'A really good feeling, compared to last year' - Ireland U20s rise from wooden spoon to Triple Crown
WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT: Ireland's Tom Wood celebrates with his father Keith after the game. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady.
IRELAND U20 47 SCOTLAND U20 14
From wooden spooners to Triple Crown winners, Ireland head coach Andrew Browne’s delight after this final-round Under-20 Six Nations victory focused on the trio of players who had suffered alongside him during a last-place finish in 2025.
In Cork on Sunday, there was only joy as fly-half Tom Wood, wing Derry Moloney and lock Donnacha McGuire let go of the lows of last season and adopted the smile of victors following a comprehensive, seven-try defeat of Scotland.
It marked a fourth win in a row for Browne’s squad and secured second place in a final table Ireland had propped up with just a single victory 12 months ago.
It also delivered a Triple Crown but was not quite enough to steal the trophy away from defending champions France, who had run out 50-21 winners over the Irish in Perpignan on the opening night of the 2026 championship.
Just as Andy Farrell’s senior squad rebounded from a heavy loss in Paris last month, the U20s completed a trophy-winning comeback to make it a second Triple Crown of the weekend with a big victory over their Scottish counterparts aside in a dominant performance at Virgin Media Park.
Seven tries, six of them converted by man of the match and Munster academy fly-half Wood, capped a ruthless performance.
Hooker Duinn Maguire, wing Moloney, centre Rob Carney and flanker Ben Blaney had secured a try bonus point with tries before half-time while replacement back Johnny O’Sullivan also scored on 67 minutes before Scotland troubled the scoreboard with two late tries.
Ireland scrum-half Christopher Barrett snuffed out any thoughts of a Scottish fightback with his try on 75 minutes, and replacement prop Christian Foley rounded off a great afternoon.
The five match points placed Ireland level with table topping France ahead of their last match at home against England on Sunday evening, but a superior points difference meant the outcome in La Rochelle was ultimately academic, though a 31-28 victory at Stade Marcel DeAundre secured an U20 Grand Slam to go with the senior’s Six Nations title.
Head coach Browne was more than happy with the Triple Crown, though, and he told the Irish Examiner: “It's a really good feeling, compared to the feeling I had this time last year, which was probably the lowest feeling I've ever had in rugby.
“And I said that to the players very early on in this whole process. But to compare it now to be up here competing for a championship, and I know it's a long shot, France are so far ahead in terms of points difference, but to get a Triple Crown, I'm delighted with that. I really, really am delighted with it.”
Ireland had kept Scotland scoreless for 70 minutes before converted tries from Jamie McAughtrie and Henry Widdowson avoided a whitewash by the home side.
“I was frustrated with the two tries that we let in because when you have them at nil for that long, you're like, ‘okay, let's keep them there, let's always build a score’,” Browne said.
Browne had predicted big things for Wood before the championship and he had praise for both the Munster academy playmaker and his half-back partner, UCC scrum-half Christopher Barrett.
“Woody's been class, hasn't he? Again, I'm so delighted for him, I'm so delighted for Derry. Lads that were here last year, and lads that felt the hurt of last year as well. So, I'm doubly delighted for him, but I thought he's been brilliant.
“He's so reliable from the tee. I think his percentage is right up there, but also how he runs the game. Like this team in general, what's scary is the growth that's left in him.
“Because he knows himself, there's so much more to come from him. He's only going to get better as well, and it's extremely encouraging for Munster and for Ireland. And then, Chris Barrett has been brilliant.
“He's so lively. He's just always on the shoulder, finishing off tries, dangerous around the edges, and then his pass, his speed of delivery is really good as well.
“So, the two of them have been excellent and they were backed up nicely by James O'Dwyer and Charlie O'Shea as well. So, we're lucky with the strength and depth in a lot of positions in the squad.”
N Byrne (J O’Sullivan, 46), D Moloney, R Carney (C O’Shea, 63), J O’Leary, D Ryan; T Wood, C Barrett; M Doyle (C Foley, 61), D Maguire (L Fitzpatrick, 49), S Bishti – captain (L Murtagh, 61); J Finn, D McGuire (D McNeice, 49); J Neill (J O’Dwyer, 72), B Blaney (B Hayes, 53), D O’Connell.
H Widdowson; N Moncrieff (H Armstrong, 26), C Waugh, H Clark, R McHaffie; J Dalziel, A McKenzie (H MacArthur, 58); O McKenna (W Pearce, 56), J Roberts – captain, J Stewart (J Rennie, 56); A Blackett (C Lindsay, h-t), D Halkon (F Ronnie, 58); A Appleby, J Utterson (H Preston, h-t), R Purvis (J McAughtrie, 56).
David Vosalevu (Fiji).
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