Irish Under-20's 2023

DellyBelly

Great tournament overall but result is very disappointing..hopefully no scar tissue left after that....the officiating by the ref and touch judges was abysmal....hopefully they learn from it as well cause they won't go very far if they don't

Seadin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852402#Comment_120852402

Nothing is bright after seeing that thrashing.

Jizique

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852277#Comment_120852277

Have any losing Irish team (including provinces) ever had a ref that was fair?

TRC10

Very hard for an attack to get going when your out half refuses to take the ball to the line. May as well have had a lamppost at 10. Ross Byrne 2.0.

thebaz

Started welll - Gunne looked lively , but France were brilliant for 80 - worthy champions , played great rugby - prendegast not at his best , but he will learn, and will develop into a quality 10.

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852420#Comment_120852420

I thought the lack of an offside pen, for the French not retreating from a sliced kick, was odd. Particularly since Ireland were pinged for it earlier.

realhorrorshow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852432#Comment_120852432

13/15 of the French starters have played senior pro rugby. Jauneau has 30 caps and has started in the Champions Cup. Many of our lads are still in the sub academy. They are simply further ahead in their development. That gulf in class will level out as these players progress to senior international level.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852442#Comment_120852442

Did you just miss France blowing away our rucks all game?

Both half backs were poor in attack but had rubbish slow ball to work with for the most part.

Locke_Lamora

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852411#Comment_120852411

Yep, we run hard and direct, and their defence was more than a match to deal with that - there's a lot of pro experience in that team.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852439#Comment_120852439

They have 30+ pro academies and a developed club game. Ireland has a handful of schools. No comparison really. Big difference now is with JIFF rules more young players are getting useful game time at club level while lads in other countries play the odd game here and there while studying.

Jizique

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852442#Comment_120852442

Look at the hard Internet warrior

snotboogie

We had a very poor lineout which made things really difficult. There is a lot of talent from 1–10 in that Irish team but outside that I thought the players were limited.

clsmooth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852442#Comment_120852442

Classy. I’d suggest it’s quite hard to get an attack going when you’re not making ground off tight carries and the opposition is making a mess of your ball and turning you over.

OldRio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852436#Comment_120852436

Yes. Many.

Tigerandahalf

Well beaten in the end. We did well (more luck) not to concede 2 or 3 tries around the 60min mark and if we ourselves had scored then it could have been down to 10 points and you had a game.

French defensive rucking was incredible right upto the end, obviously well drilled. Just slowed our ball down. Our best unit the backrow was completely outplayed and the lineout once France competed really struggled.

The scrum was a real positive but we lack pace and creativity in the backline and a bit like the senior team overly rely on rucking close to the line.

Best team won and a great brand of rugby but well done to our lads. They have showed more than anything great composure and temperament which will stand to them well going forward.

ulsteru20s

I love Paddy McC, Gleeson and Quinn. Then I’d have Gunne and McNabney a tier below that. Everyone else has lots of question marks.

pickarooney

This was really a great French U20 squad. Talent, power, organisation, cool-headedness and experience throughout the team, they systematically dismantled everyone they met.

Three in a row and the odds of this domination continuing and feeding into the senior game are very high.

The rest of the world has a lot of rethinking to do.

roverjoyce

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852402#Comment_120852402

Begs the question why Irish players aren't exposed to top level rugby when clearly some are good enough already

Why they aren't allowed go and play in other countries England Championship, Currie Cup or ITM Cup and if they are good enough they will come back

Rather than having them going to waste in academies

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852473#Comment_120852473

Nonsense, 12 and 15 had fine games

lawrencesummers

The prendergast hype train is back in the station.

Might be the best thing in the long run.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852470#Comment_120852470

They do have way more academies and way more pro games but we dont have a handful of schools. bullshit.

Disappointing end to a fantastic year.

watched in pub so have to watch game back properly

Thought their 9 was awesome.

Quinn was awesome. best for us up front. how was Gus McCarthy left on. needed to be changed

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852526#Comment_120852526

I think hes limited athletically but i also think he might be injured because he was more mobile in 6 nations.

Its a typical irish media thing. If the injury becomes public, then they will acknowledge he wasn’t that good.

Locke_Lamora

Anyway, last time we got thrashed in the u20 final the squad went on to be more successful than their English counterparts - Jacob Stockdale, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Hugo Keenan, Will Connors, Jimmy O'Brien and Shane Daly all came from that group.

With that in mind, a few players that impressed me enough to think about their future international careers:

Gleeson - standout tournament from him and back again next year. Just so well rounded and has a rare combination of size and skill that's not often found on these shores. Having another player with his size and power other than Coombes in Munster's backrow is just what they needed as they already have a few very good, but undersized, backrowers in Kendellen, Hodnett and JOS. He's the one player here I feel international honours are inevitable for.

Prendergast - had a rough start to the tournament but and incredible six nations gives him credit in the bank. I know not all flyhalfs need to take it to the line but I prefer them to and I think he's more than capable of it but avoids it for the sake of the system they play in. His strength and acceleration will need to improve for that though. Anyway, really like his passing and the options he picks, seems to be very calm on the ball as well. Came at the right time for Leinster.

McCarthy - said before I think he's a LH. Leinster may be reluctant to commit him to it to keep everyone happy for as long as possible but I've been more impressed with him that I was with Jack Boyle. I love how unassumingly powerful he is, he just doesn't look like he should be as strong as he is. Seems to always look for offloads as well.

In all likelihood more players are going to pick up caps, those three were the ones I was most impressed with. I think Gunne and McNabney have good chances of being starters for their provinces, mostly from a lack of competition in their positions for their respective provinces. Mangan and Quinn both had great tournaments but I'm iffy about their futures as starters/mainstays.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852537#Comment_120852537

Having Clein in the squad as a hooker and him not playing 1 minute as a hooker was odd.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852549#Comment_120852549

Gunne and McErlean we really good today also.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852515#Comment_120852515

Because putting an 18/19 year old into a league with seniors is not always the best thing for their development. Some are good enough, like Gleeson, but he's still very young and backrowers have a short enough shelf life as it is. Giving them an extra year or two in development squads and academies can often lead to far more rounded pro players in the end.

swiwi_

The French 9 is a star in the making. Surely France will get a senior RWC one of these days. This side is very complete and not dependent on one or two stars. Ireland just outmuscled really.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852548#Comment_120852548

The media completely overhyped him as they often do, he played well in the 6N and had a few moments of brilliance but our best player in the 6N was gleeson by a few country miles and he didnt get anywhere near the attention.

The reality is that prendergast wasnt as good as he was being made out to be, and if he cops flack after this hes not as bad as he might be made out to be. He has loads of potential but needs to develop a few things.

Two things are clear for this group.

1. on merit as opposed to the luck of the draw they are deserved silver medalists, they are easily and by a long way the second best team in the world and thats a massive achievement worthy of celebration.
2. The have individually and collectively skills and learning that they can work on. I hope they can sit down someday in a week or two and constructively accept the areas of their game once improved upon will make them world class senior players down the road.

Thats some adventure they have had. Ups and downs and ups and downs. Safe home.

Dubinusa

Beaten by a better side. Can't complain.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852515#Comment_120852515

A grand slam and rugby world cup silver medal says pretty categorically that they are not “going to waste”