Ireland lose to England in the World Rugby U20s Championship semi-final
INTO THIRD PLACE PLAY-OFF: Ireland have been beaten by England in the World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final in Cape Town by 31-20.
Ireland have been beaten by England in the World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final in Cape Town by 31-20.
Willie Faloon’s side got off to a flying start in their bid to reach the final for a second consecutive year as Oliver Coffey scored off an inside offload from Hugh Gavin after the centre broke through the English defence with Jack Murphy adding the conversion.
Murphy added two penalties along with a Bryn Ward try, Ireland still trailed by two at half-time on a scoreline of 22-20.
England centre Sean Kerr scored 21 points for England – a try, two conversions and four penalties.
After Coffey’s try inside two minutes, Ireland were under early pressure from the England scrum. Ireland nearly got a second try after 12 minutes with Danny Sheahan nearly crossing over in the corner.
England were not able to make their superiority in the scrum count on the scoreboard with Kerr missing a penalty in the 20th minute when Ireland went offside from a kick chase.
England got their first score of the game in the 24th minute off a scrum penalty with England passing the ball through multiple phases before hooker Craig Wright hit the space to score. Kerr added the extras to leave the score all square, 7-7.
Murphy gave Ireland the lead on the half hour mark from the tee but a Ioan Jones break put the full back in behind the Irish defence and scrum-half Ollie Allan got in under the sticks. Kerr added the conversion to leave it 14-10 to England.
Ireland found the lead again when Ulster’s Ward dived over the whitewash after a number of pick and goes on the England line with Murphy adding the extras.
England won a penalty off the restart with Kerr slotting over to level the sides once again, 17-17. From the restart again, this time Ireland got the penalty which Murphy slotting to give Faloon’s side a three point lead, 20-17.
But just on half-time, Kerr got over for a try after a 12-phase attack from England to give England a two point lead after Ben Cohen missed the conversion from a tricky angle, 22-20.
The first score in the second half took 11 minutes with Kerr landing a penalty to give England a five point cushion over Ireland. Ireland won a breakdown penalty with Murphy missing from just inside his own half.
England continues to dominate at the scrum and another penalty gave Kerr the opportunity to further their lead 28-20 with 57 minutes gone.
They had further chances but a dogged defence from Ireland kept England at bay until Kerr added the final score of the game with another penalty to seal the win, 31-20 and a spot in the final where they will face France.
Ireland will go into the third place play-off on Friday July 19 where they will face New Zealand.
: I Jones; B Redshaw; B Waghorn, S Kerr; A Wills; B Coen, O Allan; A Opoku-Fordjour, C Wright, A Fasogbon; J Bailey, J Kpoku; F Carnduff (c), H Pollock, N Michelow.
J Isaacs, C Miell, J Halliwell (Jones 60’), O Sodeke (Bailey 45’), K James (Michelow 28’), L Friday (Allan 54’), J Bellamy (Hall 73’), T Cousins (Fasogbon 60’).
: B O’Connor; F Treacy, W de Klerk, H Gavin, H McLaughlin; J Murphy, O Coffey; B Howard, D Sheahan, J Boyd; A Spicer, J McKillop; S Edogbo, B Ward, B Gleeson (c)
: S Smyth (Sheahan 49), E Calvey (B Howard 58), A Sparrow (Sheahan 49), L Murphy (Spicer 54), T Brophy (Coffey 69), S Naughton (Murphy 69), S Berman (Gavin 69), B Corrigan.
: Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
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