Telfer Try Tops Off Third Win For Ireland Under-20s

The Ireland Under-20s (sponsored by PwC) reeled off five tries, and Sam Prendergast landed eight kicks out of eight, as they registered a 44-27 bonus point win over Italy in Treviso.

UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 3:

Friday, February 24 –

ITALY UNDER-20s 27 IRELAND UNDER-20s 44, Stadio Comunale di Monigo
Scorers: Italy: Tries: Giovanni Quattrini, Jacopo Bottori, François Carlo Mey, Nicholas Gasperini; Cons: Giovanni Sante 2; Pen: Giovanni Sante
Ireland: Tries: Brian Gleeson, Fintan Gunne, James McNabney, Hugh Cooney, Rory Telfer; Cons: Sam Prendergast 5; Pens: Sam Prendergast 3
HT: Italy 8 Ireland 27

A well-managed first half from an Irish point of view saw them carve out a 27-8 lead, with player-of-the-match Prendergast converting tries from Brian Gleeson, Fintan Gunne and James McNabney and kicking two penalties.

Italy captain Giovanni Quattrini used a 13th-minute lineout maul to spring over for their try, and a similar score from Jacopo Bottori lifted the Azzurrini early in the second period.

The hosts proved tough to put away, hanging in there thanks to tries from François Carlo Mey and replacement Nicholas Gasperini, which came in response to Hugh Cooney’s bonus point effort and another Prendergast penalty.

Ten points was the difference entering the final 10 minutes, but as they managed against both Wales and France, Richie Murphy’s youngsters had the final say when replacement Rory Telfer crossed in the corner in the 78th minute.

With the Irish pack making a strong start, a dummy maul off a penalty allowed Gleeson to power over as he grounded the ball despite three covering defenders. Prendergast quickly converted for a quick-fire 7-0 lead.

Tipperary youngster Gleeson also won a turnover inside the Irish half, while impressive full-back Henry McErlean confidently claimed a couple of early high balls.

However, with Giovanni Sante kicking Italy into prime position, the hosts forced a scrum penalty and then Quattrini broke free from a lineout drive to close the gap to two points.

Ireland were able to strike back swiftly, Gunne playing to the whistle as he used an Alessandro Gesi knock-on to break down the blindside and catch Italy out for an opportunist try which Prendergast converted.

Driven on by a well-earned scrum penalty and a bustling carry from Paddy McCarthy, Prendergast split the posts with a 20th-minute penalty to open up a 17-5 advantage.

Ireland’s defence stood up to the next Italian wave, a double hit allowing James Nicholson to rip possession back, but a Ruadhán Quinn offside was punished with three points from Sante.

Gleeson and Prendergast were the players to launch Murphy’s side forward again, with a muscular rip in the tackle and a brilliant 50:22 kick respectively.

The visitors used the possession wisely, producing try number three after solid carrying off the lineout. McNabney gained ground twice, the second surge, with George Hadden on the latch, getting him over the line. Prendergast added the extras.

Sante kicked the ball dead after Mey had fought hard to win a penalty, but some sparkling offloading from the Irish backs – with Hugh Gavin starting it off via a Prendergast cross-field kick – led to the Kildare man tagging on a penalty with the final kick of the opening half.

The Italians forwards seized control on the resumption, winning three penalties – two at scrums – much to the delight of the home crowd. A second attempt at a maul try was successful, number 8 Bottori grounding the ball despite Gunne’s best attempts to deny him.

Sante’s difficult conversion bounced in off the left hand post, leaving a dozen points between the teams, yet Ireland made sure they cancelled out that converted score with their bonus point try in the 52nd minute.

Again it came from Italian indiscipline and some maul pressure, the forwards going close before Gunne’s inviting pass saw centre Cooney crash over just to the left of the posts. Prendergast’s conversion left it 34-15 on the scoreboard.

A fine try out of nothing launched Italy into the final quarter with some momentum, as replacement Filippo Bozzoni used turnover ball to scamper down the left wing and send Mey diving over in the corner. Sante also nailed the conversion.

Gavin burst menacingly through into the Italian 22, and although an Evan O’Connell knock-on gave Italy a reprieve, Sante had a kick blocked down. Quattrini was then penalised for an early tackle, allowing Prendergast to extend the lead to 15 points.

Italy held onto their advantage in the scrum, though, and their resilient pack drove Gasperini over from another well-executed maul. Fellow replacement Simone Brisighella was unable to convert

Some robust defence kept Ireland out from a maul and then a Gus McCarthy carry, yet there was no denying the Telfer who, set up by a neat McErlean pass, shrugged off Bozzoni’s challenge to dive over for the clinching try.

Prendergast completed his unerring 19-point haul by expertly drawing over the conversion from out wide on the left. A McNabney lineout steal prevented Italy from responding as the try count finished five to four in Ireland’s favour.

Murphy’s charges remain second in the table, just a point behind fellow unbeaten side England who won 37-21 in Wales. Ireland’s penultimate round fixture is away to Scotland – at Glasgow’s Scotstoun Stadium – in two weeks’ time.

TIME LINE: 3 minutes – Ireland try: Brian Gleeson – 0-5; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 0-7; 13 mins – Italy try: Giovanni Quattrini – 5-7; conversion: missed by Giovanni Sante; 15 mins – Ireland try: Fintan Gunne – 5-12; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 5-14; 20 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 5-17; 24 mins – Italy penalty: Giovanni Sante – 8-17; 29 mins – Ireland try: James McNabney – 8-22; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 8-24; 40+1 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 8-27; Half-time – Italy 8 Ireland 27; 47 mins – Italy try: Jacopo Bottori – 13-27; conversion: Giovanni Sante – 15-27; 52 mins – Ireland try: Hugh Cooney – 15-32; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 15-34; 59 mins – Italy try: François Carlo Mey – 20-34; conversion: Giovanni Sante – 22-34; 66 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 22-37; 70 mins – Italy try: Nicholas Gasperini – 27-37; conversion: missed by Simone Brisighella – 27-37; 78 mins – Ireland try: Rory Telfer – 27-42; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 27-44; Full-time – Italy 27 Ireland 44

ITALY U-20: François Carlo Mey (ASM Clermont Auvergne); Alessandro Gesi (Livorno Rugby), Dewi Passarella (Benetton Rugby Treviso), Nicola Bozzo (USA Perpignan), Matthias Douglas (Mogliano Veneto Rugby); Giovanni Sante (Montpellier Hérault Rugby), Sebastiano Battara (Mogliano Veneto Rugby); Destiny Ugiagbe Aminu (Mogliano Veneto Rugby), Giovanni Quattrini (ASD Rugby Milano) (capt), Marcos Francesco Gallorini (Unione Rugby Capitolina), Alex Mattioli (Rugby Colorno 1975), Pietro Turrisi (Racing 92 Paris), Carlos Lizardo Berlese (Ruggers Tarvisium), David Odiase (Oyonnax Rugby), Jacopo Botturi (Rugby Calvisano).

Replacements used: Filippo Bozzoni (Rugby Calvisano) for Douglas (27 mins), Filippo Lavorenti (CUS Torino) for Berlese (50), Enrico Pontarini (Rugby Casale) for Turrisi (56), Nicholas Gasperini (Stade Français Paris) for Quattrini, Simone Brisighella (Rugby Viadana 1970) for Sante (both 66), Samuele Taddei (Rugby Noceto FC) for Aminu, Valerio Siciliano (UR Capitolina) for Battara (both 72), Alex Valentino Artuso (Rugby Casale) for Gallorini (79).

IRELAND U-20: Henry McErlean (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); James Nicholson (UCD RFC/Leinster), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster), John Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); George Hadden (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster) (capt), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Ruadhán Quinn (Old Crescent RFC/Munster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster).

Replacements used: Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Quinn (56 mins), George Morris (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) for Hadden (61), Rory Telfer (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for Devine (66), Jacob Sheahan (UCC RFC/Munster) for Gleeson (68), Fiachna Barrett (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht) for P McCarthy (71), Oscar Cawley (Naas RFC/Leinster) for Gunne, Harry West (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht) for Cooney (both 76), Danny Sheahan (UCC RFC/Munster) for G McCarthy (79).

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)