Ireland U21s breeze past Argentina

Argentina U21 20 Ireland U21 42

Kieran Hallett led the Ireland Under-21s to an impressive 42-20 victory over Argentina at the IRB U21 World Championship in Vichy this evening.

The Bedford Blues out-half scored 27 points - two tries, four conversions and three penalties - to set up a fifth-sixth place play-off against England on Sunday.

A first-minute try from centre Fergus McFadden catapulted the Irish on the way to a 13-3 interval lead.

The young Pumas ran in three tries in the second half but Ireland were scoring at will with Hallett (2) and hookers Sean Cronin and Stuart Philpott dotting down in the closing 30 minutes.

ARGENTINA: Gonzalo Sarasquesta; Federico Amelong, Benjamin Urdapilleta, Matias Fernandez Gill, Federico Meyrelles Torres; Santiago Fernandez, Francisco Albarracin (capt); Luis Francisco Piccinini, Matias Cortese, Pedro Ledesma, Benjamin Macome, Agustin Smidth, Joaquin Brinnand, Jose Manuel Roan, Agustin Creevy.

Replacements used: Francisco Gomez Kodela for Piccinini (48 mins), Juan Avila for Ledesma (53), Federico Angelinetti for Macome (55), Carlos Roldan Verges for Roan (59), Nicolas Bruzzone for Brinnand (65), Agustin Figuerola for Fernandez (75), Gonzalo Feijoo for Fernandez Gill (78).

IRELAND: Fionn Carr; Ian Hanly, Tom Gleeson, Fergus McFadden, Matthew Williams; Kieran Hallett, Matthew D'Arcy; Darragh Hurley, Sean Cronin, Dave Ryan, David McGowan, Devin Toner, Michael Essex, David Pollock (capt), Sean O'Brien.

Replacements used: Darren Cave for McFadden (35 mins-half time), Cave for M Williams (55), Callum Black for Hurley, Stuart Philpott for Cronin, Diarmuid Laffan for Essex (all 69). Not used: Daniel Tuohy, Duncan Williams, Jonathan Sexton.

Referee: Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan)

Scorers: Argentina: Tries: Benjamin Macome, Francisco Albarracin, Gonzalo Sarasqueta; Con: Santiago Fernandez; Pen: Fernandez

Ireland: Tries: Fergus McFadden, Sean Cronin, Kieran Hallett 2, Stuart Philpott; Cons: Hallett 4; Pens: Hallett 3