Ireland U20s overcome Georgia to kickstart World Cup campaign
Paidi Farrell of Ireland scores a try during World Rugby U20 Championship 2025 Pool C match between Ireland and Georgia at Stadio San Michele in Calvisano, Italy. Photo by Roberto Bregani/Sportsfile
Ireland got their U-20 World Rugby Championship campaign off to an encouraging start with a bonus point win over a strong Georgian side in Calvisano.
Skipper Éanna McCarthy said the key thing was to get the win by a side which finished bottom of the Six Nations earlier this season.
“We knew Georgia was going to be a massive physical battle but we stood up and made a good performance out of it and finished key moments,” said the Cork native who is in the Connacht academy.
Head coach Neil Doak will know there is plenty of room for improvement but after winning just one game in the Six Nations the win was all that mattered in stifling heat in northern Italy.
They will hope to build on this when they take on the hosts Italy in Viadana next Friday and there were plenty of signs they can achieve a second win there and head into a winner-takes-all final pool showdown with New Zealand.
Ireland led 18-14 at the break, having got off to the perfect start when Tullamore RFC product Paidi Farrell crowned his U-20 debut with a try in just over 70 seconds when the winger, who now plays with Old Wesley, scored in the right corner after a pressure blitz from the Irish from the start. When several surges were repelled, out-half Tom Wood went wide with Derry Moloney putting the other winger in for the opening score.
Wood, a third generation Irish international following in the footsteps of dad Keith and grandfather Gordon, was off target with the conversion but stretched the lead with a ninth minute penalty and kept the Georgians penned back with some top class kicking from the hand.
But the Georgians eventually got on top in the scrum and got back in contention when lock Gagui Margvelashvili was out through by his No.8 Mikheili Shioshvili to score a try converted by full-back Luka Takaishvili to make it 8-7 after 16 minutes.
A superb 50:22 down the left by Wood ended with hooker Henry Walker scoring off a good lineout drive, with Wood adding the extras from the wing to make it 15-7.
Ireland’s wooden spoon finish in the Six Nations had a lot to do with slack defending and Georgia made them pay on the half hour when scrum-half Giorgi Spanderashvili escaped the clutches of five tackles to score from a tapped penalty outside the 22, with Takaishvili cutting the gap to 15-14 with the conversion.
Ireland, who had 13 missed tackles to Georgia’s three by the break, got their defence sorted and Wood extended the lead with a penalty before Irish tighthead Alex Mullan and Georgian loosehead Bachuki Baratashvili were binned by French referee Jeremy Rozier after repeated reset scrums.
Ireland had a chance to extend the lead before the break but amid confusion among the officials over timekeeping, Wood’s rushed effort missed the target and they had to settle for 18-14 at the break.
Farrell started the second half the same as the first, scoring in the right corner after another good period of sustained pressure, but they were again caught napping at the other end as scrum-half Spanderashvili again tapped and scored from close range to cut the gap to 23-21.
But Ireland refused to be rattled and Boyne RFC product Mahon Ronan displayed great strength for the lock to score beside the posts, with Wood’s conversion making it 30-21 as Ireland secured the bonus point.
Impressive full-back Charlie Molony made the game safe when he stepped inside down the left to score a fine try and make the game safe at 35-21 in the final quarter against a Georgian side who had ten of the side which stretched them all the way in last year’s tournament in South Africa.
The Georgians deservedly secured a couple of bonus points when replacement hooker Shoya Kheladzescored off a lineout and Takaishvili converted
Tries: P Farrell (2), H Walker, M Ronan, C Molony. Cons: T Wood (2). Pens: Wood (2).
G Spanderashvili (2), G Margvelashvili, S Kheladze. Cons: L Takaishvili (4).
C Molony; P Farrell (D Green 64), C Mangan, E Smyth (S Wisniewski 65), D Moloney; T Wood, C Logan (W Wootton 56); B Bohan (A Usanov 49)), H Walker (M Yarr 45-50, 60), A Mullan (T McAllister 52); M Ronan, B Corrigan (C Kennelly 56); M Foy, E McCarthy (McAllister 35-45, B Power 56), L Murphy.
L Takaishvili; L Keshelava, D Akhvlediani (S Meskhidze 69), N Kevkhishvili, T Burtikashvili; G Sirbiladze, G Spanderashvili (T Dzodquashvili 64); B Baratashvili (A Nozadze 56), M Khakhubia (S Kheladze 52), M Gurtskaia (G Meskhidze 52); T Tsulukidze (D Baramia 46), G Margvelashvili (N Chkhortolia 56); L Narsia (Nozadze 35-45, N Abesadze 62), A Dvali, M Shioshvili.
Jeremy Rozier (France)
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