Ireland U20 late show sinks Munster

Munster Development XV 10 Ireland U20 26: Two tries in the dying minutes by right winger Peter Sullivan gave Ireland U20 a flattering 26-10 victory over a Munster Development XV in a hard-fought but scrappy encounter at Thomond Park yesterday.

With some of the best young talent in the country on display, the attendance would have expected a game of much higher quality, in almost ideal conditions, and it’s probably just as well that the Six Nations Championship is still six weeks or so away.

It was Paul O’Connell’s second game as assistant coach of the Irish squad though he declined interview requests. Newly-appointed head coach Noel McNamara accepted the standard had not lived up to expectations but took positives from the game.