UNDER-18 FIVE NATIONS FESTIVAL/Wales 24 Ireland 18: IT WOULD be so tempting for one filled with patriotic zeal to concentrate on a remarkable Irish fightback in the opening match of the Under-18 Five Nations Festival at Llandovery, in Wales, yesterday.
That would be to overlook the chasm that existed between these sides for all but the last five minutes. In that narrow window, Ireland managed what they couldn’t all game, get workable front foot ball in dangerous areas. Outhalf Patrick Jackson and inside centre JJ Hanrahan showed the benefit of crisp passing to put replacement Conor Gilsenan through for a gallop to the line.
One minute later, wing Sam Coghlan-Murray and fullback Charlie Simpson fixed subsequent defenders to find replacement wing Mark Corballis in enough space to make it tell. Although Jackson was inches wide with the conversion it was now, incredibly, a three-point match – 21-18 – despite the domination of Wales for the greater part of an hour.
Other than two penalties from Jackson, at the start of each half, Wales held all the aces in the physicality of their pack, the playmaking of outhalf Matthew Morgan and the power running of centre George North, who started the scoreboard rolling with a hard line on to Morgan’s flat pass in the 15th minute. It could have been far worse, Tom Prydie dropping the ball with the line beckoning. The Welsh scrum was impregnable, the reward for their work located in a try by loosehead Rob Evans, Morgan’s conversion making it 14-3 on the stroke of half-time.
Wales owned the ball, if not quite all the territory, as Jackson sent them into retreat whenever the ball came loose, managing to pick off another penalty in the process. Then, North crossed for his second try in the 50th minute, Morgan dissecting the posts for a 21-6 lead. It looked all over bar the shouting before Ireland rallied.
WALES: T Prydie; H Robinson, G North, L Williams, S Campbell; M Morgan, A Davies; R Evans, J Dando, S Lee, C Hill, L Hamilton, O Sheppeard, T Young (capt), D Baker. Replacements: E Jenkins for Sheppeard, C Thomas for Young (both 44 mins); D Harris for Evans, W Jones for Lee (both 53 mins); J Griffen for Morgan (57 mins); L Bellamore for Casmpbell (60 mins); M Screech for Hamilton (63 mins).
IRELAND: C Simpson (Ballymena); S MacAuley (Clongowes Wood), P Nelson (Royal, Dungannon), JJ Hanrahan (Rockwell), S Coghlan-Murray (Newbridge); P Jackson (Methodist), L McGrath (St Michael’s); R Harrison (Methodist), J Rael (Castletroy), N Scannell (PBC Cork, capt), Y Browne (CBC Cork), S Buckley (Rockwell), A Clarkin (Terenure), A Conneely (Colaiste Iognaid), D Qualter (Sligo Grammar). Replacements: K McCall (Wallace High) for Rael halftime; C Gilsenan (Clongowes Wood) for Conneely 37 mins; M Corballis (St Michael’s) for MacAuley, J Conan (St Gerard’s) for Buckley both 46 mins.
Referee: L Pearce (England).
