Rugby - England 33 Ireland 25:Ireland lost out to England in their opening game of the under-20 Junior World Championships in Treviso.
It was a battling performance from Mike Ruddock's side, who were trounced by 31 points the last time these two sides met in the Six Nations at Athlone earlier this year.
This result wasn’t any easier to take but Ireland can take heart from the performance despite a late try earning England a bonus point, while at the same time denying Ireland a losing bonus point of their own.
“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," said Ruddock afterwards.
Andrew Conway took full advantage of a fortunate bounce and ran from his own 22 to touch down under the posts for Ireland’s only try before Paddy Jackson converted.
Jackson missed a couple of kickable chances but on the whole had a good return and kept the Ireland scoreboard ticking over with a further three penalties. James McKinney also kicked three penalties.
England's tries came from Andy Short, Henry Thomas, Mako Vunipola and Marland Yarde, the latter in the dying seconds being the most difficult for Ireland to stomach.
ENGLAND
Tries: Short, Thomas, Vunipola, Yarde
Cons: Ford (2)
Pens: Ford (3)
IRELAND
Try: Conway
Con: Jackson
Pens: Jackson (3), McKinney (3)
England: B Ransom (Saracens); A Short (Worcester), E Daly (Wasps), R Mills (Gloucester), J Joseph (London Irish); G Ford (Leicester), C Cook (Bath); M Vunipola (Bristol), M Haywood (Northampton), H Thomas (Sale); J Launchbury (Wasps), C Matthews (Harlequins); M Kvesic (Worcester), M Everard (Leicester), A Gray (Capt, Newcastle).
Replacements: O Farrell (Saracens) for Mills, 42; M Yarde (London Irish) for Joseph, 52; S Jones (London Wasps) for Everard, 55; S Jones (London Wasps) for Cook, 61.
Ireland: C Gilroy (Dungannon); A Conway (Blackrock), B Macken (Blackrock), L Marshall (Ballymena), A Boyle (UCD); P Jackson (Dungannon), K Marmion (University of Wales Institute Cardiff); J Tracy (UCD), N Annett (Belfast Harlequins), T Furlong (Clontarf); M Kearney (Clontarf), I Henderson (Queens University); J Murphy (Lansdowne), D Gallagher (Dublin University), E McKeon (Galwegians).
Replacements: JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians) for Marshall, 59; J McKinney (Queens University) for Jackson, 59; D Qualter (Buccaneers) for Kearney, 62; S Buckley (Garryowen) for McKeon, 74; D Doyle (UCD) for Annett, 71; C Carey (Ballymena) for Furlong, 72; P Du Toit (UCD) for Marmion, 75.
