Under 20 Six Nations

[big ginger 8]

30 minutes in and we're 21-10 up in horrible conditions.

 

[ruggabee]

Ireland aren't that convincing so far. In front 21-15. Italian hooker looks as jacked as Bismarck du Plessis. The conditions are horrible.

28-15 HT.

 

[Peat]

Lovely charge-down and pick-up there from McCall... at least, I think it was McCall.. hard to tell who's who.

 

[big ginger 8]

Very nice try for Dardis. 33-15, Timoney's first involvement off the bench was pretty sweet.

 

[Peat]

Italian scrum just got pulverised there.

 

[big ginger 8]

Looks like the maul is going to be a big weapon for us. Cian Romaine is a very large guy.

 

[ruggabee]

It's hard to measure us based on that game.

 

[ratsapprentice]

English dudes can watch the U20 game on S4C BTW.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

English dudes can watch the U20 game on S4C BTW.

do they still do the English language red button?

 

[ratsapprentice]

They will according to their front page.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Great try from the England 8!
20m run in off the base of the scrum, defence barely laid a hand on him!

England lucky not to be down to 14 for the whole game after an elbow to the head only picked up a yellow.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Beckett was stupid.

Have high hopes for him with Leicester though.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

AUDACIOUS!

England winger chasing back a Welsh kick, kicks it to the left....behind his own try line, collects, runs to the 22m and then clears.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Howard Packman is some player!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

That has got to be the most appauling U20's display by England I've ever seen, only the 11 really looked good. Everyone else, absolutely clueless. Defense at the breakdown was laughable, penalty count was a joke and attempts to play fancy rugby that they clearly weren't capable of showing all the time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yup, utter dross.
Discipline was an absolute shambles. Pack was poor - 2nd and back row (bar no.8) invisible, other than when giving away penalties/yellow cards.
Subs made an impact, but then we messed up two (two!) 5m lineouts in quick succession.

Pleased to see Parker and Mitchell get some game time - thought Mitchell looked very good.

 

[ratsapprentice]

It was dire.

I'll give them a (little) bit of time to improve, because in the 6n there is always a period where they are figuring out who the best players are, and they've got a different coaching setup.
But that wasn't impressive at all.

The starting flankers did absolutely **** all.

 

[big ginger 8]

15 – Billy Dardis (UCD/ Leinster)
14 – Jack Owens (QUB/ Ulster)
13 – Garry Ringrose (UCD/ Leinster)
12 – Sam Arnold (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
11 – Steven Fitzgerald (Shannon/ Munster)
10 – Ross Byrne (UCD / Leinster)
9 – Nick McCarthy (UCD/ Leinster) (Capt)
1 – Jeremy Loughman (UCD / Leinster)
2 – Zack McCall (QUB/Ulster)
3 – Oisin Heffernan (Terenure/Leinster)
4 – David O'Connor (St. Mary's/Leinster)
5 – Alex Thompson (QUB/Ulster)
6 – Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster)
7 – Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht)
8 – Lorcan Dow (QUB/Ulster)
Replacements
16 – Adam McBurney (Ballymena/Ulster)
17 – Michael Lagan (Ballymena/Ulster)
18 – Conan O'Donnell (Sligo/NUIG/Connacht)
19 – Cian Romaine (Buccaneers/Connacht)
20 – Nick Timoney (St. Mary's/Leinster)
21 – Jack Cullen (Shannon/Munster)
22 – Joey Carbery (UCD/Leinster)
23 – Fergal Cleary (Lansdowne / Leinster)

Some rotation in the backs.

 

[msf]

I agree about it being the worst u-20 performance I've seen in a long time. I think it's a combination of not having the players this year (or at least not picking them) and having a very mediocre coach in Callard. It shows what a good job Hunter and Walshe did, even if they seemed to have better players in almost every position. The only players from this team that I think will trouble future England selectors are the front row, who all look like handfuls, the captain, and Max Clark, who has impressed me whenever I've seen him.

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Oh, and Mitchell from the substitutes (he should start the game based on this evidence).

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Finally, Packman is great to watch, but can you really see England picking a guy who kicks the ball BACK into his dead ball area?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Charlie Thacker called up for Max Clark.

Charlie is Harry's 18 year old little brother.

He is starting @12 and has looked extremely good when I have seen him play.