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Irish Independent
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Irish U-20s must produce something special to down Junior All Blacks and reach last four of World Championships
An 18-16 loss to hosts Italy after they defeated Georgia 35-28 in the opening game means nothing less than a win will do for Ireland, and even then they may need a bonus point to oust a Junior All Blacks side who are three match points ahead of them going into this final pool game. Ireland finished seventh and eighth on the two previous occasions that this 12-team tournament was held in northern Italy and another mid-table position looks on the cards unless they can beat a strong New Zealand side. McCarthy said they were disappointed not to beat the Italians but they have had to shrug off the loss and focus all their attention on a New Zealand side who beat Italy 14-5 and Georgia 38-19. 'We'll have to face up against them and take it to them,' said the Cork native who is in the Connacht academy. 'We didn't get to play the rugby we wanted to against Italy but the effort couldn't be faulted.' New Zealand ended Ireland's hopes in the final pool game the last time Italy hosted the tournament in 2015, with Nigel Carolan's side defeating Scotland to finish seventh with a squad that included Andrew Porter, Garry Ringrose, Joey Carbery and Jacob Stockdale. There were also two current Lions in the squad which finished eighth when Italy staged the tournament for the first time in 2011 with Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham on board alongside Iain Henderson, Andrew Conway, Paddy Jackson, Craig Gilroy, Kieran Marmion, Jordi Murphy and JJ Hanrahan. Current head coach Neil Doak, whose side finished bottom of the Six Nations this year, has made four changes for this clash, two at the back and two up front. Ulster academy player Daniel Green, now with Queen's University having been identified through the IQ (Irish-qualified) programme when he was with Sale Sharks, comes in at full-back with Charlie Molony moving to the wing to the exclusion of Paidi Farrell, who scored two tries against Georgia. Jonny Scott, another Ulster academy player, replaces Cork Con's Midleton native Eoghan Smyth. Two recent additions to the Munster academy come in up front with lock Conor Kennelly from Highfield RFC replacing Mahon Ronan, while Shannon's Oisin Minogue, who came through the ranks at Ballina Killaloe RFC, takes over from Billy Power after coming on and scoring the late try against Italy. The flanker is a son of former Irish international Rosie Foley and nephew of the late Anthony Foley. Verdict: New Zealand U-20 Ireland: D Green; C Molony, C Mangan, J Scott, D Moloney; T Wood, W Wootton; A Usanov, H Walker, A Mullan; C Kennelly, B Corrigan; E McCarthy, O Minogue, L Murphy. Reps: L McLaughlin, B Bohan, T McAllister, D Walsh, B Power, C Logan, S Wisniewski, G O'Leary Kareem. New Zealand: R Simpson; F Vaenuku, C Roberts, J Wiseman, M Kunawave; W Cole, D Pledger; S Uamaki Pole, M Letiu, R Faleafa; X Treacy, J Sa; F McLeod, C Woodley, M Bason. Reps: S Kempton, I Time, D Johnston, A Vakasiuola, M Fale, J Tamati, J Cameron, S Solomon.
Irish Independent
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
New Zealand humble Ireland and end U-20 World Championship semi-final hopes
New Zealand 69 Ireland 22 Ireland were unable to build on a glorious start in Calvisano and were blown away by a New Zealand side operating on a different level in this World Rugby U-20 Championship final pool game in northern Italy. It seemed for a time the Junior All Blacks would surpass their record 69-3 win over Ireland in this tournament in 2017, but after hitting 50 points in just 48 minutes, the scores dried up for a period with the issue long decided in a game which Ireland had to win to advance to the semi-finals.
Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ireland U20s put to the sword despite dream start against New Zealand
New Zealand 69 Ireland 22 Ireland captain Éanna McCarthy said they paid a big price for not building on a dream start in this final pool game of the World Rugby U20 Championship which they had to win if they were to advance to the semi-finals of the competition for the third year in a row. Two tries in the opening seven minutes gave Ireland a great platform to have a cut at the Junior All Blacks but the gulf in class became apparent as the half progressed and in the end it finished in an eleven tries to three drubbing on a chastening night for Irish rugby. 'There are a lot of learnings to take from that,' said McCarthy. 'The way we started the game, we had New Zealand on the back foot straight from the kick-off but they got an easy try off kick-off and that gave them an easy entry into the game and it gave them momentum and we were on the back foot from then.' It seemed for a time in Calvisano that the Junior All Blacks would surpass their record 69-3 win over Ireland in this tournament in 2017 but after hitting 50 points in just 48 minutes, the scores dried up with the issue long decided in northern Italy. Now they will play off for the lower placings after finishing with 14 men as replacement loosehead Billy Bohan was red-carded three minutes from time to complete a miserable night for Neil Doak's squad who finished bottom of the Six Nations earlier this year. Ireland enjoyed a dream start as they deservedly raced into a 12-0 lead after just seven minutes after taking the game to New Zealand from the outset. Oisin Minogue, scorer of a late unconverted try in the 18-16 loss to Italy, got over inside three minutes thanks to good work from out-half Tom Wood and a deft hack from the flanker before he scored in the left corner. Wood landed the touchline conversion for the perfect start. It got better four minutes later, Ireland building from the back from a couple of solid lineouts and centre Ciaran Mangan put new full-back Daniel Green over in the left. New Zealand hit with a few good drives which ended with No.8 Mosese Bason bursting over, with Will Cole's conversion making it 12-7 after ten minutes. Ireland responded well, forcing four penalties in a row, two of which Ireland tapped before opting for the points when New Zealand's lock Jayden Sa was binned, with Wood's penalty pushing the lead out to 15-7. However, they failed to collect the restart with New Zealand centre Cooper Roberts pouncing on the bouncing ball and the move ended with the other lock Xavier Treacy scoring. Ireland No.8 Luke Murphy was held up over the line after they went to the left corner with a penalty and the Junior All Blacks then hit the front for the first time when Roberts scored from close range to make it 19-15. New Zealand's strong running and superior handling skills started having a real impact and by the break they were 31-15 to the good with both half-backs Cole and Dylan Pledger scoring and Ireland ending the half with scrum-half Will Wootton in the bin for taking out his opposite number. The second half was a saga for Ireland. Wingers Frank Vaenuku and Maloni Kunawave, both New Zealand sevens internationals, tormented the Irish defence with strong jinking runs and astonishing handling skills. They pushed the lead out to 50-15 with three tries inside eight minutes of the restart, Vaenuku setting the tone when he bounced Green down the wing to score within a minute. Roberts and a superb offload from Kunawave put Pledger in for his second and replacement hooker Shaun Kempton burrowed over from a lineout. Kunawave got New Zealand's ninth try after 66 minutes when he broke through the middle and stepped Charlie Molony without breaking stride to score under the posts. Replacement loosehead Bohan pulled back a try after several drives five minutes from time but from the restart he was sent off for a dangerous clearout on flanker Caleb Woodley and the Junior All Blacks turned the screw in the closing minutes with Kempton and Kunawave each getting their second tries. Scorers for New Zealand: Tries: D Pledger (2), S Kempton (2), M Kunawave (2), M Bason, X Treacy, C Roberts, W Cole, F Vaenuku. Cons: Cole (6), R Simpson. Scorers for Ireland: Tries: O Minogue, D Green, B Bohan. Cons: T Wood, S Wisniewski. Pens: Wood. New Zealand: R Simpson; F Vaenuku, C Roberts (J Cameron 54), J Wiseman, M Kunawave; W Cole (S Solomon 60-71), D Pledger (J Tamati 50); S Uamaki Pole (I Time 52), M Letiu (S Kempton 45), R Faleafa (D Johnston 52); X Treacy, J Sa (A Vakasiuola 46); F McLeod, C Woodley, M Bason (M Fale 45). Ireland: D Green (G O'Leary Kareem 61); C Molony, C Mangan, J Scott, D Moloney; T Wood (S Wisniewski 45), W Wootton (C Logan 56); A Usanov (B Bohan 49), H Walker, A Mullan (T McAllister 49); C Kennelly, B Corrigan (D Walsh 48); E McCarthy, O Minogue (L McLaughlin 61), L Murphy (B Power 52). Referee: Griffin Colby (South Africa).
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
McCarthy full aware of effort required to beat New Zealand
Ireland captain Eanna McCarthy knows it's going to take a special effort if they are to advance to the semi-finals of the World Rugby U20 Championships by beating New Zealand for only the second time in 10 meetings in this grade when they clash in Calvisano on Wednesday afternoon (5pm Irish time). An 18-16 loss to hosts Italy after they defeated Georgia 35-28 in the opening game means nothing less than a win will do for Ireland and even then they may need a bonus point to oust a Junior All Blacks side who are three match points ahead of them going into this final pool game. Ireland finished seventh and eighth on the two previous occasions that this 12-team tournament was held in northern Italy and another mid-table position looks on the cards unless they can beat a New Zealand side who defeated them 38-24 in last season's third-place play-off in South Africa. McCarthy said they were disappointed not to beat the Italians — a conversion to tie the match in the final act was wide — but they have had to shrug off the loss and focus all their attention on a New Zealand side who beat Italy 14-5 and then defeated Georgia 38-19. 'We'll have to face up against them and take it to them,' said the Cork native who is in the Connacht academy. 'We didn't get to play the rugby we wanted to against Italy but the effort couldn't be faulted.' New Zealand ended Ireland's hopes in the final pool game the last time Italy hosted the tournament in 2015 with Nigel Carolan's side defeating Scotland to finish seventh with a squad which included Andrew Porter, Garry Ringrose, Joey Carbery, Jacob Stockdale, Ross Byrne, Jeremy Loughman and Josh Murphy. There were also two current Lions in the squad which finished eighth when Italy staged the tournament for the first time in 2011 with Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham on board Mike Ruddock's squad which also included Iain Henderson, Andrew Conway, Paddy Jackson, Craig Gilroy, Kieran Marmion, James Tracy, Jordi Murphy and JJ Hanrahan. Current head coach Neil Doak, whose side finished bottom of the Six Nations earlier this year, has made four changes for this clash, two at the back and two up front. Ulster academy player Daniel Green, now with Queen's University having been identified through the IQ (Irish qualified) programme when he was with Sale Sharks, comes in at full-back with Charlie Molony moving to the wing to the exclusion of Paidi Farrell who scored two tries against Georgia. Another Ulster academy player Jonny Scott replaces Cork Con's Midleton native Eoghan Smyth. Two recent additions to the Munster academy come in up front with lock Conor Kennelly from Highfield RFC replacing Mahon Ronan, while Shannon's Oisin Minogue, who came through the ranks at Ballina Killaloe RFC, takes over from Billy Power after coming on and scoring the late try against Italy. The flanker is a son of former Irish international Rosie Foley and nephew of the late Anthony Foley. Ireland: D Green; C Molony, C Mangan, J Scott, D Moloney; T Wood, W Wootton; A Usanov, H Walker, A Mullan; C Kennelly, B Corrigan; E McCarthy, O Minogue, L Murphy. Replacements: L McLaughlin, B Bohan, T McAllister, D Walsh, B Power, C Logan, S Wisniewski, G O'Leary Kareem. New Zealand: R Simpson; F Vaenuku, C Roberts, J Wiseman, M Kunawave; W Cole, D Pledger; S Uamaki Pole, M Letiu, R Faleafa; X Treacy, J Sa; F McLeod, C Woodley, M Bason. Replacements: S Kempton, I Time, D Johnston, A Vakasiuola, M Fale, J Tamati, J Cameron, S Solomon. Referee: Griffin Colby (South Africa)
The Citizen
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
New Zealand edge Junior Boks in thrilling U20 Rugby Championship game
Defence went out the window as both teams focused on playing the most attacking rugby they could. South Africa and New Zealand's U20 teams put on a show of attacking rugby in their match in Gqeberha on Sunday. Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images The Junior All Blacks beat the young Springboks 48-45 in a thrilling final match of the 2025 Rugby Championship in Gqeberha on Sunday to retain the title they won in the inaugural competition last year. In total, 15 tries were scored in a match that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it. New Zealand went unbeaten in the competition. They drew with Australia and also beat Argentina, while South Africa opened with a win against Argentina, but then lost to Australia and New Zealand. Riley Norton's Junior Boks raced into an almost unbelievable 19-0 lead after just 13 minutes thanks to tries by centre Albie Bester, prop Simphiwe Ngobese and hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele. The Boks were well on top and in charge, but the 'Baby All Blacks' showed tremendous composure to fight back in style with two tries of their own in the space of eight minutes midway through the half. Both were scored by Harlyn Saunoa. But the ding-dong battle was just getting going. South Africa's left wing Gino Cupido crossed for his team's fourth try in the 28th minute before the men from New Zealand again scored two tries in quick succession, through captain and hooker Manumaua Letiu and Saunoa, his third in the first half. After a thrilling first half, just two points separated the teams at the break. More second half thrills And the action continued unabated after the resumption, with the Junior All Blacks scoring a further two tries to rock the hosts. Wandile Mlaba, the Junior Boks' No 8, though pulled one back for the South Africans, but before the home team could do any celebrating, the New Zealanders scored again, their seventh try, to go 43-31 up. Mlaba was at it again though a few minutes later, getting his second and his team's sixth try of the game in the 57th minute. Just five points separated the teams going into the final quarter. Right wing Maloni Kunawave then scored his second try of the game, diving in spectacularly in the corner; the Junior All Blacks going 48-38 up. But with five minutes to go, the Junior Boks were awarded a penalty try for New Zealand collapsing a driving maul, with a player also sent to the sin-bin. Just a few minutes earlier the Junior All Blacks had also lost a man to a red card for a dangerous tackle, so they were down to 13 for the final few minutes. Earlier Sunday, Australia beat Argentina 40-36.
