Ireland U-20s See Off Italian Challenge In Six Nations Warm-Up

The Ireland Under-20 Men’s team (sponsored by PwC) put together 24 unanswered points to win their warm-up clash with Italy ahead of the 2026 U-20 Men’s Six Nations Championship.

Leinster Academy newcomer Josh Neill’s second maul try of the game edged Ireland ahead on the stroke of half-time, and Andrew Browne’s side pushed on during a rain-hit second half to win 29-10 at the UCD Bowl.

An extended 10-player bench helped the hosts to claim an encouraging victory, ahead of Tuesday’s squad announcement for the U-20 Six Nations. James O’Dwyer and Johnny Byrne scored a try apiece, and fellow replacement Charlie O’Shea kicked seven points.

The Ireland U-20s start their upcoming Six Nations campaign with a February 7 trip to Perpignan to play France, before the first of their three home matches against Italy at Cork’s Virgin Media Park on Friday, February 13. Tickets are available to buy here.