Ireland Under-20 2024 Team

Just saw highlights. Gavin and O'Connor were shocking for the 1st Italy try. Ireland looked relatively poor from the highlights. I'd expect Deay to be drafter in. The one scrum that I saw was poor from our perspective.

Saw a longer version of the highlights. Ugh! Not good viewing.

Good to get the win without Gleeson, even if it was too close for comfort. One elite player makes a huge difference at that level so playing without him should give the other players a better picture of where they are at.

Gleeson being out also gave Edogbo a chance, hopefully he is involved in further games. If Munster don't take him into the academy due to the logjam at back row, Connacht should be all over him. Definitely the kind of player who should be kept in the system to see what comes of him.

Watched a bit of England Vs Wales and am concerned the English team will vaporise out scrum.

Based on Edogbo's cameo I don't really understand why he didn't start.

I thought heard from somewhere that they were looking to convert him to a Centre due to the traits you mentioned. Obviously they haven't gone through with it.

Centres come in all shapes an sizes and the way teams use them are incredibly varied but I think what defines them more that their physical traits is their game awareness/instinct/feel or however you want to describe it. You have players like McCloskey, Esterhuizen or Laumape who can crash it up with the best of them and have the abrasiveness to slot in the backrow but you feel they'd be wasted there. There is also the decision making aspect to it which just doesn't take with some players.

I haven't seen too much of Edogbo - only the couple of AIL games on youtube - but my gut says it might be a waste shoe-horning him somewhere where he's less likely to make it just because there might be a backlog of talent in the backrow. I remember Gavin Coombes was behind Marcus Rea for the u20's but was clearly a powerful athlete we don't produce a lot of even back then and he was described as not processing the game quickly enough or the game didn't quite come naturally to him at that stage. A few years of development and I've seen him be the best player on the field in numerous European games.

Leinster had Dan Leavy starting ahead of VDF (a future player of the year) and played 6 to accommodate SOB. Connors comes along and displaces the future player of the year while they had a talent like Scott Penny coming through. That backlog never really became a problem. Munster have Coombes (who can play multiple positions), Gleeson (who looks a future international) and Murphy (who is playing ahead of Edogbo while being a year younger), but we don't really know if these guys are going to make it at senior level yet. O'Sullivan and Kendellan were great prospects at this age, and there are players like Jordan Joseph in France who looked damn near unstoppable at u20's for three years who haven't gone on to develop quite how people hoped.

In short, backlogs rarely happen - rugby is very physical so there will be injuries and players won't reach their assumed potential. Play Edogbo where he's best and trust the coaches to get the best out of him even if it takes a little longer for some players.

I do get why coaches make a push for players to switch to hooker though, as it's easier to make a shift within the forwards. Young players don't grow up wanting to play hooker imo and anyone with a bit of physicality plays backrow because most schools won't have elite players right across 6,7 and 8.

That huge tighthead from the world cup last years still underage but injured. Think hes due back for us

I think the short turnaround hurt them just from all the missed tackles. They seemed tired.

The scrum is the problem. I'm not so sure Sparrow missing is the reason but who knows. The scrum was better with him off vs France.

Smyth is massive. I don't think he is as good a hooker as Sheahan right now or possibly ever, but i get investing in that size. I thought Sheahan was good off the bench bar one pretty big mistake in the knock on. I did think Smyth might make more impact as a ball carrier than he did.

Have no idea why Boyd is being forced to play THP.

I thought Ward played really well. Still think he is a better 8 but he played well.

Both half backs had forgettable games. I just don't see it with Murphy. He stayed on way too long. Naughton could have got 25 minutes.

Liked the way Bell moved in the loose. Interesting player. Usanov is going to be really really good next year i think. Athletic, great frame, i think he will be great.

Spicer is going to be a wait and see if he can be athletic enough. His bar is way lower than most because his size is such a weapon. But the way ireland and leinster play, he will need to get more mobile. I think it is achievable though. If not, he can play for 15 years in top 14.

DeKlerk looked good again although Gavin had a more mixed game. Trying too hard maybe.

Thought O Connor was lucky to get MOTM but.. the potential is sky high with him. He looks raw but all the things he needs to learn are teachable while he has all the things you can't. His boot is also a massive weapon. If he played a lot more rugby younger, i wonder if he could have been a ten. I still wonder if he could be a centre.

Thought McLaughlin had a great game. Probably would be a better 15 than O Connor right now but i get giving O Connor the reps there.

Lastly, Connacht did good work grabbing Treacy and Naughton early. Both seem like pros to me and possibly good ones.

Edit: forgot about corrigan, murphy and edogbo. Corrigan and Murphy will like usanov flourish next year. Corrigan looks like that prototypical modern 6 everyone wants.

Edogbo's try was awesome but his dominamt tackling really stood out. I feel like he could be an excellent 6 in the mould of Ryan Baird.

There was enough poor defense to go around in fairness.

I have to say McLaughlin isn't quite what i expected from a guy who was tearing up schools rugby. Doesn't look same level of prospect to O Connor to me. Of course, its only been two games. Alot to learn yet over the coming years.

I wouldn't read too much into it. Felt like a trap game. I think there is still a pretty good chance of a grand slam.

A bit of rotation might be in order. I'd like to see Boyd, Sheehan , Bell in the row. Hopes and Corrigan in the 2nd row. Edogbo, 7, ward at 6 and Gleeson. Coffee, Naughton and the same backline except swap MvLoughlin with O'Connor.

Subs, Howard, Walker, ?, O'Connell, Murphy, Murtagh, Murphy and ?

That seems like overkill to me honestly.

Is Deay fit?

I mean if we could get another TH in that would be great. Other than that, find a way to have edogbo on bench even if gleeson is back. I think i would run it back other than that. I wasn't super impressed by Brophy so maybe give wooton or O Riordan a shot.

Going OTT on changes for Wales is probably the worst thing you could do at this stage, the lads were great away to France and just had an off day versus Italy. The best thing Murphy can do here is give those who started both games an opportunity to redeem themselves plus maybe look at introducing players who made a positive impact (i.e Edogbo).