O'Connor: 'We didn't perform our best but we never backed down' 

Ireland full-back Ben O'Connor was the top performer on a night where Richie Murphy's side struggled. 

A CORK THING: Sean Edogbo of Ireland is congratulated by Ben O’Connor after scoring their side's third try. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

It's no secret that Richie Murphy's Ireland under-20 side struggled for large parts of their marginal Six Nations victory over Italy at Virgin Media Park on Friday night. 

Having come away from Aix-en-Provence with an impressive win over the French last week, the Italians caused real bother in the round two fixture.