REPRESENTATIVE MATCH Leinster Development 17 Ireland Under-20 6:EVENTUALLY, COME the Six Nations, this decent crop of Irish under-20s are going to come up against a similar proposition like yesterday. It could be the French but most likely an English pack will simply refuse to give them any ball for long periods of the game.
This means their set-piece needs to be excellent, and that will come under Allen Clarke’s tutelage, but in tighthead prop Stewart Maguire they appear to have a rock on which to build a scrum around. The big man visited the sin bin along with Paul Ryan in the final quarter after the pair exchanged some festive pleasantries.
There are other obvious areas from which to launch attacks with fullback Andrew Conway on course to becoming a household name. His minor cameos in this fixture threatened to warm the freezing crowd scattered around the all-weather pitch on Belfield campus.
The former Blackrock kid could still be playing schoolboy rugby this season but graduated into the Leinster Academy last summer. He remains a serious prospect. His fellow Blackrock man, Brendan Macken, also showed well in midfield against Leinster captain Eoin O’Malley and a partnership with UCD’s David McSharry is brimming with potential.
There were others, particularly in the backrow with captain and openside Brian O’Hara making a nuisance of himself while the game didn’t pass without a bone-jarring hit from Dominic Ryan on Leinster scrumhalf David Moore.
Ultimately though, the older Leinster pack eventually forced a try through number eight Paul Ryan with Ian McKinley adding a conversion and penalty soon after.
The Irish selection, which eventually rolled out Rhys Ruddock to further enhance the backrow power, kept in touch through two penalties but the hammer came down six minutes from time when Ian Madigan switched to outhalf before releasing Niall Morris to step clear for the second try.
All told, it was worth braving the sub-zero temperatures to get a glimpse of the talent just below the surface in Irish rugby.
The current Grand Slam and European champions – in Munster and Leinster – cannot go on forever so eventually some of the men on display here will need to carry the can.
Props are an obvious concern but coupled with Stewart’s raw power the Leinster Academy continue to nurture Jack McGrath and Jack O’Connell. Connacht’s Denis Buckley also looks a contender for loosehead on the Irish 20s.
Leinster’s newest signing, hooker Richardt Strauss, also made an appearance late on.
Morris’s silky running for the second try stands out but, really, the gift of creating something from nothing and primarily relying on lightning pace has Conway primed to make a senior breakthrough sooner rather than later.
Scoring sequence –23 mins: P Ryan try, 5-0; I McKinley conv, 7-0; 38 mins: I McKinley pen, 10-0. Half-time.47 mins: B Kingston pen, 10-3; J McKinney pen, 10-6; 74 mins: N Morris try, 15-6; I Madigan conv, 17-6.
LEINSTER DEVELOPMENT:I Madigan; S Monahan, E O'Malley (capt), K Tonetti, M Keating; I McKinley, D Moore; J McGrath, J Harris-Wright, J O'Connell, C Ruddock, M Flanagan, E Sheriff, J Murphy, P Ryan. Replacements:R Strauss for J Harris-Wright (47 mins), N Morris for I McKinley (61 mins), C Lily for S Monahan, R Bent for J Murphy, D Hudson for M Keating (all 65 mins); M Moore for J O'Connell, C Mallon for C Ruddock (both 75 mins).
IRELAND UNDER-20:A Conway; T O'Halloran, B Macken, D McSharry, S Zebo; B Kingston, M Heaney; D Buckley, R Byrne, S Maguire, B Marshall, B Hayes, D Ryan, B O'Hara (capt), P Butler. Replacements:C O'Hanlon for S Zebo (27 mins), R O'Sullivan for B O'Hara, B Cagney for D Buckley, J Robinson for S Maguire (all half-time); D O'Callaghan for B Marshall, R Ruddock for D Ryan, E Griffin for T O'Halloran (all 48 mins), D Doyle for R Byrne, J Cooney for M Heaney (both 62 mins), J McKinney for B Kingston (64 mins).
Referee:D Keane (IRFU).
