Last week a bright spark in our statistics department noticed a pleasing alignment in the data delivered by Ireland’s senior and Under-20s men’s teams. After four rounds of their respective Six Nations, both teams topped their tables in tries scored with 20; both had highest points scored for and fewest points and tries against; both had three try bonus points.
The success of the senior side is no guarantee of success down the line, of course. The performance of the U20s depends on the quality of that year’s batch. Recall that in 2018, when Joe Schmidt’s team was winning a grand slam, Noel McCarthy’s U20s (a group including Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan) won only two Six Nations games and ended up in a ferocious scrap with Japan to avoid relegation at the Junior World Cup that summer.
The current U20s have outperformed Andy Farrell’s team in one rather important metric — their number of wins. This evening, they play bottom-placed Scotland in Cork with a grand slam on the line. Musgrave Park will be stuffed to its 8,000 capacity. If Ireland win — and they are unbackable favourites — it will be the second Irish slam at this level in the space of three completed Six Nations tournaments; the unfortunate 2020 crew had three wins from three when Covid struck. The IRFU’s talent processing system is clearly getting things right.
This would arguably be a “better” slam than 2019, for a couple of reasons. This lot won away in England and France, traditionally the heavyweights at this level. Covid meant that they came into the season relatively cold — their first outing, a practice match against Italy in UCD in December, resulted in an 8-15 defeat.
If this was an unpromising start, they have since flourished. In their efficiency and their resilience, they are a credit to themselves and also to the coaching team. Richie Murphy is new to the job of head coach but his history with Leinster and Ireland means that he has a clear understanding of what it takes to win. His choice of support staff was shrewd.
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From his experience at Connacht, forwards coach Jimmy Duffy was able to demonstrate how technical excellence can trump sheer size. That showed last week especially, when England had chosen their biggest available pack but were outwitted in and around the set pieces.
An aggregate of three tries conceded in four games is a fair measure of Willie Faloon’s influence as defence coach. Meanwhile the backs have benefited from the influence of Mark Sexton. The current Ireland captain says that his younger brother would have played for a living but for a series of knee injuries. He may still make it as a professional coach.
If Ireland’s last senior slam is remembered for a certain drop-goal in Paris, these U20s had their “Johnny moment” in Aix-en-Provence in round two, when centre Ben Brownlee scored in the final seconds to leave Charlie Tector with a knee-trembler of a conversion to snatch victory. When the former Kilkenny College fly half did the needful, he was duly engulfed by delirious team-mates.
Leinster is the dominant province in this group, though not quite to the same extent as the senior side — today’s starting side has eight Leinster players, five from Ulster and one each from Munster and Connacht. Success invites speculation as to how many of them will progress successfully into the professional ranks, whether it can be as productive as the 2007 slam-winners, which delivered five senior internationals (Keith Earls, Cian Healy, Felix Jones, Darren Cave and Ian Keatley) plus around six jobbing professionals.
Munster have hopes for Patrick Campbell, who has already played in the European Champions Cup at full back. Jude Postlethwaite and Brownlee have impressed in midfield, while the finishing of both wings, Chay Mullins and Aitzol King, has been top drawer.
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In the pack, James Culhane has been consistently excellent at No 8, and has star quality. Jack Boyle is a relatively small loosehead with enormous potential, while Rory McGuire has the necessary physique at tight-head. Lock Conor O’Tighearnaigh stands 6ft 7in and has another year at this level. His work-rate is astonishing.
But perhaps the main impression is of a team that has gelled remarkably well. The pity is that they will be denied the opportunity to test themselves at a Junior World Cup — this summer’s edition is the third to have been cancelled by Covid.
There is talk of a makeshift tournament involving eight teams, perhaps to be held in South Africa. But for now they have enough to be getting on with.
The team aiming to make history today
Patrick Campbell (Munster); Aitzol King (Leinster), Jude Postlethwaite, Ben Carson (both Ulster), Fionn Gibbons; Charlie Tector (both Leinster), Matthew Devine (Connacht); Jack Boyle (Leinster), James McCormick (Ulster), Rory McGuire, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Mark Morrissey (all Leinster), Lorcan McLoughlin, Reuben Crothers (both Ulster; capt), James Culhane (Leinster)
Replacements Josh Hanlon (Ulster), Oisin Michel (Leinster), Scott Wilson, Adam McNamee (both Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (Leinster), Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler (both Munster) Chay Mullins (Bristol)
ON TV TODAY
Ireland U20s v Scotland U20s
Virgin Media Two, 5pm