Ruddock raising the bar

Ireland U20 coach Mike Ruddock will gather his heroes of Grenoble in Dublin today to bring them back down to earth after their historic Six Nations win over France but not before backing them to make an impact beyond under-age rugby.

Ruddock assembles his squad for a one-day debrief tomorrow following Ireland’s dramatic 13-12 win over France in the RBS Under-20 SixNations, a first win for the age-group on French soil and one which followed on the heels of an opening victory over Wales.

“It was a great win but it wasn’t perfect,” Ruddock said, mindful of the three remaining games in the current campaign and the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa this June.