Defeat to Scotland leaves Ireland U20s needing victory over Spain to avoid wooden spoon

Ireland came from ten points down in the final quarter to lead for the first time but a try by Scottish hooker Jake Shearer earned victory for his side. 

Ireland's Oisin Minogue comes up against Matthew Urwin of Scotland. Pic: ©INPHO/Sebastiano Pessina

World Rugby U20 Championship: Scotland 22 Ireland 21 

Ireland will face Spain next Saturday bidding to avoid the wooden spoon for the first time ever at the World Rugby U20 Championship as their disastrous year at this grade took another big nosedive in northern Italy.

Ireland, whose only win in the Six Nations this year was when they finished bottom came against Scotland, looked to have done enough when they came from ten points down in the final quarter to lead for the first time.

And it seemed were going to hold on when Scotland were pinged for an offside as they came with a final onslaught — but the decision was reversed on review and the Scottish, who hadn’t beaten Ireland in this grade for seven years, made the most of the reprieve for Glasgow Warriors academy hooker Jake Shearer to squeeze over while they had a second penalty advantage in the final play in Verona.

Scotland will now play Georgia for ninth place while Neil Doak’s side, who were World Championship semi-finalists last year and runners-up the previous season, need to beat Spain to avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom for the first time.

Scotland, who had lost all three pool games including a 73-14 hammering by South Africa and a 56-19 drubbing from England, were good value for their 17-7 interval lead and would have been further ahead had they not had two tries scratched on review by the television match official.

Ireland were on the back foot from the sixth minute when a strong run by Scottish left winger Fergus Watson set up a promising opportunity inside the 22 in front of the posts and they went wide for the other winger Nairn Moncrieff to score an unconverted try in the right corner.

They doubled the lead four minutes later when hooker Seb Stewart, who made his Glasgow Warriors debut against Leinster at the end of the season, scored off a lineout drive after a good 50:22 from out-half Matthew Urwin.

Oisín Minogue, who had scored in Ireland’s last two games, got in for a try after a lineout take by Michael Foy but there was obstruction in the move and it was wiped.

Minogue turned provider off another lineout and this time captain Henry Walker scored, with Sam Wisniewski’s conversion cutting the gap to 10-7 after 26 minutes.

Flanker Ollie Duncan, who played for Kilkenny RFC before his family returned to Edinburgh, scored after good work by scrum-half Hector Patterson and winger Watson with Urwin’s conversion making it 17-7 after 29 minutes.

Duncan then had a try disallowed for taking out Irish scrum-half Clark Logan as they raced for the line and moments later there was another let-off for Ireland when scrum-half Patterson grazed the touchline before touching down in the right corner.

An eventful opening half for Duncan saw him binned for a dangerous tackle at the breakdown on Minogue and it remained yellow after a bunker review.

Ireland failed to score while they had the extra man and they also failed to cut the deficit despite dominating the third quarter.

But they got a lifeline when replacement hooker Liam McLaughlin — skipper Walker had to move to the back row as injuries mounted but he still did the lineout throws — got over from close range and Daniel Green converted to cut the gap to 17-14 after 65 minutes.

And they hit the front for the first time when Eoghan Smyth put Paidí Farrell away down the right and the winger from Tullamore went outside Jed Finlay to score an excellent try in the corner, his third of the tournament. Green, now at out-half, landed a superb touchline conversion to make it 21-17.

But Ireland were unable to hold and were duly punished by the Scots.

Scorers for Scotland: Tries: N Moncrieff, S Stephen, O Duncan, J Shearer. Con: M Urwin.

Scorers for Ireland: Tries: H Walker, L McLaughlin, P Farrell. Cons: D Green (2), S Wisniewski.

IRELAND: D Green; P Farrell, C Mangan, E Smyth (J Scott 75), G O’Leary Kareem (C Molony 3-13 blood); S Wisniewski (Molony 60), C Logan (W Wootton 35); A Usanov (P Moore 35), H Walker, A Mullan (T McAllister 57); M Ronan (L McLaughlin 56), C Kennelly (B Corrigan 52); M Foy, B Power, O Minogue (D Walsh 52).

SCOTLAND: J Brown; N Moncrieff (J Finlay 68), J Ventisei, K Yule, F Watson; M Urwin (J Hocking 79), H Patterson (N Cowan 73); O McKenna (B White 55), S Stephen (J Roberts 60), O Blyth-Lafferty (J Shearer 62); D Cockburn (C Moss 55), B Godsell; O Duncan, F Douglas, R Logan.

Referee: Filippo Russo (Italy).