Under-19s Set Up Second Clash With Scotland
Eoin O’Malley helped himself to 16 points as Ireland got the better of Japan, winning Tuesday’s play-off at Shaw’s Bridge by 31-10, to set up a second meeting with Scotland at the 2007 IRB Under-19 World Championship.
IRB UNDER-19 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Tuesday, April 17
IRELAND U-19 31 JAPAN U-19 10, Shaw’s Bridge
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Paddy Brophy 2, Eoin O’Malley 2, Patrick Mallon; Cons: Eoin O’Malley 3
Japan: Tries: Jumpei Ohira, Norimasa Kuribayashi
Two tries apiece from Paddy Brophy and Eoin O’Malley helped Ireland beat Japan 31-10 on Tuesday to qualify for a 9th-10th place play-off against Scotland at the IRB Under-19 World Championship.
The Irish came into the game on the back of a 31-5 defeat to South Africa and they were energetic from the off against the Japanese, running in three tries in the opening 16 minutes at Shaw’s bridge.
Brophy cantered over for his first try after six minutes and the winger took a well-timed pass from O’Malley, who stood in for Scott Deasy at out-half, to notch his second just three minutes later.
O’Malley got in on the scoring act when he dived over after a powerful bust forward by hooker Michael Sherry, who was making his first start of the tournament. O’Malley’s second conversion had Ireland 19-0 in front.
The always-willing Japanese then had their best spell of the opening half and a well-worked maul drive allowed flanker Jumpei Ohira to dot down and grab his side’s first points.
But Ireland ended the half on the up when flanker Patrick Mallon, who joined his St. Michael’s College colleague Rajan Reilly in the back row, did well to juggle an offload from winger Alan Gaughan and cross for his side’s fourth try.
24-5 down at the break, Japan needed a solid start to the second half and they got it when another forceful maul led to lock Norimasa Kuribayashi making the line.
The conversion was missed and just five minutes later, O’Malley effectively made the game safe as he slipped past two tacklers for his second try which he converted himself.
The win for Charlie McAleese’s Irish side – their second of the tournament – sets up another duel with Scotland at Ravenhill on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), with the winners taking ninth place.
A late O’Malley try saw Ireland triumph 13-12 at Ravenhill when they met the Scots in the pool stages last week. Scotland beat Fiji 11-7 at Deramore Park to set up Saturday’s Celtic clash.
TIME LINE: 6 minutes – Ireland try: Paddy Brophy – 5-0; conversion: missed by Eoin O’Malley – 5-0; 9 mins – Ireland try: Paddy Brophy – 10-0; conversion: Eoin O’Malley – 12-0; 16 mins – Ireland try: Eoin O’Malley – 17-0; conversion: Eoin O’Malley – 19-0; 21 mins – Ireland try: Jumpei Ohira – 19-5; conversion: missed by Mizuki Yanagihara – 19-5; 28 mins – Ireland try: Patrick Brophy – 24-5; conversion: missed by Eoin O’Malley – 24-5; Half-time – Ireland 24 Japan 5; 47 mins – Japan try: Norimasa Kuribayashi – 24-10; conversion: missed by Mizuki Yanagihara – 24-10; 52 mins – Ireland try: Eoin O’Malley – 29-10; conversion: Eoin O’Malley – 31-10; 69 mins – Ireland yellow card: Jason Harris-Wright; Full-time – Ireland 31 Japan 10
Ireland U-19: Niall Morris (Blackrock College RFC); Alan Gaughan (Buccaneers), Jamie Smith (Ballymena), Murray Kinsella (Newtown School, Waterford), Paddy Brophy (St. Michael’s College); Eoin O’Malley (UCD), Kris Greene (St. Mary’s College); Ian Leonard (St. Michael’s College), Michael Sherry (Ard Scoil Ris), Matthew Nelson (Ballynahinch), David Foley (UL Bohemians), Ian Nagle (Glenstal Abbey), Patrick Mallon (St. Michael’s College), Rajan Reilly (St. Michael’s College), Paul Ryan (Blackrock College RFC) (capt).
Replacements used: Kieran Essex (Christian Brothers College, Cork/UCC) for Reilly, Jason Harris-Wright (Blackrock College) for Ryan (both half-time), Tommy Seymour (Down High School) for Morris (44 mins), Patrick McCabe (Dublin University FC) for Nelson, Conor Cleary (St. Michael’s College) for Kinsella (both 58 mins). Not used: Stephen Douglas (Ballymena), Paul Karayiannis (RBAI/Queen’s), Brian Cawley (UCD), Harry McAleese (Ballynahinch), Scott Deasy (Presentation Brothers College, Cork), Adam Craig (Instonians).
Japan U-19: Ryo Morita; Takamasa Okubo, Naoki Katchi, Yasutaka Sasakura, Naoki Chono; Mizuki Yanagihara, Tappei Higashide (capt); Masataka Mikami, Ryosuke Inoue, Koichi Nitta, Keisuke Masuda, Norimasa Kuribayashi, Hiraoki Sugimoto, Jumpei Ohira, Shohei Maekawa.
Replacements used: Eiri Nakada for Kuribayashi (53 mins), Yuichiro Ogihara for Sugimoto (58), Jamie Blackie for Chono (64), Futoshi Mori for Inoue, Masahiko Nakagawa for Mikami (both 66). Not used: Masaru Furutate, Takaya Iida, Katsuyuki Sakai.
Referee: James Bolabiu (Fiji)
Touch Judges: Phil Smith (Canada), Sarah Corrigan (Australia)