Highlights & Report | Ireland Beat England In World Championship

The Ireland U20s made the perfect start to the World Rugby U20 Championships in Argentina on Tuesday night thanks to a 42-26 victory over England in Santa Fe.

Noel McNamara’s youngsters scored six tries in all, their first two from Jake Flannery and debutant Stewart Moore giving them a 14-13 half-time lead.

England led 10-0 and 21-14 at different stages but David McCann’s brace in the third quarter, coupled with a 13-point haul from replacement out-half Ben Healy and a late John Hodnett try, steered Ireland home.

Seven Munster men featured in the win as Jonathan Wren, Flannery, Craig Casey, Josh Wycherley and Hodnett all started with Healy and Seán French featuring off the bench.

Flannery, Healy and Hodnett scored a try each with Flannery kicking two conversions and replacement Healy adding four conversions of his own.

See highlights and more details on the Munster players in the Ireland squad below.

Ireland U20s: Iwan Hughes (Ballynahinch/Ulster); Angus Kernohan (Queen’s University/Ulster), Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster), Stewart Moore (Malone/Ulster), Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster); Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster); Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster), Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians/Connacht), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster), Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), David McCann (Banbridge/Ulster), John Hodnett (UCC/Munster), Azur Allison (Ballymena/Ulster).

Replacements used: Ronan Watters (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) for Allison (24 mins), Ben Healy (Garryowen/Munster) for Hughes, Seán French (Cork Constitution/Munster) for Moore (both 49), Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster) for Wycherley (67), Declan Adamson (Clontarf/Leinster) for Tierney-Martin, Ciaran Booth (Sale Sharks/IQ Rugby) for McCann, Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht) for Baird (all 73), Charlie Ward (Clontarf/Leinster) for Clarkson (78).

Highlights | England 26-42 Ireland

Munster Player Profiles

Eight Munster players are representing Ireland at the U20 World Championships in Argentina, find out more about the Munster men below.

Thomas Ahern

A former Youghal RFC, Dungarvan RFC and Waterpark RFC player, Thomas Ahern became the latest Waterford man to join the Munster Rugby Academy last summer.

The lock stands close to 6 foot 6 and has represented Munster and Ireland at U18 level, winning the U18 Clubs Interpro title with Munster in the 2017/18 campaign.

Now playing his club rugby with Shannon RFC, Ahern hopes to make his competitive debut for the Ireland U20s in Argentina.

Craig Casey

A Munster Academy and Shannon scrum-half, Casey vice-captained the Ireland U20 side to the Grand Slam earlier this year.

A nephew of former Munster winger Mossy Lawler, Casey captained Ardscoil Rís to the semi-finals of the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup in 2017.

Casey was named Munster Rugby Academy Player of the Year for the 2018/19 season and advances to the senior squad next season.

Jake Flannery

The Shannon out-half/full-back made his Munster A debut in the Celtic Cup against Dragons A last September.

From Bansha in Co. Tipperary, Flannery has previously represented Ireland at U19 level and won the Grand Slam with the U20s earlier this year.

The former Rockwell College pupil earned maximum points in his Leaving Cert last year and played a key part in the school’s progress to the semi-finals of Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup.

Seán French

A Cork Constitution clubman and UCC student, Munster Academy player French has represented Munster at U18, U19 and U20 level and has also played for the Ireland U18s and U19s.

Adept at playing in the centre and on the wing, French played his schools rugby with PBC and won the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup in 2017.

A strong start to his first season in the Academy has seen 19-year-old French make five appearances and score two tries for Munster A in the Celtic Cup along with winning the Grand Slam with the U20s earlier this year.

Ben Healy

Tipperary out-half Healy joined the Munster Rugby Academy last summer and has represented Munster at U18, U19 and U20 level and also played for the Ireland U18s and U19s.

Having started playing rugby at Nenagh Ormond RFC, Healy went on to captain Glenstal Abbey to their first ever Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup triumph in 2018.

A strong start to his first season in the Academy saw Healy make five appearances and score 19 points for Munster A in the Celtic Cup and win the Grand Slam with the U20s earlier this year

John Hodnett

From Rosscarbery, back-row forward Hodnett started his rugby career with Clonakilty RFC when he joined as an U10 player.

The UCC back row has featured in several Munster age-grade squads and has gained representative honours with Ireland U18s and won the Grand Slam with the U20s earlier this year.

Hodnett made the step up to the Munster A side this season, scoring a try against Ospreys Development in the Celtic Cup.

Jonathan Wren

From Crosshaven in Cork, Munster Academy back three player Wren started playing rugby at an early age with Crosshaven RFC.

He represented Munster and Ireland at U18 and U19 level prior to joining the Academy and was a Clayton Hotels Munster Schools Senior Cup winner with PBC in 2017.

The Cork man won the Grand Slam with the U20s earlier this year.

Josh Wycherley

West Cork man and Academy prop Josh Wycherley is a product of Bantry Bay RFC and younger brother of Munster senior player Fineen Wycherley.

He made four appearances for Munster A in the 2018/19 Celtic Cup and was signed up to the Academy in November 2018.

Wycherley won the Grand Slam with the U20s earlier this year, has also represented Ireland at U18 and U19 level, is a former pupil of Cistercian College, Roscrea, and plays his club rugby with Young Munster.