World Rugby Under-20 Championships: Ireland 35 Georgia 28
A bonus-point victory over Georgia brings some much-needed positivity to an Ireland Under-20s outfit fresh off a Six Nations wooden spoon. The performance of Tom Wood – we won’t mention his dad too much – was another positive, as was wing Páidí Farrell’s pair of tries on debut.
That Ireland won in spite of an at times dominant Georgian pack is testament to this group’s resilience. That the forwards did lose the upper hand leads to concerns for the remainder of this tournament. Granted, some effective rearguard defence from Neil Doak’s side should still be applauded.
Starting at outhalf, Wood’s left boot was responsible for nearly all of Ireland’s first-half points. He definitely has a more cultured hoof than Keith.
His opening kick-off hung long enough for Charlie Molony to regather. Wood’s short pass to Michael Foy allowed the backrow to burst into the 22. Wood then tried a cross kick, Derry Moloney gathering before feeding Farrell in the corner with barely a minute gone.
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Farrell has been earmarked as a rare Irishman with pace. He didn’t need much of it to finish this one, given the space available.
Wood’s boot also led to the second try, a beautiful kick skimming along the turf and into touch close to the Georgian line. With possession secured via the 50:22, Henry Walker scored off the back of a lineout maul.
Both Irish scores were answered by Georgian power. A series of scrum penalties were predictable before kick-off, given Ireland’s weakness. Ill-discipline at the breakdown and the maul should prove more frustrating, Georgia comfortably winning the first-half territorial battle.
When down 8-0, secondrow Gagi Margvelashvili barged over after penalties took play up to the 22. After Walker stretched Ireland’s lead, scrumhalf Giorgi Spanderashvili quick-tapped from a Foy breakdown infringement, slipping off some weak tackles to score.
While Georgia had the upper hand at the scrum, referee Jeremy Rozier had words with both sets of frontrows. His patience wore thin when both Alex Mullan and Bachuki Baratshvili were binned just before half-time.
New props, same result. Ireland immediately gave up another penalty. They did at least stop the bleeding, cleverly sacking a maul before a Georgian spill killed their final attack of the half. Ireland should actually have stretched their lead with the clock in the red, Wood missing a penalty amid confusion caused by a faltering shot-clock.
Ireland started the second period as they did the first, Farrell going over out wide. His first touch opened the scoring, his third, just over 40 minutes later, added Ireland’s third try, another straightforward finish.
Georgia countered after a nervous moment for Mullan. Already on yellow, a weaker referee would have sent him off for a high tackle. Rozier, though, made a strong – and correct – decision. Mullan was so low in the tackle he had nowhere else to go. The respite did not stop Spanderashvili from scoring a second from a tap penalty moments later. This time Rozier got it wrong, failing to spot the scrumhalf restarting from the wrong mark.
Despite the defensive struggles, Ireland started to find attacking fluidity. A turnover off the restart gifted a platform inside the Georgia 22, Mahon Ronan ultimately crashing over from close range. Two further line breaks, from Wood and Eoghan Smyth, went unrewarded – as did Georgian centre Data Akhvlediani’s clever line off an inside ball – but Ireland’s pressure eventually told.
Replacement scrumhalf Will Wooton made a good decision to go down the blindside. Fullback Molony spotted the space, picking off an understaffed defence to score Ireland’s fifth.
Be it rust or exhaustion in the Calvisano heat, the final quarter brought few opportunities. For all their earlier dominance, the Georgian pack saw two attempted mauls held up. A third ended the game with a consolation score.
To say Ireland clung on for a seven-point victory sounds somewhat harsh. They have, though, broken their losing habit. One of the teams that beat them in the spring, Italy, are up next on Friday.
Scoring sequence – 2 mins: Farrell try 5-0; 10: Wood pen 8-0; 16: Margvelashvili try, Takaishvili con 8-7; 23: Walker try, Wood con 15-7; 30: Spanderashvili try, Takaishvili con 15-14; 33: Wood pen 18-14; HT 18-14; 40: Farrell try 23-14; 49: Spanderashvili try, Takaishvili con 23-21; 52: Ronan try, Wood con 30-21; 61: Molony try 35-21; 80: Kheladze try, Takaishvili con 35-28; FT: 35-28
Ireland Under-20: Charlie Molony; Páidí Farrell, Ciarán Mangan, Eoghan Smyth, Derry Moloney; Tom Wood, Clark Logan; Billy Bohan, Henry Walker, Alex Mullan; Mahon Ronan, Billy Corrigan; Michael Foy, Éanna McCarthy (capt), Luke Murphy. Replacements: Tom McAllister for McCarthy (35-45 mins), Mikey Yarr for Walker (45-48, blood), Alex Usanov for Bohan (45), McCallister for Mullan (49), Conor Kennelly for Corrigan, Bobby Power for McCarthy (both 55), Will Wooton for Logan (56), Yarr for Walker (59), Sam Wisniewski for Smyth (63), Daniel Green for Farrell (65). Yellow card: Mullan (35 mins).
Georgia Under-20: Luka Takaishvili; Luka Keshelava, Data Akhvlediani, Nugzar Kevkhishvili, Tariel Burtikashvili; Gigi Sirbiladze, Giorgi Spanderashvili; Bachuki Baratshvili, Mikheil Khakhubia, Mate Ghurtskaia; Temur Tshulukidze, Gagi Margvelashvili; Luka Narsia, Andro Dvali, Mikheil Shioshvili. Replacements: Archil Nozadze for Narsia (35-45 mins), Davit Baramia for Tshulukidze (45), Shota Kheladze for Khakhubia, Giorgi Meskhidze for Ghurtskaia (both 50), Nikoloz Chkhortolia for Margvelashvili (55), Nika Abesadze for Narsia (61), Temur Dzodzuashvili for Soanderashvili (63), Sandro Meskhidze Akhvlediani (67). Yellow card: Baratshivli (35 mins).
Referee: Jeremy Rozier (France).
