England end Ireland's triple crown hopes in U20 Six Nations
England's Sam Riley scores a try during the Under 20s Six Nations match at Cardiff Arms Park. Picture: David Davies/PA Wire.
This was a clash between the two best sides in the 2021 Under-20 Six Nations and it was one in which Ireland were dealt a lesson in both power and accuracy.
Ireland played more of the rugby for long periods at Cardiff Arms Park, but for 80 minutes they were met by a wall of white which knocked their attackers back time and time again.
Both teams went into this game unbeaten, on the back of consecutive bonus-point wins, and with a perfect record. Ireland were top courtesy of points difference, but something had to give.
In effect this was a Championship decider and England’s brutish physicality won them the game.
They repelled all but one Irish attack and all their tries came from forwards; Nahum Merigan, Ewan Richards’ brace, and Sam Riley. It was enough for a bonus-point success.
Ireland were always chasing the game and could never get out in front.
Ireland had beaten England at Under-20 level the last time the two teams met and both sides contained players with experience of playing senior professional rugby in their countries.
Neither was forced into an 11th hour replacement on a gloriously sunny Cardiff evening.
Ireland centre Cathal Forde was taken out in the air as he looked to claim the English kick-off and scrum-half Nathan Doak put an albeit difficult penalty attempt wide.
Still, it had been a bright Irish start. There was plenty of early kicking. Each side looked to force the other into a mistake rather than take the initiative themselves.
It took 16 minutes for an English incursion into the Irish 22 and the cagey nature of the game directly reflected how much was riding on it. England were the team to score first.
They kicked to the corner from their second attack and the line-out was driven over the line with Merigan the man to score. Fin Smith converted superbly.
Ireland’s attempts to hit back started with a neat back-line move down the left wing, but England’s scramble defence averted the danger.
Ireland’s maul defence stopped England from a carbon copy of their first try. The young men in white, unlike the Irish, were keen to play minimal rugby behind the scrum.
Instead, the line-out drive was their preferred method of inflicting pain. Ireland also lost key centre Shane Jennings to a head injury assessment. Jude Postlethwaite came on.
Ireland were dealt a huge blow before the break. Wing Chris Cosgrave was yellow carded for offside after Welsh referee Adam Jones had already given Ireland a warning.
Ireland held out at the end of the first period a man down and introduced replacement loosehead prop Jack Boyle for the second half. Jennings returned to the field too.
Reuben Crothers also came on for the injured Oisin McCormack.
Doak put Ireland on the board with three points even with Cosgrave off the field and while this might have been a junior international, the collisions and intensity were of Test standard.
England made it two in the 47th minute. Flanker Richards crashed over in the corner, making the most of an overlap out wide. Smith couldn’t convert as Cosgrave returned from the bin.
Ireland’s forward struggles were summed up by them being driven off a scrum from which they had the put in. Doak took a quick tap and raced clear as he tried to inject some impetus.
A few phases later, his team spilled the ball. It summed Ireland’s evening up and it soon got worse.
In the 56th minute the game was put to bed. Again, it was England’s defence which did the damage.
Ireland’s attempted attack from inside their own half was stopped in its tracks. A big hit saw the ball spilled and Richards hacked on before picking up expertly to score.
Smith had to drop kick the conversion attempt after the ball fell off the tee and it went wide.
Ireland were up against it, but they were given a lifeline when Merigan was yellow carded for an elbow on Alex Kendellen which forced the Ireland captain off for a head injury assessment.
It could well have been red, but Ireland struck straight away. Outstanding Leinster prospect Alex Soroka was driven over and although Doak improved the try, England still couldn’t be stopped.
Their forwards could still sense whitewash even a man light and hooker Sam Riley was driven over the line from another powerful surge. This time Smith’s kick was perfect and Ireland couldn’t come back despite Eoin de Buitléar’s late consolation as the two teams grappled with each other on the final whistle and Sam Illo was yellow carded.
Scorers
Ireland Under-20 Tries: Soroka 59, De Buitlear 75 Cons: Doak 60 Pens: Doak 44
England Under-20 Tries: Merigan 17, Richards 46,55, Riley 65 Cons: Smith 18,66
IRELAND: Osborne; Moxham, Jennings (Postlethwaite 30-41), Forde, Cosgrave (Postlethwaite 57), Corkery (Carson 51), Doak (McKee 67), Lasisi (Boyle 41) (De Buitlear 74), Loughnane, Illo (Donnelly 48), Soroka, Sheridan, Byrne (Okeke 57), McCormack (Crothers 41), Kendellen (Byrne 58-69)
Replacements not used: Morrissey, Mullins
ENGLAND: Atkinson (Bailey 70); Litchfield (Roebuck 48), Bates, Lancaster (Cokanasiga 69), Relton; Smith, Van Poortvliet (capt); Brantingham (Haffar 61), Riley, Kindell-Beaton (Green 65), Clark, Groves, Richards (Gray 79), Clement, Merigan
Replacements not used: Vanes, Thomas, Carr-Smith, Matthews, Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)
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