Coach Noel McNamara is hopeful Ireland will learn to “put away” teams and finally get their first win of the World Rugby U20 Championship this afternoon against Scotland.

Ireland begin their Pool C campaign against hosts France in Perpignan next Wednesday.

A year which began with a frustrating hamstring injury which sidelined him for four months has taken a massive upward swing for newly appointed Irish U20 captain Caelan Doris.

Terenure College and Garryowen were the big winners on the final day of Division 1A’s regular season, setting up semi-final clashes with defending champions Cork Constitution and table-topping Lansdowne respectively.

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.