Report & Highlights | Heartbreak For Ireland Despite Heroic Comeback
18th June 2019 By The Editor
Ireland & Munster's Jonathan Wren on the attack.
Tom Willis’ last-minute try denied an Ireland Under-20s’ final quarter fight-back as England won a titanic World Rugby U-20 Championship play-off 30-23 in awful underfoot conditions in Rosario.
Noel McNamara’s youngsters erased a 14-point deficit with back-to-back tries from Munster Rugby Academy prospect Jonathan Wren and replacement Brian Deeny on the 70-minute mark. Munster Academy out-half Ben Healy nailed a conversion tight to the left touchline as part of his 13-point kicking haul.
However, despite losing a third player to the sin-bin – replacement Rusiate Tuima for a high tackle on Deeny – it was 14-man England who produced the stronger finish in the mud-fest as Willis bundled his way over in the dying seconds.
Ireland’s only defeat in three meetings with England this season will see them face New Zealand in Saturday’s 7th-8th place play-off at the same Club Old Resian venue (kick-off 3.30pm local time/7.30pm Irish time). The Baby Blacks lost 8-7 to Wales whose out-half Cai Evans kicked a late match-winning penalty.
Video | Ireland U20 Highlights
Ireland U20s: Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster); Aaron O’Sullivan (UCD/Leinster), Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster) (capt), David Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster); Ben Healy (Garryowen/Munster), Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster); Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster), Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians/Connacht), Charlie Ward (Clontarf/Leinster), Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Thomas Ahern (Shannon/Munster), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), Ronan Watters (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Azur Allison (Ballymena/Ulster).
Replacements used: Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster) for Ward, Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster) for Milne, Angus Kernohan (Queen’s University/Ulster) for O’Sullivan (all half-time), Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht) for Charlie Ryan (43-52, temp sub), Declan Adamson (Clontarf/Leinster) for Kernohan (60-69, temp sub), Brian Deeny (Clontarf/Leinster) for Allison (60), Luke Clohessy (Shannon/Munster) for Watters (80).