Ireland ransack Scotland 82-7 to set up U20 grand slam decider
Ireland were operating on another level as they took apart Scotland in the fourth round of the U20 Six Nations Championship.
The Irish ran in 12 tries from Andrew Osborne, Fiachna Barrett, Gus McCarthy, a hat-trick for Ruadhán Quinn, Fintan Gunne, James McNabney, Diarmuid Mangan, Danny Sheahan, Rory Telfer and Oscar Cawley. Scotland’s only score came shortly after halftime from Corey Tait.
No sooner after kick off and the green mist that travelled up the Clyde, enveloped itself around Scotstoun stadium.
Sam Prendergast, player of the match in the wins over France and Italy prized open the Scottish defences with a clever kick through, straight into the hands of Hugh Cooney who shovelled the ball out wide to Quinn before it found itself in the hands of Osborne who scored the opening try in his debut for the U20 side.
The Irish siege of Scotstoun had well and truly set in after 10 minutes. The visitors had nearly 90% of the opening possession and made Scotland pay for their penalties. Fiachna Barrett rumbled over the line in his first start of the championship after George Hadden drove the Irish to within a metre of the Scotland line.
Before the opening quarter was up, Ireland had another. Despite Scotland’s best efforts to chop down the Irish onslaught, with the visitors clearing out over 60% of their rucks in less than three seconds, Scotland consistently found themselves on the back foot. Their captain Gus McCarthy added the third try off the back of an attacking line-out.
The shell shocked crowd, clearly taken aback with the ferocity that Ireland had brought were stunned into silence as the Irish secured the bonus point moments later. In a move very similar to one pulled off by Leinster against Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship, Quinn benefited from a sneaky scissor move and blocking wall to dart over after the Scots conceded another penalty.
With Ireland scoring more than a point a minute, the fifth try was inevitable and came from lightning quick handling, once again displaying their ruthlessness at the breakdown. Henry McErlean opened space for John Devine to exploit the absent backfield, creating a simple two on one that Fintan Gunne was guaranteed to score from.
Six minutes until the Scots would be afforded a break from the battering, Ireland chalked up their sixth score. The Irish pack were unstoppable as they roared through Scotland’s 22 and a quick pop up from the tighthead Barrett to Quinn meant the flanker had his second try of the night.
After Gunn nearly scampered the length of the pitch, the men in green shipped the ball to the other side of the pitch after Scotland failed to find touch as the clock went red. Ireland’s cold-blooded dissection during the opening half came to an end as James McNabey scored Ireland’s magnificent seventh try.
Scotland returned to the field with a chip on their shoulder and after sustained time in the Irish half, it was the turn of the visitors to give away penalties. The Scots started to creep towards the Irish line and Corey Tait finally broke the deadlock for the hosts, giving Ireland a taste of their own quick ruck medicine.
This slight deviation in Ireland’s script was soon corrected by Prendergast who’s offload unleashed Diarmuid Mangan. The replacement forward used his entire six foot six frame to haul himself, the ball and Charlie Clare over the line to resume Ireland’s try-fest.
Prendergast slotted his seventh conversion of the night before being replaced after putting on an understated attacking workshop in the west of Scotland.
While Ireland’s rate of scoring may have subsided, it was not halted. Their pack continued to bully the young Scots at the breakdown and Quinn scored his hat trick after burrowing his way between the blue defenders who were desperately trying to protect their try line.
Scotland’s hopes of taking anything meaningful from this performance drained from the pitch like the spectators from the stand as Jake Parkinson was shown red for a high tackle on Evan O’Connell.
It only took a few seconds for Danny Sheahan to capitalise on the man advantage adding another nail to Scotland’s coffin that was already well sealed by this point.
With five minutes to go, the Scottish crowds finally had something to cheer about after Liam Molony’s try was ruled out after a foot in touch. However, those cheers were duly extinguished as Rory Telfer scored Ireland’s 11th try of the night.
Oscar Cawley would have the last laugh of the night, momentarily playing football and leaving Andy McLean flaying on the ground and only able to watch on as the replacement rounded off Ireland’s dozen tries. A perfect metaphor for a night to forget for Scotland’s U20s.
