Ireland Under-20s secure fifth place at World Championship

Ireland Under-20s 18 France Under-20s 7

JJ Hanrahan kicked the Ireland Under-20s past France as they secured fifth spot at the IRB Junior World Championship.

The Junior Player of the Year nominee slotted six penalties in Cape Town to guide Ireland to their second win of the year over the French.

Mike Ruddock’s side were 6-0 ahead at the break and Hanrahan gradually tightened their grip on the game, although Gael Fickou sneaked in for a try in the final quarter.

IRELAND U-20: Peter Nelson (Dungannon/Ulster); Barry Daly (UCD/Leinster), Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Chris Farrell (Dungannon/Ulster), Foster Horan (Lansdowne/Leinster); JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians/Munster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht); Des Merrey (Clontarf/Leinster), Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Alan O'Connor (UCD/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Queen's University/Ulster), Jordan Coghlan (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).

Replacements: James Rael (Garryowen/Munster), Peter Reilly (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jake Cawley (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Shane Buckley (Garryowen/Munster), Aaron Conneely (Corinthians/Connacht), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht), Conor Finn (Buccaneers/Connacht).

FRANCE U-20: Theo Platon (Biarritz Olympique); Vincent Martin (Toulon), Jonathan Danty (Stade Francais), Gael Fickou (Toulon), Bastien Fuster (Bayonne); Thomas Laranjeira (Brive), Eric Escande (Montpellier); Jefferson Poirot (Brive), Jean-Charles Fidinde (Clermont Auvergne), Pascal Cotet (Perpignan), Pierre Gayraud (Perpignan), Paul Jedrasiak (Clermont Auvergne), Julien Kazubek (Clermont Auvergne), Kelian Galletier (Montpellier), Karl Chateau (Toulouse) (capt).

Replacements: Raphael Carbou (Perpignan), Jean-Baptiste Custoja (Perpignan), Khatchik Vartanov (Racing Metro 92), Johan Aliouat (Toulon), Etienne Quiniou (Dax), Enzo Selponi (Montpellier), Jimmy Yobo (Aurillac), Alexandre Derrien (Bourgoin).

Referee: Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)

Scorers:

Ireland U-20s: Pens: JJ Hanrahan 6

France U-20s: Try: Gael Fickou; Con: Enzo Selponi