Ireland the wizards of Oz dissection

IRELAND U19’s produced a performance of high intensity and immense quality on their way to a comprehensive defeat of Australia Schools in an absorbing international at Cork IT last night.

The Irish didn’t take a backward step all evening and thoroughly deserved to take the spoils from a game that became increasingly one-sided as a dogged Australia ran out of steam and ideas.

The Irish pack had much to do with the win. They more than held their own in the line outs through second rows Simon Hanbidge and David O’Mahony, and number eight Eoin McKeon; the scrums were equally solid, and in the loose Jordi Murphy and Aaron Conneely contributed their share along with livewire hooker David Doyle. Add props James Tracy and Martin Moore to the mix and there wasn’t a weak link in that Irish pack despite non-stop threat from Australia’s Jordan Tuapou, Liam Gill and Greg Peterson.