JUNIOR WORLD CUP/England U-20 33 Ireland U-20 25:THIS WAS an agonising opening game to the Under-20 Junior World Championship last night as Ireland showed courage to come from deep and hit the front in the dying moments, only to have victory snatched from them.

England had 31 points to spare when these clashed in the Six Nations, but the favourites were fortunate to get their campaign off to a winning start.

Ireland did not help their cause with a poor opening quarter where possession was coughed up cheaply, but they still had the character to recover from two difficult positions to finally hit the front in the closing stages.

But the joy at Stadio di Monigo turned to agony with England not just securing the win with a penalty, but a try in the final play gave them a bonus point and robbed Ireland of a losing one. That could yet be crucial.

Coach Mike Ruddock said he was proud of the effort and feels they can build on this when they play South Africa on Tuesday.

“It was disappointing to lose in the end, very disappointing, but having said that I was very proud of the players, I thought they were fantastic on the night.

“And don’t forget this is a team that put 40 points on Ireland in the Six Nations and put 40 points on us in the World Cup last year. We took them right down to the wire, so we are not too far away at all. It is massive progression from my team and I am very proud of them.”

Ireland could have done with a good start but it was England who got it, crossing for their opening try in just 90 seconds and opening a 13-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.

When Ireland hit back to reduce the margin to two shortly after the restart, England struck for another try to go 23-16 in front.

However, Ireland, dominating throughout the field, responded magnificently, and two penalties from replacement outhalf James McKinney reduced the margin. He then edged Ireland in front for the first time with eight minutes remaining.

But, crucially, Ireland failed to retain possession and England struck, with George Ford edging them back in front.

Ireland were 7-0 behind in less than two minutes, with England working the ball from a scrum in the left corner across the field for winger Andy Short to dive over.

Ford landed the touchline conversion and with Ireland coughing up possession in a mistake-ridden opening, Ford landed a brace of penalties to put England 13-0 in front.

But Ireland regrouped, and with Luke Marshall superb in the centre and Jordi Murphy, Dominic Gallagher and Eoin McKeon mopping up in the backrow, Ruddock’s men got back into the game.

Paddy Jackson, having been off target with his first two penalties, found the range after 29 minutes.

Then Andrew Conway broke for a bizarre but superbly executed try when an attempted clearance blasted off the back of the head of England skipper Alex Gray and fell kindly for the Leinster winger, who dashed from his 22 to touch down under the posts. Jackson added the points to make it 13-10 after 38 minutes.

However, Ireland undid a lot of that good work when they lost their lineout five metres from their line and England recycled for Henry Thomas to get their second try.

Jackson pulled back a penalty before the break and then landed another three minutes after it.

But, once again, they undermined their efforts when England tighthead Mako Vunipola burst through for their third try after 61 minutes to go 23-16 in front.

Once again Ireland refused to die with fullback Craig Gilroy, replacements JJ Hanrahan and McKinney leading the charge as they clawed their way back before hitting the front in the dying moments, only to be denied by that late England rally which was completed by their fourth try from Marland Yarde.

ENGLAND: B Ransom; A Short, E Daly, R Mills, J Joseph; G Ford, C Cook; M Vunipola, M Haywood, H Thomas; J Launchbury, C Matthews; M Kvesic, M Everard, A Gray (capt). Replacements: O Farrell for Mills (42); M Yarde for Joseph (52); S Jones for Everard (55); S Jones for Cook (61).

IRELAND: C Gilroy (Dungannon); A Conway (Blackrock), B Macken (Blackrock), L Marshall (Ballymena), A Boyle (UCD); P Jackson (Dungannon), K Marmion (Univ of Wales); J Tracy (UCD), N Annett (Belfast Harlequins), T Furlong (Clontarf); M Kearney (Clontarf), I Henderson (Queen’s University); J Murphy (Lansdowne), D Gallagher (Dublin University), E McKeon (Galwegians). Replacements: JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians) for Marshall; J McKinney (Queen’s University) for Jackson (both 59); D Qualter (Buccaneers) for Kearney (62); S Buckley (Garryowen) for McKeon (64); D Doyle (UCD) for Annett (71); C Carey (Ballymena) for Furlong (72); P Du Toit (UCD) for Marmion (75).

Referee: J Peyper (Rsa).