Ireland U-18 Schools Team Tune Up For Six Nations Festival With Six-Try Win

Ahead of the squad announcement for the upcoming Under-18 Six Nations Festival, the Ireland U-18 Schools team (sponsored by PwC) recorded an encouraging 42-19 win over Wales at Clontarf Rugby Club.

UNCAPPED UNDER-18 MEN’S INTERNATIONAL MATCH:

Sunday, March 22 –

IRELAND UNDER-18 SCHOOLS 42 WALES UNDER-18s 19, Castle Avenue, Clontarf FC
Scorers: Ireland U-18 Schools: Tries: Dara Walsh, Harry Heagney, Luke Kelly 2, Niall Fallon, Alex Moloney; Cons: Michael Kenny 6
Wales U-18s: Tries: Ryley Fussell, Tiaan Hall, Alfie Luger; Cons: Will Ford, George Thomas
HT: Ireland Under-18 Schools 28 Wales Under-18s 12

The uncapped fixture served as an important part of Ireland’s preparations for the annual Easter tournament, which will be held in Vichy, France next month. Michael Hodge’s youngsters will face England (April 3), Spain (April 7), and hosts France (April 11).

Wales already had a warm-up match under their belts, a 19-10 home loss to Italy, and were first on the scoreboard at Castle Avenue, with Ryley Fussell scoring out wide while Michael Kenny was in the sin bin.

Coláiste Éinde lock Dara Walsh, who captained Ireland, led by example with an 18th-minute reply. That kicked off a run of scores for the hosts with Clontarf’s own Harry Heagney touching down from a maul, and backs Luke Kelly and Niall Fallon also crossing.

They took a 28-12 lead into half-time, as Tiaan Hall hit back for Wales during the final play. The margin was widened by a Kelly intercept try, before a brilliant breakaway effort was finished off by Alex Moloney, a member of PBC Cork’s Munster Schools Senior Cup-winning side.

Hodge and fellow coaches Brendan O’Connor, Morgan Codyre, and Brett Wilkinson were able to empty the Irish bench, in what was a very useful hitout for the group. Wales closed out the scoring with a 57th-minute snipe for the line from Alfie Luger.

Johnny Woods supplied a slick service from scrum half for Ireland from early on, his instinctive offload releasing Matthew McCarthy to take on two defenders. However, it was Wales who put themselves in position for the first scoring chances.

Despite a loss of possession following captain Alfie Prygodzicz’s break, hooker Hall forced a penalty at the breakdown to take play close to the Irish try-line. Wales were unable to convert two maul opportunities, the second one held up after out-half Kenny had been sin-binned for a cynical offside.

McCarthy intercepted Ethan Bolch’s pass just as the Welsh back-line began to threaten, but the breakthrough came shortly afterwards. With a scrum free-kick taken quickly, Will Ford’s kick out to the right was collected by winger Fussell unopposed for the opening try.

A few minutes later, the Irish lineout misfired after they had won a scrum penalty. They soon came hunting again, getting their maul going to good effect before Herbie Boyle carried closer and then Walsh’s well-timed pick from the ruck delivered a well-worked score, converted by the returning Kenny.

A brilliant 50:22 kick from Finn Brennan, struck from the edge of his own 22, gave Ireland the momentum for a quick-fire second try. Heagney connected with Michael Smyth at the lineout, and the Glenstal Abbey front rower gleefully touched down from a nicely controlled drive.

After Kenny’s right boot had taken care of the conversion, making it 14-5, Kilkenny College full-back Brennan increased his influence by regathering his own chip over the top. In addition, McCarthy made good ground before Smyth went close to scoring in the corner from a Woods kick.

Try number three did follow barely moments later. From the Welsh goalline drop-out, Xabi Scanlan and Alex Ryan both carried hard into contact, and a neat line of passes out to the left ended with Brennan sucking in defenders and offloading to give Kelly a pacy 20-metre run-in.

A Ford knock-on then gave Ireland a scrum platform, and they duly took advantage to lead 28-5. Ryan McCormack carried well initially, before Woods’ inviting skip pass put Terenure College centre Fallon ghosting through a gap to raid over from 30 metres out. Kenny added the extras again.

Nonetheless, Wales produced a strong finish to the opening half, their maul coming good late on – with centres Bolch and Will Adams joining it – as Hall plunged over to the right of the posts. Ford’s conversion left 16 points in it at the interval.

McCormack came away with crucial possession as Ireland stood up well to the Welsh pressure, early on the restart. A scrappy spell saw neither try-line threatened until Newbridge College winger Kelly made a slaloming break off a midfield scrum.

When Wales soon replied with a 50:22 kick, Tom Murray, one of Ireland’s replacement forwards, stole the resulting lineout. Off the next Welsh set-piece, Kelly picked off Madoc Evans’ pass to race clear and score from just inside the Irish half. Kenny’s conversion, from straight in front, made it 35-12.

Hodge’s youngsters saved the best for last in terms of their tries. Brion Donagh was first to a loose Welsh lineout, Pres duo Daniel Murphy and Moloney neatly setting up McCarthy to break from deep, beating two defenders close to the right touchline.

Replacement scrum half Lewis Lenihan was up in support, and his excellent offload put Moloney on course for the whitewash. He showd his finishing skills, fending off Owen Lewis to dart in from the right and give Kenny a straightforward conversion to complete his own 12-point haul.

Strong running from Lewis and Ollie Tucker had the Wales attack making metres in response. They got their maul gaining ground too, before scrum half Luger tidied up scrappy possession, using a clever dummy to dash towards the line, reaching out to score despite Hugh Keaney’s tackle.

That proved to be the game’s final try, with just over 12 minutes remaining. Ireland’s industrious defence was impressive late on, Keaney swallowing up Cole Lacey for a maul turnover, and Donagh digging in for a turnover penalty a couple of minutes later.

TIME LINE: 7 minutes – Ireland Under-18 Schools yellow card: Michael Kenny; 10 mins – Wales Under-18s try: Ryley Fussell – 0-5; conversion: missed by Will Ford – 0-5; 18 mins – Ireland Under-18 Schools try: Dara Walsh – 5-5; conersion: Michael Kenny – 7-5; 21 mins – Ireland Under-18 Schools try: Harry Heagney – 12-5; conversion: Michael Kenny – 14-5; 26 mins – Ireland Under-18 Schools try: Luke Kelly – 19-5; conversion: Michael Kenny – 21-5; 29 mins – Ireland Under-18 Schools try: Niall Fallon – 26-5; conversion: Michael Kenny – 28-5; 35 mins – Wales Under-18s try: Tiaan Hall – 28-10; conversion: Will Ford – 28-12; Half-time – Ireland Under-18 Schools 28 Wales Under-18s 12; 46 mins – Ireland Under-18 Schools try: Luke Kelly – 33-12; conversion: Michael Kenny – 35-12; 49 mins – Ireland Under-18 Schools try: Alex Moloney – 40-12; conversion: Michael Kenny – 42-12; 57 mins – Wales Under-18s try: Alfie Luger – 42-17; conversion: George Thomas – 42-19; Full-time – Ireland Under-18 Schools 42 Wales Under-18s 19

IRELAND U-18 SCHOOLS: Finn Brennan (Kilkenny College/Leinster Rugby); Matthew McCarthy (St. Michael’s College/Leinster Rugby), Niall Fallon (Terenure College/Leinster Rugby), Ryan McCormack (Ardscoil Rís Limerick/Munster Rugby), Luke Kelly (Newbridge College/Leinster Rugby); Michael Kenny (Newbridge College/Leinster Rugby), Johnny Woods (Wesley College/Leinster Rugby); Herbie Boyle (St. Michael’s College/Leinster Rugby), Harry Heagney (Glenstal Abbey School/Clontarf FC/Munster Rugby), Alex Stinson (Royal School Armagh/Ulster Rugby), Dara Walsh (Coláiste Éinde/Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht Rugby) (capt), Alex Ryan (Cistercian College Roscrea/Munster Rugby), Thibault Campbell (Wesley College/Leinster Rugby), Michael Smyth (Terenure College/Leinster Rugby), Xabi Scanlan (Castletroy College/Munster Rugby).

Replacements: Brion Donagh (Newbridge College/Leinster Rugby), Lewis Robinson (Regent House School/Ulster Rugby), Rory O’Brien (Terenure College/Leinster Rugby), Tom Murray (Presentation Brothers College Cork/Munster Rugby), Hugh Keaney (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster Rugby), Rian MacFarlane O’Shea (Presentation Brothers College Cork/Munster Rugby), Lewis Lenihan (Bandon Grammar School/Munster Rugby), Alex Moloney (Presentation Brothers College Cork/Munster Rugby), Daniel Murphy (Presentation Brothers College Cork/Munster Rugby).

WALES U-18: Sam Morgan (St Cenydd, Coleg Gwent, Dragons RFC); Ryley Fussell (Coleg y Cymoedd, Dragons RFC), Ethan Bolch (Ospreys), Will Adams (Ysgol Glantaf, Cardiff Rugby), Jac Williams (Llandrillo, RGC); Will Ford (St Cenydd, Dragons RFC), Alfie Luger (Llandovery College, Scarlets); Bryan Kamanga (Llandovery College, Cardiff Rugby), Tiaan Hall (Coleg Gwent, Dragons RFC), Isaac Jones (Ysgol Glantaf, Cardiff Rugby), William Carroll (Bridgend College, Ospreys), Harri Lewis (Llandovery College, Cardiff Rugby), Rhys Owen (Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets), Alfie Prygodzicz (Ysgol Glantfaf, Cardiff Rugby) (capt), Ioan Dacey (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Rugby).

Replacements: Cole Lacey (Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets), Logan Goodluck (St. David’s College, Coleg Llandrillo, RGC), Ollie Tucker (Llandovery College, Scarlets), Hefin Hughes (Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets), Elis Cox (Ystalyfera, Ospreys), Mosese Tuliakiono (Radley College, Gloucester), George Thomas (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Rugby), Madoc Evans (Preseli, Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets), Owen Lewis (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Rugby), Harvey Bryant (Cardiff & Vale College, Cardiff Rugby), Dylan Quin (Gower College, Ospreys).

Referee: Kevin Beakey (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Jack MacNeice, Gary McCormack (both IRFU)