Ireland U20s 30-25 Scotland U20s
Jack O’Sullivan scored two tries as Ireland edged a dramatic battle with Scotland in the U20s Six Nations.
The Munster number 8 also took the man of the match award as the hosts claimed a 30-25 victory, their second win from four games in the championship.
Noel McNamara’s team treated the crowd at a rainy Donnybrook to another edge of the seat ride that combined some excellent passages of play and individual skills with defensive errors and sloppy mistakes. Once more, it was control of the restarts which let the home side down at times.
Scotland, too, played their part and refused to lie down, claiming a losing bonus point with the last play of the game.
"For large parts of the game we were in control but unfortunately we managed to find a way to allow the Scots back in to it. They really took their opportunities," McNamara told RTÉ Sport after the game.
"You can’t get bored of doing the simple things and we didn’t in the first half....the message at half-time was to do the same again... but unfortunately we did make an error and compounded it with another error and that brought them back into the game."
Jack O'Sullivan scores Ireland's first try #rterugby pic.twitter.com/EPwwcLjEo3
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 9, 2018
But there was plenty of positives to be drawn from the match, not least the performance of UCC man O’Sullivan who scored the first try after just three minutes, stretching over after a well-timed run.
Out-half Harry Byrne added eight points with the boot and the hosts lead by 13 points with 18 minutes gone.
Agnew gets Ireland's second as the lead is extended before half-time #rterugby pic.twitter.com/Md6SJQMAVA
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 9, 2018
Scotland, who came in on the back of a win over England, landed two penalties of their own before another O’Sullivan break from a scrum led to flanker Matthew Agnew going over to hand Ireland a 18-6 lead at the break.
A defensive error by wing Angus Kernohan allowed Kyle Rowe to touch down for the Scots before Ulster’s Matthew Dalton finished off a multi-phase move to push the Ireland lead out to 23-18.
Dalton scores Ireland's third of the evening #rterugby pic.twitter.com/8PSD7JJc0E
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 9, 2018
Once again Ireland failed to secure the restart and flanker Martin Hughes scored the visitors' second.
The game was frantic and play moved from end to end before O’Sullivan produced a moment of magic to break the line and coast over for what turned out to be the winning score.
Jack O'Sullivan scores his second and Ireland's fourth #rterugby pic.twitter.com/jGkD6ERPAK
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) March 9, 2018
Ireland’s next game is against England at the Ricoh Arena on Friday night.
"We certainly won't be getting ahead of ourselves," added the head coach.
"They gave us plenty to work on for next week and challenges don't come much bigger than England away so we'll certainly be staying grounded."
