Ireland Under 20 2017

[Oldschool]

Great performance - England's soft try before ht was the difference and their scrum got them out of gaol a few times too.

[Ruckedtobits]

Tuned into RTE just now to watxh the U20's. All they seem to be doing is talking about the f%~king womens game later.

Im getting a pain in the hole with all the recent pushing of womens Rugby by the media. No one gives a flying f%~k about the womens game. The proof of that is in the numbers attending their games. Ive tried to watch womens rugby and its bleeding dire.

I see they are talking about wanting the women to go professional too?! Are they out of their minds?! How are they going to fund themselves?

You'd do well to watch the quality of the Women's performance against England. Hugely competitive, very intelligent and highly skillful. They've come a long way in competitiveness in World Cup year.

[dropkick]

How did they lose that? A mixture of no luck and some crucial errors at times. Great effort from the team though and they outplayed the English with the ball in hand.

Tuned into RTE just now to watxh the U20's. All they seem to be doing is talking about the f%~king womens game later.

Im getting a pain in the hole with all the recent pushing of womens Rugby by the media. No one gives a flying f%~k about the womens game. The proof of that is in the numbers attending their games. Ive tried to watch womens rugby and its bleeding dire.

I see they are talking about wanting the women to go professional too?! Are they out of their minds?! How are they going to fund themselves?

You'd do well to watch the quality of the Women's performance against England. Hugely competitive, very intelligent and highly skillful. They've come a long way in competitiveness in World Cup year.

I don't think Stuka has a problem with the womans game. Its the way its being pushed in the last year or so that is the problem. And down the line it wouldn't surprise me to see people demand professional sides for women in Ireland. That would hurt the mens game.

[Oldschool]

How did they lose that? A mixture of no luck and some crucial errors at times. Great effort from the team though and they outplayed the English with the ball in hand.

Tuned into RTE just now to watxh the U20's. All they seem to be doing is talking about the f%~king womens game later.

Im getting a pain in the hole with all the recent pushing of womens Rugby by the media. No one gives a flying f%~k about the womens game. The proof of that is in the numbers attending their games. Ive tried to watch womens rugby and its bleeding dire.

I see they are talking about wanting the women to go professional too?! Are they out of their minds?! How are they going to fund themselves?

You'd do well to watch the quality of the Women's performance against England. Hugely competitive, very intelligent and highly skillful. They've come a long way in competitiveness in World Cup year.

I don't think Stuka has a problem with the womans game. Its the way its being pushed in the last year or so that is the problem. And down the line it wouldn't surprise me to see people demand professional sides for women in Ireland. That would hurt the mens game.

Well surely it has to be self financing.

[Oldschool]

Tuned into RTE just now to watxh the U20's. All they seem to be doing is talking about the f%~king womens game later.

Im getting a pain in the hole with all the recent pushing of womens Rugby by the media. No one gives a flying f%~k about the womens game. The proof of that is in the numbers attending their games. Ive tried to watch womens rugby and its bleeding dire.

I see they are talking about wanting the women to go professional too?! Are they out of their minds?! How are they going to fund themselves?

You'd do well to watch the quality of the Women's performance against England. Hugely competitive, very intelligent and highly skillful. They've come a long way in competitiveness in World Cup year.

Unfortunately you posted that a tad too early.
Thought our OH just wasn't on her game at all.
Pity because it was a really good effort and the scoreline didn't reflect the closeness of the game.

[El Diablo]

Great performance - England's soft try before ht was the difference and their scrum got them out of gaol a few times too.

Great performance by the pack in paticular. What an atmosphere in those last few minutes. So close. Larmour Doris and Boyle for me were the best players over the 5 matches. The former 2 have another year at u20.
apologies....I see Larmour is born in June 97........nearly 11 months older than Doris!

[blockhead]

Larmour is one hell of a prospect. Lenihan is right, he's ready for Pro12 action. Won't get a look in this season but maybe early next season? Great 2nd half. Future looks blue.

[dropkick]

I thought that second half's play was up there with Ireland beating NZ last season as the best Ireland performance I've seen at U20 level. The skill levels to play like that in those conditions were exceptional and they play a style thats easy on the eye as well as being effective.


Mullen looks a classy player. Everything he did was done well.


Overall its hard to imagine that this team only won the first two games by a point each. Naturally they'll improve and start to gel anyway but a bit reason they started to play ball against France was because Johnston was back at 10. His kicking and passing is exceptional. The losses against England and Wales came down to fine margins.


The pack really grew at the tournament went on. Connolly made a big difference but they were all good. It was unusual to see Connolly out on the wing so much. That was his position in the attacking formation and he played some nice rugby out there!


Their group in the JWC includes NZ, Scotland and Italy. The match against the baby blacks should be good. Can they make it 2 from 2?

[Dave Cahill]

It was a brilliant game, both teams played great rugby in really difficult conditions.

England were very gracious victors, post match the players were chatting to all and sundry and posing for photos with anyone who asked, even Jacob Umaga who looked a bit nervous!

[Ruckedtobits]

It was a brilliant game, both teams played great rugby in really difficult conditions.

England were very gracious victors, post match the players were chatting to all and sundry and posing for photos with anyone who asked, even Jacob Umaga who looked a bit nervous!

+1
High quality game they'll be very disappointed to lose. When they reassemble for JWC they can review the "whiteline fever" of the pack in both Welsh and English games and contrast it with how threatening they are moving the ball through the hands 20+ metres from line whilst changing angles.

This is not a team at their best with the bludgeon. They should use a rapier every time and Nash and Larmour are two excellent tips (of that rapier), who just need opportunity.

[dropkick]

Looks like Johnston will miss the U20 world cup. Big blow for the team. I don't see the backs getting much opportunities with McPhilips.

[El Diablo]

Looks like Johnston will miss the U20 world cup. Big blow for the team. I don't see the backs getting much opportunities with McPhilips.

Did I hear that McPhilips is also struggling with injury? Conor Dean is back training this week and should be fit for selection for the World Cup.

[Cor. Ind.]

Looks like Johnston will miss the U20 world cup. Big blow for the team. I don't see the backs getting much opportunities with McPhilips.

Did I hear that McPhilips is also struggling with injury? Conor Dean is back training this week and should be fit for selection for the World Cup.

Tynan & Fitzgerald should be ahead of McPhilips. Both have had good AIL seasons @10

[El Diablo]

I heard Larmour was injured in the Marys game at the weekend. Hopefully nothing too serious.

[Ruckedtobits]

Just picked up result of France U.19 v Ireland U.19 in St. Larmout this afternoon where Ireland took a bit of a hiding by 44-15 from a French team captained by one Daniel Brennan (who has also been named in French U.20 JWC Squad).

Is this the first Irish-born French international of the professional era?

G'wan Trev, good man.

[Fan with smartphone]

Crikey. Jordie Barrett is still underage. NZ choosing not send him to World Cup.

[El Diablo]

1st of 2 WC warm up games yday in St Michaels College. Some great skill and high tempo rugby. Conor Dean looked sharp in his 1st game back after injury. He only got 20mins. No team sheets so I hadn't a clue who everyone was! Sorry.
Playing again next Saturday down in TP.

[dropkick]

U20s lost 10 - 15. The match couldn't have been worse timing weather wise.

[El Diablo]

U20s lost 10 - 15. The match couldn't have been worse timing weather wise.

I heard it was a terrible match due to the conditions. Not good preparation for the All Blacks in 30 degree heat in Georgia! Squad announcement this week.

[ormond lad]

World Championship squad named

Forwards
Paul Boyle (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) Captain
Charlie Connolly (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
Joey Conway (UL Bohemians RFC/Munster)
Gavin Coombes (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
Peter Cooper (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Caelan Doris (St. Mary's College RFC/Leinster)
Oisin Dowling (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Jordan Duggan (Naas RFC/Leinster)*
John Foley (Shannon RFC/Munster)
Ronan Kelleher (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Sean Masterson (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
Tadgh McElroy (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Greg McGrath (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Marcus Rea (Queen's University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
Jack Regan (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster RFC/Munster)

Backs
Angus Curtis (Queen's University Belfast RFC/Ulster)*
Conor Dean (UCD RFC/Leinster)*
Ciaran Frawley (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Colm Hogan (Dublin University FC/Munster)
Jack Kelly (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
David McCarthy (Garryowen FC/Munster)*
Gavin Mullin (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)
Jack Stafford (Shannon RFC/Munster)
Jonathan Stewart (Queen's University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
Michael Silvester (Dublin University FC/Leinster)*
Alan Tynan (Young Munster/Munster)*

unavailable due to injury
Cillian Gallagher, Bill Johnston, Jordan Larmour, Johnny McPhillips, Tommy O'Brien