Irish Under-20's 2023

ljsulster

What are we thinking for the team for South Africa?

Hadden

mccarthy

mccarthy

COT

Irvine

Mangan

Hopes

Gleeson

Gunne

Prendergast

Nicholson

Devine

Gavin

Osbourne

Mcerlean

What is the prognosis for Quinn, likely to be available?

I doubt quinns abailable 12 day standdowns minimum i think. Everyone would be back for the final if we make it though right?

tindjim1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807108#Comment_120807108

Hopes is a massive downgrade on Quinn, not sure what the protocols are if he passed his HIA then I think hes ok to play no? dont think they said whether or not he was given one or not

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807383#Comment_120807383

The process is very different outside the full Pro ranks.

There are no HIA's as such - You don't get to "pass" a test and come back on the field.

Basically , if he was removed from play due to a head injury (and he was) you stay off and then you enter into the Return to play protocols

tindjim1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807414#Comment_120807414

Wonder if they said it was a potential neck injury or a head injury or if that even makes any difference to the above ^ ?,

zetor 4911

What's the story with McNabney

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807632#Comment_120807632

Banned until the final game as long as he completes tackle school, same with Telfer.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807331#Comment_120807331

All bar Hugh Cooney unless another player gets banned/injured in the SA game.

tindjim1990

SA looked to really start getting into their stride in the second half against Arg, if they cut out the errors and indiscipline they'll be very hard for this Irish team to beat considering the injuries/suspensions

Dubinusa

Brilliant effort under a dark cloud. I thought that we would struggle given the circumstances and to Fiji's credit, they gave it a good effort.

South Africa this weekend! A semi final too! These lads have been outstanding. Credit to Richie Murphy and the staff. Excellent coaching. I reckon that we have a really good chance to win this and advance to the final.

I think that I'd try Mangan at openside flanker. Irvine to start along with C.O.T. O'Connell or Hopes at 6. Having no natural 7 hasn't affected this team. Who knows, Mangan may do a great job. Getting McNabney back for the last game is great. I think he's played very well in this tournament.

Eng v Fra will be colossal. There's a lot of heft out there and there is sure to be a lot of fatigue afterwards, that will benifit Ireland. France did have the easiest group, imo. Our group was really tough as was the other one.

OneLungDavy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807108#Comment_120807108

Not sure why you'd play Hopes at 7, didn't think he had a good game against Fiji and doesn't look like a backrower. Why not play Barron at 7 again?

Foxe should stay at TH for me with McCarthy at LH, our scrum looks much better with that balance. I'm not sure McCarthy has the scrummaging power for a TH yet, Foxe looks like he was made to scrummage.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808361#Comment_120808361

Foxe looks the business. Very impressive

johnh6767

Ireland are all round a better team than SA, they will be able to field a very strong 23 with a few of the top players returning , many now partially or fully rested since the Aus game . The atmosphere will be electrifying and these Irish guys love the big occasions as we saw in 6N. Amazing group of young men. Have we reached a final before? They can do this.

pickarooney

One final previously, lost to England.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808802#Comment_120808802

That was the Porter,Ryan,Deegan & Stockdale year right?

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808833#Comment_120808833

yeah. shane daly, ben betts, johnny mcphillips

england had harry mallinder, callum chick, joe marchant

Clegg

Hugo Keenan started that final on the wing too. Stockdale was the full back.

The former was solid, but I never would have expected him to become a far more influential test player than the latter.

OneLungDavy

It's interesting looking back at those teams. Ireland have a fair few established internationals; Stockdale, Keenan, Porter, Ryan, Jimmy O'Brien.

England have Jack Willis, Malins and Marchant.

England: M Malins; S Aspland-Robinson, J Marchant, J Williams, M Gallagher; H Mallinder, M Green; L Boyce, J Singleton, B Walker; S South, H Taylor; G Nott, W Evans, C Chick.

Replacements: H Randall for Green (32), W Stuart for B Walker (53), A Kitchener for South (61), J Willis for Nott (61), T West for Boyce (65), C Piper for Singleton (69), O Thorley for Gallagher (72), M Wright for Aspland-Robinson (72).

Ireland: J Stockdale (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster); M Byrne (Terenure / Leinster), S Daly (Cork Con / Munster), C O’Brien (Clontarf / Leinster), H Keenan (UCD / Leinster); J McPhillips (Queen’s University / Ulster), S Kerins (Sligo / Connacht); A Porter (UCD / Leinster), A McBurney (Ballymena / Ulster), B Betts (Young Munster / Munster); S O’Connor (Cashel / Munster), J Ryan (Lansdowne / Leinster); G Jones (UCD / Leinster), D Aspil (St Mary’s RFC / Leinster), M Deegan (Lansdowne / Leinster).

Replacements: J O’Brien (UCD / Leinster) for C O’Brien (56), B Connon (Newcastle Falcons) for McPhillips (57), V O’Brien (Cork Con / Munster) for McBurney (61), K Brown (Shannon / Munster) for Brown (62), N Saunders (Epsom College/Exiles) for Kerins (70), E Mintern (Cork Constitution/Munster) for O’Connor (70), A Coyle (Naas/Leinster) for Betts (75), J Bollard (Dublin University / Leinster) for Porter 79).

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120809177#Comment_120809177

Looking at that England team , Mallinder was the "next big thing" at the time and he has just faded away since then - Had a couple of seasons with Northampton and has been in Japan the last few seasons.

Couple of that England bench have been capped too - Randall and Stuart.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807108#Comment_120807108

Close to this will be right i think. If Quinn is back obviously he plays.

Does anyone know if Gunne is injured? Him not being on the bench for fiji was odd.

Dubinusa

Mc Burney has been a disappointment. I thought he would usurp Best and be an international.

Only for injuries, we could have won that year. We hadn't got Claffey, Gallagher and Connors. Gallagher was fantastic. It's a shame he had to retire. Claffey also, injury destroyed him.

That final team was substantially different from the 6nations team.

OneLungDavy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120809238#Comment_120809238

Oh yeah Will Stuart, he's fairly established at this stage. Harry Mallinder was strange one, the giant out-half, he was destined for senior international rugby.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808448#Comment_120808448

Whats his deal? Big lad to have not played 6 nations was he injuried or is he young or just overlooked or what

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810546#Comment_120810546

Wasnt injured. Is an under 20 not an under 19. Just not selected i think as played AIL through the year

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810587#Comment_120810587

Odd hes a big boy. Thanks for clarifying

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120808326#Comment_120808326

It will be interesting to see the semi, France looked great but in hindsight Pool A turned out to be a really weak pool containing the worst team in the tournament, the 6N wooden spooners & possibly the worst NZL u20 side in a long time. I sort of wonder if we were in France's position and won in the same fashion would this be recognised but like the senior side the rugby world is hypnotised by this story of France winning the JWC just like they are about them potentially winning then RWC that they choose to ignore these points.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810966#Comment_120810966

Ireland barely squeaked past France in the 6N's at home and Tuilagi wasn't involved I don't think and his physicality is a big plus for them.

Ireland and France are the two best teams by a decent margin and hopefully we'll see them in the final

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120811972#Comment_120811972

It certainly would be a big ask.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120811972#Comment_120811972

In fairness they dodnt have posolo but they did have a 15 and wing that have made the senior french wc squad so id question them being dramatically better based on him alone (and i think the sh actually)

ulsteru20s

https://twitter.com/OptaJonny/status/1676554057920421890?s=20

He hasn’t really stood out for me in a massive way so far but some impressive stats. Will be back next year as well.