Ireland pay the penalty for kicking failures

U20 RBS 6 Nations 

Ireland’s unbeaten run in the U20s RBS 6 Nations came to a halt at Donnybrook last night as they were punished for a series of missed opportunities by a ruthless England.

Four missed kicks from fly-half Ross Byrne as well as missed tackles and dropped passes at crucial moments undid an otherwise bright performance from a team which had dispatched France so impressively in Athlone a fortnight ago.

England, on the other hand, made the most of what came their way and outscored Ireland by two tries to one, all coming after the break.

Having seen England scrum-half James Mitchell miss a second-minute penalty, Ireland found their feet and played brightly, winning a penalty of their own two minutes later when the English went offside at a ruck.

It was the first of a series of indiscretions at the breakdown from the visiting side and while Ireland fly-half Ross Byrne would kick his side into a 9-6 half-time lead he missed his first opportunity on calm if chilly Dublin evening.

Nigel Carolan’s side were playing with plenty of attacking intent and invention, and UCD man Byrne pulling the strings, putting the English under pressure with an excellent deep kick after a turnover on halfway that was chased superbly by man of the match Garry Ringrose, forcing the concession of another penalty at the ruck. Byrne used some quick thinking to launch a crossfield kick to left wing Stephen Fitzgerald, who did well to meet it on the tryline but spilled the ball and knocked on.

Ireland did get their reward on 13 minutes when Byrne opened the scoring with a penalty and looked to kick on, Ringrose putting in a brilliant turn of speed to bisect two defenders before feeding full-back Billy Dardis, only for his pass to escape the clutches of right wing Jack Owens.

Owens did better moments later as Ireland again threatened down the right, Byrne found Dardis again whose pass out wide sent Owens into the 22, a series of phases leading to another penalty in front of the posts. Byrne doubled the lead but Ireland immediately let England back in when penalised for not releasing, Mitchell finding his sights with the kick.

It was the Irish, though, who were displaying the ambition and aggression, turning over English ball on the home 10-metre line and Ringrose kicking upfield, chasing down the ball and his pressure again paying dividends with a fumbled ball.

The Leinster centre hacked on, chased into the corner and then showed some great creativity to keep the move alive, shovelling the ball back between his legs, England once more conceding a ruck penalty. By this time referee Tomas Charabas had grown impatient and the Frenchman brandished a yellow card to English flanker Will Owen as Byrne pushed the home side into a 9-3 lead.

Yet again, though, Ireland handed the initiative back immediately, Mitchell slotting a penalty for England as Ireland conceded at the restart. The visitors, watched by senior head coach, finally got on the front foot with that, and made camp in the home 22, regaining numerical parity when Irish No.8 Lorcan Dow was sent to the sin bin as his side defended desperately. But 9-6 it stayed until the interval.

The second-half was much more open, sub English back Piers O’Conor returning a Byrne upfield kick with interest down the left wing as Owens missed a tackle on him to score in the corner and put his side in front for the first time with an unconverted try at 11-9 three minutes after the restart.

England wing Howard Packman saw a try overruled for a push on an Ireland player and in the 53rd minute the home side were back in business, Fitzgerald scoring a try made by Ringrose.

The outside centre showed blistering pace receiving a flat pass on the English 10m line from Byrne, evading a defensive shooter and advancing to the 22 before passing out wide, the Munster wing crossing the line in the corner to nidge Ireland back in front with a try. Byrne missed the conversion from out wide and was made to pay when Mitchell levelled it at 14-all after sub tighthead Conan O’Donnell was penalised for collapsing a scrum on the Irish 10m line.

Byrne missed another chance, this time from close to the left touchline and England made the missed opportunity pay, Ringrose’s stellar evening unravelling a little as he missed his man to let opposite number Joe Marchant in for a try on 70 minutes. Mitchell missed the conversion but England were 19-14 up with eight minutes left on the clock.

Cue an Irish push to keep their campaign on track and a nervy final few minutes for the visitors, and the home side, which fluffed its lines metres from the line when a knock-on after a lineout gave England a scrum in front of its posts.

From there they cleared their lines to the edge of the 22 and Ireland knocked on again, this time at the lineout. England this time moved the ball up to the opposition 22 and Ireland tried running it back, wing Owens racing out to the left from his own flank but the pass inside to his fellow wing Fitzgerald going down to the frustration of all those in green.

IRELAND: B Dardis; J Owens, G Ringrose, S Arnold (H Brewer, 55), S Fitzgerald; R Byrne, N McCarthy (J Cullen, 67); J Loughman (M Lagan, 67), Z McCall, O Heffernan (C O’Donnell, 50); D O’Connor (C Romaine, 50), A Thompson; J Murphy, R Moloney (N Timoney, 60), L Dow.

ENGLAND: A Morris (P O’Conor, h-t); G Perkins, J Marchant, N Tompkins, H Packman; O Bryant (W Homer, 59), J Mitchell; E Genge (S Adeniran-Olule, 69), J Walker (J Innard, 68), C Parker (P Hill, 52); K Treadwell, C Ewels; J Batley (C Beckett, 52), W Owen (S Skinner, 72), J Chisholm.

Referee: T Charbaras (France).