Hadden plotting route from Gorey to glory with Ireland U20s

JOYOUS: Ireland's George Hadden celebrates with his family after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

The accepted wisdom has it that the U20s Six Nations stands as a significant step up in grade for aspiring rugby players. 

The standard of teammate and opposition shoots through the roof and there is no ceiling on what a youngster can pick up away from the bright lights.

Richie Murphy’s squad has been holding training camps and playing prep games since well before Christmas. They have been exposed to a quality of coach for a quantity of time that is way beyond anything experienced before.

George Hadden has already climbed a number of rungs in the ladder. He is a ‘Club’ man who has ascended from Gorey RFC to Clontarf in the AIL and on up to his three starts as Ireland’s loosehead in this Six Nations.

Ask Hadden what it’s been like living, breathing and working with that collective all these weeks and he leans towards the conversations he has been having with the rest of the front row union as they hothouse their education night and day.

And then there is the exposure to Andy Farrell’s senior squad. Twice now the 20s have worked alongside and against the Ireland senior team and for Hadden that brought with it access to world-class operators in his chosen area of expertise.

“It was certainly a step up, they're the number one team in the world, but we were happy coming out of it. No-one went into their shells, we stood up and met them and it was a good experience, getting to talk to the senior players as well after, getting their opinions on things.

“I was talking to a few front rows, getting good chats with Andrew Porter and Tadhg (Furlong). They were giving good information,” said Hadden ahead of Friday's game against Scotland in Scotstoun. 

“It was mainly to do with the scrum, but I was just asking their opinions on binds and set-ups. They were helpful.” 

Ireland’s U20s have their own Grand Slam to chase this next two weekend having seen to Wales, France and Italy already in the Championship. Everything points to a round four win that will set them up for a right big finale when England come to town.

The Scots claimed a first Six Nations U20s victory in almost three years when they edged Wales by a point on home soil in round two. They ran England close before that as well but France had 42 points to spare on them last time around.

Bottom line is that anything other than an away win on Friday night will be a seismic shock and Ireland go there having made just a single change to their starting XV across the tournament thus far. It’s an extraordinary run of consistency in terms of personnel.

“I think when we get to play together, we really get better and better and know what the lads do,” said Hadden. “So it's a good thing and we get to play together each week. If it stays the same, we just keep developing.

“We get very used to each other. We still have to mix it up in training because you can't get too used to someone in case there are changes, (but) you definitely get nice and comfortable with the lads the more you get to play with them.”