Ireland U20s defeat Italy U20s in a tough pre-season challenge clash

WORK TO DO:  Ireland vs Italy Ireland's Bryn Ward scores his teams second try. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

U20 Challenge Match

Ireland U20s 35

Italy U20s 29

Ireland U20s had a hard fought win 35-29 over Italy U20s in a pre-season challenge game at UCD Bowl this evening.

Ireland crossed the white wash on five occassions with wingers Finn Treacy and Ethan Graham, centres Hugh Gavin and Wilhelm de Klerk and number 8 Bryn Ward all touching down for tries.

The Italians trailed at half-time 35-17 put in a valiant effort and won the second half battle. Lorenzo Casilio, Piero Gritti, captain Jacopo Botturi and Marco Scalabrin scored a try apiece.

Four players who featured in last season's Grand Slam success and World Championship silver medal run were part of this evenings starting XV - hooker Danny Sheahan, second row Evan O'Connell, blindside flanker Joe Hopes and the aforementioned Gavin, the team captain in midfield.

Clontarf's out-half Jack Murphy landed all five conversions and along with many of his teammates has gained valuable experience with their clubs in the AIL.

There were near perfect conditions at Belfield with Italian out-half Martino Pucciariello splitting the post with a quick fire penalty to open their account.

Ireland got early joy at the maul when they went to the corner from a penalty and with Hopes making first up carries before spreading the  ball wide for Treacy to grab the first try out wide with Murphy adding the conversion.

Ireland extended their lead on the 13th minute when a powerful O'Connell carry gave them go forward ball before a break through the middle by de Klerk got them inside opposition territory. They were efficient in the red zone with Ward scoring from close range.

Old Wesley full-back Tom Larke and Connacht's Gavin were instrumental in the build-up to Ireland's third try. The influential de Klerk got over to put his name on the scoresheet.

The visitors reduced the deficit on the 25th minute when scrum half Casilio found himself behind a well-oiled rolling maul before going it himself and dotting down over the white wash.

Ireland's back-line was working well in sync with the strong running from Gavin getting Ireland's fourth try before the half hour mark to leave it 28-10. The dancing feet of Pucciariello created space for Gritti to strike back for the Azzurini, with Pucciariello scoring the conversion.

Ireland got the final score before half time with O'Connell making another big carry before the in-tune backline put Graham through in the left corner with Murphy adding the conversion to leave it 35-17 at half-time.

The pace slowed in the second half with both coaches making a host of changes. Italy had the upper hand at scrum time winning multiple penalties at the set piece. With five consecutive close-in scrums, a penalty try appeared imminent before number 8 Botturi broke off the back to muscle over the line.

Replacement Giovianni Cinquegrani added the conversion with Ireland's loosehead prop Alex Usanov given a yellow card during this period.

There were scrums aplenty in the final 10 minutes with the visitors continuing to dominate and it was their platform for their final try with winger Scalabrin finishing off the attack. 

Ireland Head Coach Richie Murphy's new look side can take a lot of positives from their first outing but will have plenty of work-ons heading into their post-Christmas warm-up matches against the Munster and Leinster Development teams.

Murphy held a series of camps at the IRFU High Performance Centre and brought together 26 players to take on their Italian counterparts as they step up their preparations for the 2024 U20 Six Nations campaign.

The Ireland U-20s continue their warm-up fixtures against the Munster Development team at Musgrave Park on Friday, December 29 (kick-off 1pm), before facing the Leinster Development side at Energia Park the following Friday (kick-off 2pm).

Murphy’s charges kick off the U-20 Six Nations against France in Aix-en-Provence on Saturday, February 3. Their opening home match of the Championship is against Italy at Musgrave Park the following Friday.

IRELAND U20: T Larke (Leinster); F Treacy (Connacht), H Gavin (Connacht), W de Klerk (Leinster), E Graham (Ulster); J Murphy (Leinster), O Coffey (Leinster); A Usanov (Leinster), D Sheahan (Munster), A Sparrow (Leinster), M O’Reilly (Leinster), E O’Connell (Munster), J Hopes (Ulster), M Flynn (Connacht), B Ward (Ulster).

Replacements: S Smyth (Leinster), J Boyd (Ulster), F Longstaff (Ulster), Billy Corrigan (Leinster), Sean Edogbo (Munster), W Wootton (Sale Sharks), S Naughton (Connacht), J Fenelon (Leinster), P Bell (Sale Sharks), R Whelan (Leinster), L Kritzinger (Leinster).

ITALY U20: M Belloni; M Scalabrin, L Elettri, L Nanni,, F Bini; M Pucciariello, L Casilio; F Pisani, V Siciliano, D Ascari, T Redondi, P Gritti, L Bellucci, C Zucconi, J Botturi.

Replacements: V Padoan (Mogliano Veneto Rugby), N Gasperini (Rugby Viadana 1970), S Pellicioli (Rugby Lyons), M Gallorini (Mogliano Veneto Rugby), A Toninelli (Rugby Parabiago), M Jimenez (Petrarca Rugby), G Cinquegrani (Rugby Paese), P De Villiers (Rugby Noceto FC), O D’Alessandro (Biarritz Olympique), L Belloni (Verona Rugby), F Imberti (CUS Torino).

Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU)