Ireland’s representatives at the U20s grade haven’t exactly made Donnybrook a fortress since swapping Dubarry Park for the Dublin venue midway through the 2015 Six Nations campaign.

Thousands of Irish kids could relate to Harry Byrne’s youthful admiration of Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara but Ireland’s U20s out-half had another role model to emulate much closer to home.

It’s the job of the Ireland U20s coach to push and prod the players of tomorrow further down the development line but Noel McNamara found himself talking about one from the past yesterday.

Munster Development XV 10 Ireland U20 26: Two tries in the dying minutes by right winger Peter Sullivan gave Ireland U20 a flattering 26-10 victory over a Munster Development XV in a hard-fought but scrappy encounter at Thomond Park yesterday.

Leinster Development 30 Ireland U20 XV 26: Paul O’Connell returned to the national rugby fold yesterday as a 69th-minute try from Myles Carey helped the Leinster Development side defeat an Ireland U20 selection.