Under-20s Overcome Italian Challenge

The Ireland Under-20 team, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, chalked up their second win in the RBS U-20 6 Nations Championship in Piacenza on Saturday but they were pressed all the way by a gutsy Italian side.

2009 RBS UNDER-20 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, February 14

ITALY UNDER-20s 23 IRELAND UNDER-20s 29, Beltrametti Stadium, Piacenza

Scorers: Italy U-20: Tries: Giovanbattista Venditti, Joshua Furno; Cons: Tommaso Benvenuti 2; Pens: Tommaso Benvenuti 3

Ireland: Tries: Thomas Sexton, Ronan O’Mahony; Cons: Conor Murray, Ian Madigan; Pens: Conor Murray 3, Ian McKinley 2

In a hard-fought, physical encounter, the sides shared out four tries – hooker Thomas Sexton and replacement winger Ronan O’Mahony crossed for the Irish – and penalty goals from Conor Murray (3) and Ian McKinley (2) proved crucial for Allen Clarke’s men.

Sexton touched down off a close range drive on the half-hour mark, helping the visitors to a 13-9 half-time lead.

But Ireland could not turn possession into points and Italy, who had Denis Majstorovic and Carlo Fazzari sin-binned in either half, squared the game at 16-16 before Clarke’s youngsters pulled away.

In the 78th minute, centre Eamonn Sheridan made the initial break before O’Mahony’s angled run past two players led to him going over behind the posts.

Ian Madigan converted for a 29-16 Irish lead and although the game was effectively over, Italy had the final say when lock Joshua Furno touched down in injury-time after a charged down kick.

Looking to build on last weekend’s 9-6 win over France, the Irish made a productive start against Italy with both scrum half Murray and powerfully-built centre Sheridan making breaks in midfield.

The visitors were within sight of the Italian try-line after only three minutes. Prop Jack McGrath was stopped just short of the whitewash and after an infringement from the Italian forwards, Murray flung over his opening penalty.

On 9 minutes, a break by David Kearney set up a long range penalty for Murray on the right and the Garryowen clubman bisected the posts with a well-struck kick.

Wingers Michael Keating and Mark Doyle saw some ball in the early stages but Ireland kept things tight for the most part, preferring to batter their way forward with the pack picking and driving.

The Italian defence around the fringes was solid, however, and Ireland could not create enough space out wide to put their pace men through on overlaps or in a one-on-one.

Centre Tommaso Benvenuti kicked Italy’s first points from a straight-on penalty before Murray missed two penalty attempts at the other end, putting the first to the right of the posts and the second struck an upright.

The first half was a stop-start affair and referee Cyril Lafon, although he tried to keep it free-flowing, was involved quite a bit.

He sent Italian centre Denis Majstorovic to the sin-bin for going off his feet and killing the ball, after a fine 29th-minute attack from Kearney.

Heaping the pressure on the Italian defence, Ireland marched back into the 22 and Sexton was held up over the try-line before he scored off the next phase of play, squeezing over past two tacklers.

Murray impressively nailed the conversion from the right, but Italy managed to close the gap to 13-9 in the minutes leading up to half-time. They won three successive penalties, two of which Benevenuti converted.

Ireland made good inroads, early in the second half, and Murray punished an Italian scrum offence by landing his third successful penalty from just outside the 22.

Paddy McAllister, Rhys Ruddock and Dominic Ryan stood out as the Irish forwards displayed good ball retention but again the Italian defence seemed to always have numbers on hand to deal with any problems.

The Italians enjoyed one of their better spells off the restart on Venditti finished off a lovely try, much to the delight of the home crowd.

It all came from a Luca Martinelli chip over the top which bounced up for the onrushing Venditti to gather and he burst past both Murray and Kearney before charging in behind the posts.

Benvenuti’s conversion levelled it up at 16-all and Irish coach Clarke made an immediate change, bringing on Matthew Healy for Murray at scrum half.

Italy were only level for a couple of minutes as centre McKinley, in Murray’s absence, sent a left-footed penalty through the posts for a 19-16 advantage.

He added another on the hour mark and after Ireland failed to capitalise on a galloping run from Rhys Ruddock, it was Italy’s chance to enjoy some attacking ball.

They quickly gained territory and camped themselves in the Irish 22, inching ever closer to the try-line with the burly Venditti coming more and more into the game.

But they lost replacement prop Carlo Fazzari to a yellow card when he caught Healy with a late challenge as he kicked clear out of the 22.

Ireland used possession to get back within scoring range. A collapsed scrum gave McKinley another sight of goal but he miscued his kick and sent it to the left and wide.

However, Ireland were able to strike the decisive blow two minutes from time when Sheridan made serious ground up the left. After a couple of phases, O’Mahony probed again out left and he wormed his way over in some style.

Madigan tapped over the simple conversion but with victory assured, Ireland lost a little concentration in injury-time when a clearance kick was blocked down and Italian lock Furno was first to the ball.

It was a disappointing note for the Irish to end the game on and Clarke and his players know full well that they will have to tighten things up in defence and attack and be a lot more clinical in their execution when England visit Dubarry Park in two weeks’ time.

TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Ireland penalty: Conor Murray – 0-3; 9 mins – Ireland penalty: Conor Murray – 0-6; 15 mins – Ireland penalty: Tommaso Benvenuti – 3-6; 29 mins – Italy yellow card: Denis Majstorovic (killing the ball at a ruck); 31 mins – Ireland try: Thomas Sexton – 3-11; conversion: Conor Murray – 3-13; 33 mins – Italy penalty: Tommaso Benvenuti – 6-13; 40 mins – Italy penalty: Tommaso Benvenuti – 9-13; Half-time – Italy 9 Ireland 13; 45 mins – Ireland penalty: Conor Murray – 9-16; 48 mins – Giovanbattista Venditti – 14-16; conversion: Tommaso Benvenuti – 16-16; 50 mins – Ireland penalty: Ian McKinley – 16-19; 62 mins – Ireland penalty: Ian McKinley – 16-22; 67 mins – Italy yellow card: Carlo Fazzari (late tackle); 78 mins – Ireland try: Ronan O’Mahony – 16-27; conversion: Ian Madigan – 16-29; 80+1 mins – Italy try: Joshua Furno – 21-29; conversion: Tommaso Benvenuti – 23-29; Full-time – Italy 23 Ireland 29

ITALY UNDER-20: Alberto Benettin (Carrera Petrarca Padova); Edoardo Gori (Consiag I Cavalieri Prato), Denis Majstorovic (Vibu Noceto), Tommaso Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (AlmavivA UR Capitolina); Tommaso Iannone (Ruggers Tarvisium), Luca Martinelli (Fiamme Oro Roma); Andrea Lovotti (Cammi Calvisano), Andrea Manici (Plusvalore Gran Parma), Lorenzo Romano (Overmach Cariparma), Filippo Cazzola (Casino di Venezia), Joshua Furno (Antares Benevento), Filippo Ferrarini (Vibu Noceto), Emiliano Caffini (MPS Viadana), Luca Petillo (Mantovani Lazio) (capt).

Replacements used: Gabriele Cicchinelli (AlmavivA UR Capitolina) for Cazzola (56 mins), Alessandro Chillon (Carrera Petrarca Padova) for Ferrarini (56), Carlo Fazzari (Cammi Calvisano) for Lovotti (59), Michele Mortali (Plusvalore Gran Parma) for Venditti (70). Not used: Antonio Denti (MPS Viadana), Edoardo Carugi (MPS Viadana), Stefano Scanferla (Cammi Calvisano).

IRELAND UNDER-20: David Kearney (Lansdowne/Leinster); Mark Doyle (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ian McKinley (UCD/Leinster), Eamonn Sheridan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Michael Keating (Clontarf/Leinster); Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Paddy McAllister (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Thomas Sexton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Ciaran Ruddock (Neath/Exiles), Mark Flanagan (UCD/Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (Millfield School/Exiles), Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt)

Replacements used: Ronan O’Mahony (Garryowen/Munster) for Doyle (42 mins), Matthew Healy (Lansdowne/Leinster) for Murray (49), Jack O’Connell (Lansdowne/Leinster) for McGrath (56), James Sandford (Queen’s University/Ulster) for Flanagan (66), David McGregor (Ballynahinch/Ulster) for Sexton (70), Gary Foley (Blackrock College/Leinster) for McKinley (75). Not used: Michael Noone (Seapoint/Leinster).

Referee: Cyril Lafon (France)