Constitution/Munster), Robin O'Sullivan (Bective Rangers/Leinster), Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Gareth Quinn McDonogh (Shannon/Munster), Brendan Macken (Blackrock/Leinster).

SCOTLAND U-20: Tom Brown (Edinburgh Accies); Oliver Grove (Worcester Warriors), James Johnstone (Currie), Alex Dunbar (Selkirk), Dougie Fife (Currie); Alex Blair (Edinburgh Accies), Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie); Nicky Little (Hawick), Alun Walker (Currie), Colin Phillips (Stewart's Melville), Matthew Reid (Heriot's), Robert Harley (West of Scotland), Michael Maltman (Heriot's), David Denton (Edinburgh Accies), Stuart McInally (Watsonians) (capt).

Replacements: Lindsey Gibson (Melrose), George Hunter (Glasgow Hawks), Aaron Hall (Newcastle Falcons), Callum Stidston-Nott (London Scottish), Kris Hamilton (Caithness), Matthew Scott (Currie), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Hawks).[/b]

Ireland are chasing the ***le, leading England by 17 on points difference. Last season Scotland were the only team to defeat Ireland in the tournament so some sort of revenge is on the agenda. In the u18 test between these sides two years ago, Scotland won by 25-11. Nine of the Scotland players that day start tonight as do seven of the Ireland team.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Half time and 30-9 to Ireland. It's been an outstanding performance. The scrum and lineout are dominating while it's refreshing to see an Ireland team attack from everywhere. Nevin Spence has scored two tries and made a couple more searing breaks. Andrew Conway with the other try, popping up on Eoin Griffin's shoulder for a simple run in. Hopefully they keep it up in the second half and don't fall asleep as they did last week versus Wales.

 

[Jockstap]

Half time Ireland 30 - 9 Scotland. The scrum is going really well, very encouraging for the future. This Irish team really should have won the Grandslam.

 

[bristol-iain]

Looks good for Ireland, a quality youth set-up which most sides in the 6N don't have. Most have a few but Ireland seem to have most of a teams worth

 

[MunsterMan]

Irish backs letting rip a bit, loads of talent there. Griffin in for Macken is making a difference too, for all the hype about Macken, he is just a bosh merchant really.

 

[MunsterMan]

Serious talent among the Irish backs, as well as th backrow. DOC (another one!) in the second row is outstanding as well. Let a GS slip this year

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

That was a hugely impressive win. 44-15 in the end and it could have been more.

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Irish backs letting rip a bit, loads of talent there. Griffin in for Macken is making a difference too, for all the hype about Macken, he is just a bosh merchant really.[/b]

The entire backline were superb. Cooney got the ball away quickly from scrumhalf, McKinney timed his passes exceptionally well and was very quick to support the centres, Spence was pacy and powerful, Griffin stepped and offloaded with aplomb, Zebo and O'Halloran were electric while Conway provided some touches of class and got on the end of a couple of try scoring moves.

As for Macken, he had three touches of the ball - the first he was turned over, the second saw him pinged for holding on and the third was a knock on. He came into the tournament hyped up and didn't really deliver on the promise. I wouldn't write him off as a bosh merchant though. I saw him play plenty for Rock and Ireland schools and he does have a strong all round game. He can run brilliant support lines from outside centre and offloads very competently. He's 18 and has another year at u20 level. If he learns from his travails in this years tournament and sheds some of his "bulk", he has a big future.

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Let a GS slip this year[/b]

It's disappointing but not the end of the world. What's more important is how individuals develop throughout the tournament. In that regard quite a few members of the team showed they have what it takes to make it further in the game. Some like Simon Zebo, Darren Hudson and David O'Callaghan really advanced their reputations. I'll take that over winning a grand slam playing 10 man rugby.

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads I can see Simon Zebo been on senior squad next year but have one question.
Munster have so much back 3 players now, Wouldn't it make sense to loan 1/2 to Connacht for experience.

But Zebo is a big powerful wing who has went from an unknown before the 6N to a hot prospect.

Great team and they were excellent,
And while they didn't win GS like if we look back in the French game they really should have won over there and that a good plus.

Our future looking bright.

 

[MunsterMan]

I think it will be Leinster who will be raided for players, their player production machine is overdrive at the moment.

Snoopy, while calling Macken a bosh merchant is maybe a bit harsh, he definitely relies on his superior pace and power to beat players at this level, he won't be able to do that in the ML/HEC, when players will be just as powerful with much higher skill levels.

If Connacht can bring through O'Halloran and Griffin as well as signing guys who are surplus to requirements (any of the wealth of backrows for example) they will be doing fine.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MunsterMan @ Mar 20 2010, 12:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I think it will be Leinster who will be raided for players, their player production machine is overdrive at the moment.[/b]

If the 2007 u20 Grand Slam team is anything to go by, this will be the case again. In 2007, the following were Leinster players:

Felix Jones
Shane Monahan
Ian Keatley
Paul O'Donohoe
Cian Healy
Richard Sweeney
Jamie Hagan
Conor McInerney
Kevin Sheahan
Ruaidhri Murphy
Sean O'Brien
Kyle Tonetti

Of those 12, 5 (those bolded) have pro contracts with other teams now. Only Healy, O'Donohoe and O'Brien have made it/are likely to make it with Leinster. I'd expect a similar return from the 2010 crop of u20 players. Some other teams will benefit from Leinster churning out so many players.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

England U20 47 France U20 31

Ireland win the championship