Post-Match Reaction: Ireland U-19 13 Scotland U-19 12

IRELAND COACH CHARLIE MCALEESE:

– ON HIS SIDE’S FIRST WIN OF THE TOURNAMENT –

“I’m delighted with the result. The way these lads dug in the last few minutes was incredible. I thought our control of the ball in the last five or six minutes was excellent. We left it very, very late. It would have been easy to panic, but we didn’t.”

– ON TWO PHYSICAL GAMES AGAINST AUSTRALIA AND SCOTLAND –

“In some ways they maybe didn’t look like broad specimens but they (Scotland) are a very tall team and very, very well conditioned.

“I think with a three-day turnaround for 18 and 19-year-olds, the physicality we met (against Australia) on Thursday night was difficult to get over.

“It’s one of the obstacles in this tournament, playing five games in two-and-a-half weeks.

“I think the fact that the team finished so strongly and probably played beyond what gas was left in the tank is a great testimony to them. I take my hat off to all the Irish players.”

– ON THE FINAL MOMENTS –

“I thought our control of the ball was great in the last five or six minutes. It would have been easy to panic. We had a lot of good decision makers round the base of those rucks and we didn’t panic.

“At one stage I thought we were holding on too long and we’d maybe lose possession. At the end of the day there’s a bit of luck involved in it too.”

– ON JAMIE SMITH’S TWO TRY-SAVING TACKLES –

“Jamie (Smith) had a great chase down on Scotland’s breakaway. He had to stall but he still shut them down. His angle of attack on that last tackle was quite remarkable.

“At the end of the day we can look at the last seven minutes but equally, that was a heroic effort in the corner by Jamie.”

– ON JAMIE SMITH’S CHANCES OF A START –

“We know what Jamie can do and we have to look at everybody’s all-round game. Certainly, we haven’t got a better line-breaker in the squad.

“Every time I watch Jamie play – in the AIB League, Under-20s, whenever he plays – he’s always been a line-breaker, he’s always been a carrier of the ball.

“He’s very strong for his relative size and he does break the gain line. He’s a lot more than that as well.”

IRELAND CENTRE JAMIE SMITH:

– ON THE ATMOSPHERE AT RAVENHILL –

“It’s amazing to get the support behind you. Those last seven minutes were great with the crowd behind us. That what gets you over the line.

“It’s an experience that I won’t forget. With the crowd getting behind us it was a great feeling when we scored the winning try.”

SCOTLAND COACH PETER WRIGHT:

– ON THE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE DEFEAT –

“We’ve got to learn to win. It’s a simple thing. They’ve got to learn to score, put pressure on with points but they’re maturing. They’re a good bunch of guys. We only had them for four or five sessions before we came out and they’re maturing into a very, very good side.

“It’s always difficult to pick up guys after a defeat, but after a defeat in that manner, it’s particularly difficult. With the day off tomorrow, we regroup and we’ll get back into it.

“They’re good enough and professional enough to forget about this game at some point in the next day and get prepared for Fiji on Friday.”

– ON SCOTLAND’S HOPES FOR THE REST OF THE TOURNAMENT –

“We’ve got to get in that middle plot between 5 and 8. We’ve got to try and get a five-pointer against Fiji and generally seven points gets you into the 5th-8th place play-offs.

“We’re good enough, without doubt, to do that. To have lost to France and Ireland in our last two games, I feel we’re good enough to get into the 5 to 8 positions.

“You get what you deserve sometimes and I think this was the one occasion that we probably didn’t get what we deserved. I’m a big believer in looking to the scoreboard and that’s your just reward. I think most people watching the game today would see that wasn’t the case.

“Well done to Ireland though, they stuck at it. They played right until the end and they got the try. I hope they go on and do well and maybe we’ll get to play them again in the next rounds.”

SCOTLAND CAPTAIN FRAZER MCKENZIE:

– ON OPTING TO GO FOR GOAL WITH A LATE PENALTY –

“It wasn’t far off (the kick). Our kicker Stephen McColl has been excellent throughout the campaign. There’s different kinds of wind here at Ravenhill, it’s a strong wind. I’m not going to hold anything against him. I had every belief in him and so did he, so no regrets.”

– ON THE BREAKAWAY WHICH ALMOST SAW LEE JONES GET IN FOR A TRY –

“I felt it all started with our defence. Our rush defence came up strong, our number 10 Ruairidh Jackson pushed out and that’s how it was all created.

“Look at how many yards were created. We were right up in their end of the park and we were ready to set up camp there.”

– ON THE DISAPPOINTING NATURE OF THE LOSS –

“It’s not down to the referee. I just feel hard done by for the boys. The boys played their hearts out. Everyone made tackles for each other. There were so many massive tackles made.”