Bill Johnston happy to be back playing

Munster supporters who were enthused by the displays of out-half Johnny Holland in the latter stages of the season will also have been impressed by the performance of Bill Johnston on his debut for the Irish U20s on Tuesday night.

The Clonmel native made his U20 debut after recovering from a shoulder injury which sidelined him for a big chunk of the season. He impressed as Ireland came from behind to beat Six Nations champions Wales 26-25.

Johnston, whose older brother David had broken through to the Munster senior side, only turned 19 in February and will be eligible for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia next summer.

“It was my first 80 minutes since December, so the last 10 or 15 minutes I didn’t have much in the tank, but credit to the team, everyone put in their fair share of work, and to get the result it was brilliant.

“I’m just delighted to be playing fit and to get the win,” said Johnston, who kicked 11 points.

Ireland’s attention has switched to tomorrow’s clash with world champions New Zealand, and Johnston, who got a few runs with the Munster senior side in pre-season last summer, said they know it will be tough.

“The pace of the game is unlike anything I have ever played in. Some of the professional games as well that you would be involved in, the pre-season games, they would be slightly slower and slightly more structured,” he said.

“But anyone who saw the match, it was frantic, end to end, sideline to sideline. It was really enjoyable to play in and to get the win was the cherry on top.”

Johnston said they hope to have a right crack at the Baby Blacks and become the first Irish men’s side to defeat New Zealand.

“Our tails are up and New Zealand would probably be a bit weary of the momentum that we would have.

“When we reviewed the Welsh game we picked out some really positive things that we did and a few things that we can improve on.”

Johnston is enjoying the step-up in standard at the tournament and dealing with the demands of being in camp with games every four days — an ideal preparation for anyone hoping to become a professional.

“It was great, I really felt the pressure, it was a really pressurised environment. A small stadium but there was a good amount of people there. All of the coverage on the TV and internet added an extra spice. I really enjoy that atmosphere, I perform best when things are expected of me.”