Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: Ireland Under-20s v Italy Under-20s

The Ireland Under-20 Men’s squad (sponsored by PwC) will make their first appearance of 2026 at Virgin Media Park – the home of Irish U-20 rugby since 2019 – when they take on Italy in the second round of the U-20 Men’s Six Nations. Tickets are available buy here.

2026 UNDER-20 MEN’S SIX NATIONS – ROUND 2:

Friday, February 13 –

IRELAND UNDER-20 MEN (6th) v ITALY UNDER-20 MEN (5th), Virgin Media Park, 7.45pm (live RTÉ 2/RTÉ Player/BBC iPlayer/Sky Sport Arena)

Opta Facts – Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: Ireland U-20s v Italy U-20s

Team News: Cashel’s Rob Carney comes in to make his Ireland Under-20 debut, as head coach Andrew Browne makes three personal changes and one positional switch to the team that lost 50-21 to defending champions France in Perpignan.

Leinster Academy hooker Lee Fitzpatrick, who only just turned 19, will also win his first U-20 cap, starting in the front row on his return from injury. Garryowen’s Joe Finn has been promoted from the bench to feature at blindside flanker.

Carney has been rewarded for an impressive performance in a recent training match with the Ireland U-20s against Clontarf. He makes up an all-Munster centre partnership with James O’Leary. The versatile Johnny O’Sullivan drops to the bench.

The rest of Ireland’s back-line is unchanged, with Christopher Barrett, the Championship’s top try scorer following his brace last Saturday night, continuing alongside Tom Wood at half-back, and Connacht’s Daniel Ryan linking up against with Noah Byrne and Derry Moloney in the back-three.

Captain Sami Bishti will pack down with Max Doyle and Fitzpatrick, who captained the Ireland U-18 Schools team last year, as Browne’s side come up against Italy just a few weeks on from their 29-10 warm-up win over the same opposition at the UCD Bowl.

Finn’s inclusion on the blindside is the only change to the Irish pack from that day. Josh Neill, who shifts to openside, will be hoping to get on the scoresheet again after touching down twice against the Azzurrini last month, and crossing during the first half of the game against France.

UCD lock duo Dylan McNeice and Donnacha McGuire, along with Galway Corinthians’ Diarmaid O’Connell, complete the starting pack. Old Belvedere scrum half James O’Dwyer, who played the final 30 minutes against Italy last month, has been added to the replacements.

The Ireland U-20s suffered two narrow defeats to Italy last year, both on Italian soil, so the rest of the reserves – Rian Handley, Christian Foley, Blake McClean, Ben Blaney, Billy Hayes, Charlie O’Shea, and the aforementioned O’Sullivan – could have crucial roles to play down the final stretch.

Meanwhile, recently-appointed Italy U-20 head coach Andrea di Giandomenico has made four changes to the side from their 36-10 first round loss to Scotland. Daniele Coluzzi, their only try scorer in Treviso, continues in a centre pairing with captain Riccardo Casarin.

CUS Milano’s Edoardo Vitale is brought in to start at full-back, as he did against Ireland in that pre-Six Nations clash. Francesco Braga from Valpolicella takes the reins at out-half, bringing World Rugby U-20 Championship experience as he hopes to get more out of the Italian attack in Cork.

With another big set-piece battle in prosect, the scrum and maul will be key areas, and the Italian front row is freshened up this week with Valerio Pelli and Luca Trevisan both starting.

Hooker Pelli was an early entrant against the Scots, while tighthead prop Trevisan, who plays with the Golden Lions in Johannesburg, was involved as a replacement in last summer’s 18-16 World Rugby U-20 Championship pool success against Ireland.

Looking forward to what should be a fiercely-contested rematch, head coach di Giandomenico said: “We analysed the last game in depth and highlighted the errors we made and the areas for improvement. It’s up to us to raise the bar this tournament demands, both individually and collectively.

“We know we’re facing a challenge against a team that will put even more pressure on us defensively. But we’ve worked hard and prepared well, and I expect an appropriate response on Friday night.”

Under-20 Men’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures

Under-20 Men’s Six Nations Table

IRELAND U-20: Noah Byrne (Dublin University FC/Leinster); Derry Moloney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Rob Carney (Cashel RFC/Munster), James O’Leary (UCC RFC/Munster), Daniel Ryan (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht); Tom Wood (Garryowen FC/Munster), Christopher Barrett (UCC RFC/Munster); Max Doyle (UCD RFC/Leinster), Lee Fitzpatrick (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Sami Bishti (UCD RFC/Leinster) (capt), Dylan McNeice (UCD RFC/Leinster), Donnacha McGuire (UCD RFC/Leinster), Joe Finn (Garryowen FC/Munster), Josh Neill (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Diarmaid O’Connell (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht).

Replacements: Rian Handley (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster), Christian Foley (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Blake McClean (Instonians RFC/Ulster), Ben Blaney (Terenure College RFC/Leinster), Billy Hayes (Garryowen FC/Munster), James O’Dwyer (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Charlie O’Shea (UCC RFC/Munster), Johnny O’Sullivan (Dublin University FC/Leinster).

ITALY U-20: Edoardo Vitale (CUS Milano Rugby); Malik Faissal (Rugby Parma FC), Daniele Coluzzi (Old Colleferro Rugby), Riccardo Casarin (Amatori & Union Rugby Milano) (capt), Luca Rossi (Pesaro Rugby); Francesco Braga (Valpolicella Rugby), Alessandro Teodosio (Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma); Christian Brasini (Livorno Rugby), Valerio Pelli (Mogliano Veneto Rugby), Luca Trevisan (Golden Lions), Simone Fardin (Rugby Casale), Enoch Opoku Gyamfi (Bath Rugby), Antony Italo Miranda (Mogliano Veneto Rugby), Carlo Antonio Bianchi (Unione Rugby Firenze), Davide Sette (Rugby Experience L’Aquila).

Replacements: Jacopo de Rossi (Livorno Rugby), Giacomo Messori (Rugby Petrarca), Leonardo Tosi (Livorno Rugby), Jaheim Noel Wilson (Rugby Club Pasian di Prato), Marco Spreafichi (Benetton Rugby Treviso), Nikolaj Varotto (Benetton Rugby Treviso), Thomas del Sureto (Fiamme Oro Rugby Roma), Alessio Scaramazza (Rugby Experience L’Aquila).

Referee: Luke Rogan (USAR)
Assistant Referees: Robin Kaluzniak (RC), Mike Lawrenson (USAR)
TMO: Dan Jones (RFU)

Watch

Tonight’s game is live on RTÉ 2 and the RTÉ Player in the Republic of Ireland, while viewers in Northern Ireland/the UK can watch it live on the BBC iPlayer.

Pre-Match Quotes – Andrew Browne (Ireland U-20s): “Cleaning up on that (giving away penalties) is a big focus for us because we can’t afford to give Italy those access points. It was important that we were honest with ourselves, because there were so many positives in the performance against France.

“It’s important that we focus on the positives from last week and where we can attack Italy. But I think taking them for granted would be foolish, because they’re still a very good team.

“You just have to look back at last year and understand that they have a number of players coming back, especially up front. They caused us a lot of trouble in the pack last year but a big positive from last week was our physicality up front.

“We need more of the same. That’s going to be our first port of call tomorrow night. We have to be physical up front and then set the foundation to play exciting rugby, score tries, and ultimately get the win.”

Recent Meetings –

2023: Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: Italy U-20s 27 Ireland U-20s 44, Stadio di Monigo, Treviso

2024: Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: Ireland U-20s 23 Italy Under-20s 22, Virgin Media Park; World Rugby Under-20 Men’s Championship Pool B: Ireland U-20s 55 Italy U-20s 15, DHL Stadium, Cape Town

2025: Under-20 Men’s Six Nations: Italy U-20s 15 Ireland U-20s 12, Stadio di Monigo, Treviso; World Rugby Under-20 Men’s Championship Pool C: Ireland U-20s 16 Italy U-20s 18, Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana

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