Ireland make France battle to the end for title

France 23 Ireland 13

Taggart drew Ireland level with 14 minutes remaining but a third penalty from Baptiste Serin clinched the title for Fabien Pelouse’s side.

Despite facing a physically dominant French side, Mike Ruddock’s side got off to a fine start and after flanker Yacouba Camara conceded France’s third penalty in opening five minutes, Conor McKeon landed a tricky kick from the right to give Ireland a 3-0 lead.

Camara was proving an increasingly dominant force as the opening period went on, and on the back of the Toulouse flanker’s influence, the home side took the lead when hooker Romain Ruttenach mauled over the line, and Serin slotted the conversion for a 10-3 lead after 28 minutes. Serin missed a tough kick just before the break, but he made amends seven minutes into the second-half when the superior French scrum forced a penalty on an Ireland put-in.

But Ireland refused to be shaken off and replacement Ross Byrne made it 13-6 just before the hour mark after France were caught offside, as the home side began to shake.

Taggart crashed over in the 66th minute after a great line break from Peter Dooley and Byrne slotted the conversion to draw the sides level. And after Byrne missed a 70th minute penalty to give Ireland the lead, Serin kicked France ahead three minutes later. Replacement Jean-Blaise Lespinasse grabbed a late try, though replays suggested that he had been held up by Irish hands, but the TMO ruled otherwise and Serin converted for a 10-point winning margin.

Scorers for France U-20: R Ruffenach, J-B Lespinasse tries; B Serin 2 cons, 3 pens

Ireland U-20: F Taggart try; C McKeon 1 pen, R Byrne 1 pen 1 con

FRANCE U-20: P Justes; K Hamdaoui, X Mignot, F Bouvier, L Blanc; B Fajardo, B Serin; O Ishchenko (Y Amrouni 72), R Ruffenach (F Ardiaca 59), T Raynaud (S Courcoul 51); A Iturria, J-B Singer (F Lambey 57); J Thomas (J-B Lespinasse 47), Y Camara, F Cros.

IRELAND U-20: C Kelleher; A Wootton, D Goggin, P Robb, A Byrne; C McKeon (R Byrne 45), J Cullen (N McCarthy 45); P Dooley, M Abbott, R Burke; S O’Brien, R Molony; P Timmins, R Moloney (F Taggart 35-40 blood & 55), J O’Donoghue.

Referee: Lloyd Linton (SRU)