JUNIOR WORLD CUP/Ireland 23 Sth Africa 19:THE IRELAND under-20s shook up rugby's status quo last night with a deserved victory over hosts South Africa in their opening Pool match at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
Tries from Jordan Coghlan and Iain Henderson did the damage, but it was a remarkably physical showing from the entire Irish pack, along with a controlled 13-point return from the boot of Munster outhalf JJ Hanrahan that brought about this historic result.
Domination up front, at set- piece in particular, is the blueprint for beating any South African side. The pressure tactics of coach Mike Ruddock must be credited but there were some outstanding individual showings.
UCD openside Conor Gilsenan was phenomenal in the loose exchanges; Henderson destroyed the much taller opposing lineout, while Tadhg Furlong and Des Merrey inflicted a hugely encouraging squeeze at scrum time.
The pre-tournament withdrawal of captain and outhalf Paddy Jackson and injury to fullback Shane Layden did not prove an issue, with Hanrahan reaching the sensational standards he showcased as a schoolboy with Rockwell College, while Dungannon number 15 Peter Nelson proved reliable under constant probing.
Ireland were by some distance the structurally better outfit in the opening half, with constant pressure by Gilsenan and fellow backrowers Jack Conan, Coghlan and Henderson forcing scrumhalf Abrie Griesel into a kicking meltdown.
The Baby Boks were also lured into a false sense of superiority having dominated possession and territory in the opening 20 minutes, where they led thanks to a penalty by outhalf Tony Jantjies.
This was cancelled out when Hanrahan got off the mark with a fine touchline strike as the Irish forwards grew into the contest.
Hanrahan put Ireland ahead on 23 minutes, after a superb 40-metre break yielded another shot at goal, but the real surprise came moments later when Coghlan streaked clear to dive under the South African uprights.
It was a try made in Clongowes Wood College. Gilsenan blocked Jantjies kick on the 10-metre line prompting former representative cricketer Coghlan to gather and sprint clear.
Hanrahan’s conversion made it 13-3 at the interval and it would have been a greater margin if not for impressive try-line defending by South Africa’s captain Wiaan Liebenberg.
The expected onslaught from far bigger local forwards did eventually yield a try on 52 minutes when lock Paul Willemse twisted over, with Jantjies converting.
But with the Irish eight constantly sensing a scoring opportunity, and cleverly directed by scrumhalf Kieran Marmion, a drop-goal opportunity was engineered for Hanrahan to make it 16-10.
Jantjies’ second penalty made it a three-point deficit but the usual brave Irish collapse in the final quarter never materialised even when another Jantjies kick levelled matters on 63 minutes.
Something remarkable happened next.
Irish hooker James Rael, having relieved his shattered looking captain Niall Scannell, blocked replacement nine Vian van der Watt’s box kick and regathered only to be collared just shy of the line. But Henderson picked and smashed his way over with Hanrahan nailing a fabulous conversion to make it 23-16.
Jantjies’ fifth successful kick set up a grandstand finish with the South Africans desperately searching for a winning try but the Irish defence refused to be broken.IRELAND: P Nelson (Ulster); B Daly (Leinster), F Horan (Leinster), C Farrell (Ulster), S Coghlan Murray (Leinster); JJ Hanrahan (Munster), K Marmion (Connacht); D Merrey (Leinster), N Scannell (Munster, capt), T Furlong (Leinster); T Beirne (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster); J Coghlan (UCD/Leinster), C Gilsenan (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster). Replacements: L McGrath for Marmion (57 mins), J Rael for Scannell (64 mins), A O’Connor for Beirne (70 mins), P Reilly for Merrey (72 mins), M Sherlock for S Coghlan Murray.
SOUTH AFRICA: D Leyds; P Jordaan, P Howard, J Serfontein), R Rhule; T Jantjies , A Griesel; S Kitshoff, M Pretorius, A Dell; P Willemse, P Steph du Toit; S Adendorff, W Liebenberg (capt), F Booysen. Replacements: O Kebble for S Kitshoff, M van Dyk for A Dell (both half-time), V van der Watt for A Griesel (49 mins), T Mbovane for R Rhule (58 mins), J Thomas for M Pretorius (77 mins).
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
