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Hat-trick for Ruadhan Quinn as Ireland U20s record rout of Scotland

Updated / Friday, 10 Mar 2023 22:10
Ulster's Rory Telfer scores Ireland's 11th try of the night
Ulster's Rory Telfer scores Ireland's 11th try of the night

Scotland U20 7-82 Ireland U20

Ireland are just one win away from back to back U20 Six Nations Grand Slams, after dominating from start to finish in a 75-point win away to Scotland in Glasgow.

Richie Murphy's side looked a league above their hosts, running in 12 tries in total, with three for Munster's Ruadhan Quinn, who was named Player of the Match.

It was a record win for the Irish U20s, who will now host England at Musgrave Park on Sunday 19 March looking to win consecutive slams, and a third in the last four runnings of the championship.

Murphy chose to rotate his side following the Round 3 win in Italy, making three changes to the starting XV, with two of the fresh faces scoring tries inside the first 10 minutes, Naas wing Andrew Osborne and Connacht prop Fiachna Barrett both crossed early on, with Ireland making their intentions clear by playing out from deep.

They played with ferocious intensity in the opening half, their dominant scrum and lineout eventually laying the platform for hooker Gus McCarthy to score at the back of a maul on 15 minutes, bringing up a 21-0 lead.

With just over 20 minutes played they had the bonus-point in the bag, Quinn scoring the first of his three tries when he latched onto a beautiful pass out the back from Barrett, completing a clever move off a five-metre penalty.

By now, Ireland were cruising, and two more tries followed in quick succession. First, Leinster scrum-half Fintan Gunne ran in under the posts after keeping pace with centre John Devine, who broke through the middle of the field, while Quinn's second of the night came shortly after. Sam Prendergast converted, as he did with the previous five, to send Ireland 42-0 in front.

There was still time left in the first half for Ireland to score a seventh try, and it was Ulster's James McNabney who joined the scoresheet with a short pick-and-go, which left Ireland in an incredible 47-0 half time lead.

Scotland started the second half brightly, and deservedly found their way over for a try for hooker Corey Tait, but after a sloppy 10-minute period, Ireland resumed their dominance.

Second row Diarmuid Mangan scored Ireland's eighth try on 51 minutes, striding through the 22 after being played in by Prendergast, before Quinn completed his hat-trick when he burrowed over the line following a big Paddy McAllister carry.

Prendergast finished the night with 14 points off the tee before being replaced by Matty Lynch, who would go on to land four conversions in his 15-minute showing.

An already one-sided game became even more so when Scotland lock Jake Parkinson was red carded for a dangerous tackle on Evan O'Connell with just over 10 minutes left, and from there Scotland fell apart further, with replacements Danny Sheahan, Rory Telfer and Danny Cawley all crossing for tries in the final 10 minutes, to cap off a historic night for the Irish U20s.

Scotland: Dan King; Logan Jarvie, Duncan Munn, Kerr Yule, Geordie Gwynn; Luke Townsend, Finlay Burgess; Craig Davidson, Corey Tait, Moby Ogunlaja; Jake Parkinson, Harris McLeod; Liam McConnell, Rudi Brown, Jonny Morris

Replacements: Elliot Young, Max Surry, Robbie Deans, Ruaraidh Hart, Sam Derrick, Charlie Clare, Ben Salmon, Andy McLean

Ireland: Henry McErlean; Andrew Osborne, Hugh Cooney, John Devine, Hugh Gavi; Sam Prendergast, Fintan Gunne; George Hadden, Gus McCarthy (captain), Fiachna Barrett; Evan O'Connell, Conor O'Tighearnaigh; James McNabney, Ruadhán Quinn, Brian Gleeson

Replacements: Danny Sheahan, George Morris, Paddy McCarthy, Diarmuid Mangan, Liam Molony, Oscar Cawley, Matthew Lynch, Rory Telfer

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