Importance of finding space remains a priority, insists under-20 coach Faloon 

MORE OF THE SAME, PLEASE: Ireland's Ruadhan Quinn is tackled by Harri Houston of Wales. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Most of the talk swirling around the latest batch of Ireland’s U20s before last week’s Six Nations opener was to do with size. Come the final whistle it was the team’s skills that had taken over the conversation.

Richie Murphy’s team opened up their campaign with a superb come-from-behind win away to Wales in Colwyn Bay. The five points brought home were top priority but the manner in which they, and their hosts, played took the breath away at times.

Willie Faloon probably didn’t enjoy the try-fest as much as most. As Ireland’s defence coach, it will be his job to tighten the screws this week against a French side that struggled to a lucky one-point win away to Italy the same evening.

The French have brought some mammoth and scary packs to the table at this level but they were a clear second-best in the physical stakes against the Italians so it will be of some interest to see how the arm wrestles go at Musgrave Park.

All that said, Ireland have rarely traded at a profit when it comes to heft.

Joe Schmidt’s senior team did engage liberally in the heavy, attritional stuff but there is an acceptance on these shores that our lads need to be quicker on their feet and in their thoughts to thrive. Faloon thinks along similar lines.

“I don’t think we can go away from that. It is still important that we can play the right options and that we are smart because in rugby the team that wants it more and really stands up to that physical test… 

“Yes, they can be beaten if they are running into brick walls so it is still important that we are looking for the space and playing that early.” 

Ireland did that better as the game went on last Friday. From a slow start they found their feet and their rhythm and they outscored the locals by 37 points to 12 over the course of the last 50 or so minutes.

Some of the tries were sensational.

Faloon has highlighted the need for a more consistent performance across the full 80 as an area of interest this week but there was so much to admire about their opening salvo, not just as a collective but as individuals.

The defensive efforts that kept Wales out more than a few times from close-in were crucial in bending the game to their will. In the likes of out-half Sam Prendergast and forwards Ruadhan Quinn and Brian Gleeson they had leaders in, and on, their field.

The suggestion before this Six Nations was that this might be a more talented side than the one which claimed a Grand Slam in 2022 but that last year’s vintage couldn’t be bettered when it came to the raw ingredients of hard work and desire.

Faloon is hoping that this crew might at least match that.

“There was a real fight for each other and team belief there so the more and more opportunities they get the better they will be at that.”