Under-20 Six Nations: Ireland v England, Musgrave Park, Thursday, 7.45 – Live on Virgin Media Two
Ireland’s nemesis from last season come to Cork on Thursday night as Under-20 Six Nations and World Cup champions, and en route to those titles England twice found a way past Ireland.
Mark Mapletoft’s squad prevented Ireland from winning a third successive Grand Slam, when the sides drew 32-32 in a lavishly entertaining encounter at The Rec in Bath.
When the dust settled at tournament’s end, England had one more bonus point than their rivals to claim the title. Later in the summer they had a little more leeway on the scoreboard in beating Ireland in a World Cup semi-final before dethroning the reigning champions France in the final.
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Eight of England’s starting team on Thursday night shared in that world triumph while another two on the bench, Lucas Friday and Josh Bellamy, were part of that success.
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Northampton Saints scrumhalf Archie McParland played against Ireland in the game last season, while more recently he got a run against Munster in the Champions Cup.
The majority of the England team have played for their clubs in the Premiership, while some have also togged out in Europe.
Right wing Jack Bracken is a son of Skerries-born former England scrumhalf Kyran Bracken, Henry Pollock is one of the best young players in the world game and was seconded from the senior squad to play, while Junior Kpoku, younger brother of Joel and Jonathan, is a 6ft 8in flanker who has shifted from the second row and plays for Racing in Paris.
Ireland’s injury profile has denied them some of last year’s side, Alan Spicer, Shannon duo Luke Murphy and Emmet Calvey, Niall Smyth, Todd Lawlor and hugely promising scrumhalf Will Wootton, younger brother of former Connacht and Munster wing, Alex.
There wasn’t any clarification on injuries but it’s a pity Tullamore’s Páidí Farrell, a rare sighting in Irish rugby – a player with top end pace – isn’t getting a run.
The home side have a new head coach in Neil Doak, while Séamus Toomey and Andrew Browne have joined Ian Keatley as assistant coaches. Four of Ireland’s front five in the pack have played at this level, including prop Alex Usanov who went on to play for Emerging Ireland in South Africa.
Henry Walker, Alex Mullan and Billy Corrigan understand what’s required at this level. Ciarán Mangan, younger brother of Diarmuid, fullback Charlie Molony, centre Connor Fahy, secondrows Corrigan and Mahon Ronan have all played for Leinster A, while centre Eoghan Smyth, the promising Michael Foy and Gene O’Leary Kareem on the bench did so for Munster.
Cork-born, Connacht academy prospect Éanna McCarthy captains the team and is joined by flanker Bobby Power and prop Billy Bohan, who were part of the Connacht A scene, while Walker, Clarke Logan, Tom McAllister, Connor Magee and David Green enjoyed that status with Ulster.
Doak acknowledged: “The first 20 minutes is key for us, that we get to the level of the game and then stay in there. Like most teams, you have a plan and sometimes you have to adapt to that. We try to make sure that the players are able to solve any problems on the night.
“This process it’s part developmental and part performance. From my point of view, all I’m trying to do is get the players the best framework to work from and then they’ve got to problem solve on the pitch.
“We can anticipate what England might throw at us, we can anticipate what defensive shapes they may look at, but ultimately on the night, it’s about the players making really clear decisions, going after that and being as positive as they can.”
There were a couple of hundred tickets left in midweek, but the game is expected to sell-out, guaranteeing the wonderful atmosphere that’s been a hallmark of Ireland’s run of success at the Cork venue.
The home side will have to absorb and channel all that positivity against an England team that are short odds favourites.
IRELAND UNDER-20: C Molony (UCD); D Moloney (Blackrock College), C Fahy (Clontarf), E Smyth (Cork Constitution), C Mangan (Blackrock College); S Wisniewski (Old Belvedere), C Logan (QUB); A Usanov (Clontarf), H Walker (QUB), A Mullan (Blackrock College); M Ronan (Old Wesley); Billy Corrigan (Old Wesley); M Foy (UCC), B Power (Galwegians), É McCarthy (Galwegians, capt).
Replacements: C Magee (Banbridge), B Bohan (Galway Corinthians), T McAllister (Ballynahinch), D Walsh (Terenure College), O Minogue (Shannon), A Doyle (Old Wesley), G O’Leary Kareem (UCC), D Green (QUB).
ENGLAND UNDER-20: J Kinder (Leicester Tigers); J Bracken (Saracens), A Hall (Saracens), N Allison (Exeter Chiefs), C Griffin (Bath); B Coen (Exeter Chiefs), A McParland (Northampton Saints); R McEachran (Sale Sharks), K Tuipolotu (Bath), V Sela (Bath); O Sodeke (Saracens), T Burrow (Sale Sharks), J Kpoku (Racing 92), H Pollock (Northampton Saints), K James (Exeter Chiefs).
Replacements: L Gulley (Exeter Chiefs), O Scola (Northampton Saints), T Ramont (Sale Sharks), A Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints), G Timmons (Bath), L Friday (Harlequins), J Bellamy (Harlequins), N Lilley (Exeter Chiefs).
