IRELAND UNDER-20s 44 SCOTLAND UNDER-20s 15, Dubarry Park

Scorers: Ireland U-20s: Tries: Nevin Spence 2, Andrew Conway 2, Tiernan O’Halloran; Cons: James McKinney 5; Pens: James McKinney 3
Scotland U-20s: Pens: Alex Blair 5

After this fourth win of the Championship, the Ireland Under-20s sit proudly at the top of the table on eight points, with a +85 points differential.

The only way Allen Clarke's charges can be denied the title - Ireland's first at this grade since the 2007 Grand Slam - would be if second-placed England score a 47-point win away to France on Sunday.

There was no first minute try, like last weekend against Wales, but Ireland once again made an impressive start in their final match of the campaign.

They looked for space through the middle and monster prop Stewart Maguire fended off a tackler before the hosts enjoyed a sustained period in and around the Scottish 22.

In the sixth minute, James McKinney landed his first penalty from a right-sided position inside the 22. The Queen's University clubman went on to kick 19 points, with two other efforts hitting the post.

Scotland responded strongly with out-half Alex Blair, the youngest brother of senior international Mike Blair, firing over two penalties in quick succession, with his second from far out giving the visitors a tenth minute lead.

A good kick chase created a penalty chance for McKinney but his effort bounced back off the right hand post.

But Ireland were beginning to threaten with ball in hand. Space opened up for recalled winger Simon Zebo to carve his way through the Scottish midfield and he dinked a kick towards the left corner, only for Blair to track back and rescue his side.

The well-drilled Irish side made the breakthrough on 16 minutes. Great hands from McKinney, who was involved twice as he popped the ball to Eoin Griffin and took the return on the burst, saw the number 10 send the supporting Nevin Spence past two tacklers and over close to the posts.

It was a terrific team score really, and it had its roots in some hard graft by team captain Rhys Ruddock, lock David O'Callaghan and number 8 Patrick Butler as the trio carried forward at close quarters.

McKinney landed the conversion and the Scots tried their best to hit back. Unfortunately for the visiting fans, their charges were held at arm's length by a physical stronger Irish pack and a snap drop goal attempt by lock Robert Harley summed up their lack of ideas.

Ireland pressed on and were brilliantly clinical when given a sniff of the try-line. They almost got over when centre Spence blazed away on a diagonal run, following a scissors move with winger Tiernan O'Halloran.

Ruddock and Griffin kept the move going and there was some excellent link play from scrum half John Cooney, before Scotland conceded a penalty which McKinney knocked over for 13-6.

He added another from 35 metres out as the powerful Irish scrum forced a turnover and a penalty.

The pressure was beginning to tell on the Scots and they leaked a second try in the 31st minute, with flanker Dominic Ryan snaffling possession on the deck and Cooney passing for Spence to skip past two tacklers and glide over on the left.

McKinney's successful conversion was cancelled out by a third penalty from Blair, but Ireland finished the first half in full command, leading 30-9.

Full-back Andrew Conway scored the hosts' third try, on the cusp of half-time, using his pace to beat the cover and get in behind the posts. The set-up was just as good as all-action centre Griffin jinked his way forward on the right before popping the ball to the advancing Conway, whose line of attack was just right.

Full report to follow...

IRELAND U-20: Andrew Conway (Blackrock College/Leinster); Tiernan O'Halloran (Galwegians/Connacht), Eoin Griffin (Corinthians/Connacht), Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); James McKinney (Queen's University/Ulster), John Cooney (UCD/Leinster); Jack O'Connell (Lansdowne/Leinster), Niall Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Stewart Maguire (Old Belvedere/Leinster), David O'Callaghan (UCC/Munster), Ben Marshall (UCD/Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Patrick Butler (Shannon/Munster).

Replacements: Risteard Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Bryan Cagney (UCC/Munster), Brian Hayes (Cork Constitution/Munster), Robin O'Sullivan (Bective Rangers/Leinster), Michael Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Gareth Quinn McDonogh (Shannon/Munster), Brendan Macken (Blackrock/Leinster).

SCOTLAND U-20: Tom Brown (Edinburgh Accies); Oliver Grove (Worcester Warriors), James Johnstone (Currie), Alex Dunbar (Selkirk), Dougie Fife (Currie); Alex Blair (Edinburgh Accies), Alex Black (Leeds Carnegie); Nicky Little (Hawick), Alun Walker (Currie), Colin Phillips (Stewart's Melville), Matthew Reid (Heriot's), Robert Harley (West of Scotland), Michael Maltman (Heriot's), David Denton (Edinburgh Accies), Stuart McInally (Watsonians) (capt).

Replacements: Lindsey Gibson (Melrose), George Hunter (Glasgow Hawks), Aaron Hall (Newcastle Falcons), Callum Stidston-Nott (London Scottish), Kris Hamilton (Caithness), Matthew Scott (Currie), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Hawks).

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)

This article was posted on 19-Mar-2010, 23:18 by Hugh Barrow.