Sam Prendergast's late penalty maintains Ireland's winning start
WINNING MOMENT: Sam Prendergast of Ireland kicks a penalty during the U20 Six Nations Rugby Championship match against France at Musgrave Park in Cork. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
Champions Ireland maintained their winning start to the Under-20 Six Nations with another tense victory over France, this time in front of a sell-out crowd in Cork on Friday night.
SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
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SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.
Ireland’s Grand Slam of 12 months ago had been sparked with a last-gasp win over France in Aix en Provence when Charlie Tector converted Ben Brownlee’s 79th-minute try and this contest lived up to precedent, the two closely-matched sides producing another nail-biter.
France won the try count five to three with two yellow cards apiece in a pulsating contest on the 4G pitch but Ireland’s fly-half Sam Prendergast proved the difference, his 78th-minute penalty finally separating the sides and just about proving enough to hold the French at bay.
Ireland had led 20-14 at the interval as the two sides went in at two tries apiece. It was the Irish who had made the front-running, capitalising on a more efficient set-piece that had caused the Frenchmen problems in Italy in round one.
The first inroads for the home side came from a French lineout stolen by 2022 returnee Conor O’Tighearnaigh, the end product of which came with a Prendergast penalty from a subsequent ruck. Ireland were 3-0 up after 10 minutes and their early dominance was continued with a powerful maul that led to a try for tighthead prop Paddy McCarthy, the younger brother of Ireland senior squad member Joe McCarthy.
Prendergast nailed the conversion from wide on the right to put Ireland into a 10-0 lead after 13 minutes. France hit straight back with a maul of their own, Pau lock Hugo Auradou getting the ball on the deck with fly-half Tom Raffy adding the conversion to claw the score back to 10-7.
Back came Ireland, first through a Prendergast penalty on 23 minutes before Irish scrum power created the next try-scoring opportunity, the home forward pack driving over their French counterparts to win a scrum against the head on the edge of the visitor’s 22. Ireland were clinical in advancing to the French line and the repeated probes eventually paid off when Connacht wing Hugo Gavin wriggled himself into position to ground the ball.
New Zealand referee Angus Mabey initially judged the ball was held up and sent the French prop Zaccharie Affane to the sin-bin before the TMO Brian Rose asked the man with the whistle to review Gavin’s grounding. The video evidence was sufficient for Mabey to overturn his initial decision and when Prendergast sent over another conversion from wide out, this time from the left wing, Ireland were 20-7 to the good.
Yet this was a finely balanced contest, even with the French a man down, and Ireland conceded during the yellow-card period, this time from Les Bleus’ other lock Brent Liufau as the visitors drove other another maul, with one of their heavy brigade still in the sin bin.
Raffy’s conversion pulled the deficit back to 20-14 with seven minutes of the opening half remaining, though French indiscipline saw them play two minutes before the break with just 13 men as flanker Lenni Nouchi briefly joined Affane on a yellow card, one of 11 first-half penalties conceded.
Nouchi was still in the bin as the second half got under way and Ireland added to their lead through another Prendergast penalty on 43 minutes before parity was restored, though not before a Raffy penalty had struck an upright.
The contest was still very much in the balance as Nouchi returned and another strong maul saw Ireland under pressure on their line, conceding penalties as a result. France tapped and went to try and stretch the home defensive line and eked another penalty on 53 minutes as Ireland strayed offside yet again. This time it was a forward-oriented tap but despite an initial incursion, Ireland’s defence won the day and earned a penalty from a high tackle having turned over the ball, although not before loosehead prop George Hadden was sent to the bin after an accumulation of penalties.
France, trailing 23-14, sensed their opportunity and piled the pressure back on, getting their reward with an unconverted try in the left corner from wing Theo Atissogbe. Ireland lost another player to ill discipline in the process, lock Diarmuid Mangan yellow-carded for a high tackle and with Hadden waiting to return to action, France struck through their maul once more, this time through Nouchi to take a 24-23 lead on 63 minutes, though replacement fly-half Hugo Reus missed his second conversion inside five minutes.
The temperature was rising inside Musgrave Park, as the 7000-plus home supporters tried to rally their team and their team gained a foothold inside the 22 on 66 minutes after winning a lineout on the right wing and then a penalty which gave them a five-metre lineout. Ireland hammered away along the French line, moving through the phases with great patience, waiting for their moment to strike and sure enough it arrived on 69 minutes through No.8 Brian Gleeson, the Munster academy back-rower. Prendergast’s conversion made it 30-24 to the delight of the crowd.
Their joy was shortlived as Enzo Bemhagel emulated his wing partner in scoring in the right corner, Reus finally finding his range to add the conversion with his third attempt. France were back in the lead at 31-30 with six minutes to play and they did not wait long for another shot at goal, Prendergast with the chance to push his side back in front from just inside the French half. The fly-half came up agonisingly short, the narrow French lead still intact with four minutes remaining.
Fortunately for Ireland, Prendergast was given a second bite moments later, this time from between the 10-metre line and 22 and the Leinster man made no mistake, the ball sailing between the posts to push the home side 33-31 in front with 78 minutes on the clock.
Still there was time for a final French push, a penalty won inside their own 10-metre line and pumped to the left touchline. Yet the pressure also told on the visitors and the lineout was overthrown, Ireland snaffling the loose ball at the tail and, with the clock past 80 minutes hoofing into touch for a thrilling if tense victory.
H McErlean; J Nicholson, H Cooney, J Devine, H Gavin; S Prendergast, F Gunne; G Hadden, G McCarthy – captain (D Sheahan, 47-55 HIA), P McCarthy (F Barrett, 69); D Mangan, C O’Tighearnaigh (E O’Connell, 56); J McNabney, R Quinn (G Morris, 56-63 YC), B Gleeson.
Hadden 53-63, Mangan 59-69.
J Sheahan, O Cawley, H West, R Telfer.
L Bielle-Biarrey (M Ferté, 60); T Attissogbe, N Depoortere - captain, É Gailleton, E Benmegal; T Raffy (H Reus, 50), L Carbonneau; L Penverne (L Tabarot, 70), B Massa (T Lacombre, h-t), Z Affane (M Pakihivatau, 32-40 & 70); H Auradou (B B Chinarro, 66 - HIA), B Liufau; O Jegou (M Castro Ferreira, 74), L Nouchi, M Gazzotti.
Affane 30-40, Nouchi 38-48.
A Mathiron.
Angus Mabey (New Zealand).
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