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World Rugby U20 Championship

Ireland make one change for World Rugby U20 Championship final

Ruadhan Quinn of Ireland U20 celebrates after winning the match during the World Rugby U20 Championship 2023 semi final match between Ireland and South Africa. South Africa. (Photo by World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Ireland U20 flanker James McNabney will return from his two-match ban to start against France U20 on Friday in the World Rugby U20 Championship final in the only change head coach Richie Murphy has made from the team that beat South Africa U20 in the semi-final.

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McNabney was handed the ban for a dangerous tackle against Australia U20 in round two, but returns to start in the final, forcing Diarmuid Mangan to move from the back-row to the second-row and meaning Charlie Irvine drops to the bench.

There are two changes on the bench, with Max Clein replacing Danny Sheahan at hooker and Irvine replacing Dan Barron.

Murphy said: “The entire group are fully focused on producing our best performance of the season on Friday night because we know we’ll need it against a very strong France team. We have made good progress throughout the tournament but we will need to fine-tune all areas of our game for the final.

“The players and staff are excited about the challenge ahead and we look forward to representing Ireland in the World Rugby U20 Championship final. The level of support we have received from back home throughout has been incredible and a major boost for everyone, and we will do everything to finish the season on the ultimate high.”

Ireland U20s
15. Henry McErlean (Terenure/Leinster)
14. Andrew Osborne (Naas/Leinster)
13. Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
12. John Devine (Corinthians/Connacht)
11. James Nicholson (UCD/Leinster)
10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)
9. Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster)
1. Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster)
2. Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(captain)
3. Ronan Foxe (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
4. Diarmuid Mangan (UCD/Leinster)
5. Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
6. James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster)
7. Ruadhan Quinn (Old Crescent RFC/Munster)
8. Brian Gleeson (Garryowen/Munster)

Replacements
16. Max Clein (Garryowen/Munster)
17. George Hadden (Clontarf/Leinster)
18. Fiachna Barrett (Corinthians/Connacht)
19. Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University/Ulster)
20. Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
21. Oscar Cawley (Naas/Leinster)
22. Matthew Lynch (Dublin University/Leinster)
23. Sam Berman (Dublin University/Leinster)

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Comments

2 Comments
M
Mary 759 days ago

Looking forward to this game and very sure Ireland can take it. 🇮🇪

W
Wallabies_Larkham 759 days ago

Wish them well

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Comments on RugbyPass

C
Cantab 17 minutes ago
How the Springboks’ No 10 options will keep the All Blacks guessing

Certainly need to respect the teams that have beaten you in the past and could do so again

13 Go to comments
O
Over the sideline 18 minutes ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

BB and Dmac are far more “winners” than Mounga. Proof is in the stats. Educate yourself please.

18 Go to comments
O
Over the sideline 19 minutes ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

Your biases blind you to the truth. Stats prove it.

Also funny how the recent poll showed most NZers want Dmac at 10 at the next WC. 32% Dmac, 30% BB and 25% Rm with 13% Love and another 20% “other”.



...

18 Go to comments
C
Cantab 20 minutes ago
How the Springboks’ No 10 options will keep the All Blacks guessing

You are right of course. The SA leopard finds it hard to change its spots from what has often worked in the past.

13 Go to comments
O
Over the sideline 24 minutes ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

That’s incorrect tho. Hansen had BB at 10 and Dmac at 15 and was winning at 85%. Dmacs grand mother died when he was in Arg so he left the squad and went home so Hansen was FORCED to select Mounga. Dmac then got injured in SR in 19 and was out of the WC. Moungas win % according to the stats on starting at 10 v our top 6 opponents show he is behind the other 2 by quite a bit.

5 years of playing test rugby and he loses 2/3rds of the time v France and England just simply isn’t good enough. He does not lead the win stats over any country. Both BB and Dmac have superior stays. Not even close at times.



...

18 Go to comments
A
Ardy 29 minutes ago
'Won't be a problem': Former teammate weighs in on Mo’unga return

Not convinced OTS. I notice teams that go well are dominant in a couple of stats, breakdown, both attacking, defending and turnovers. The other stat I look at is the D, also a predictor of wins. There are many teams beaten in field position and early success but a good D breaks the opp down in the end.

There was an old adage when I played in NZ - Win the Breakdown, win the game.



...

14 Go to comments
S
SO 32 minutes ago
'Won't be a problem': Former teammate weighs in on Mo’unga return

NZ’s worst years in pro rugmy coincided with Foster no further discussion needed!

14 Go to comments
O
Over the sideline 55 minutes ago
'Won't be a problem': Former teammate weighs in on Mo’unga return

So WIN stats arnt a true indicator? It’s not even close in some stats… 33% v England? 33% v France? Horrible stats no matter which way you look at it. Wins tells me the team is working or not working and the 10 is the most crucial to that.

Dmac and Mounga probably beat BB for goal kicking % but BB has been exceptional this year and last year at kicking goals. You certainly couldn’t claim any superiority based on this and last years kicking.



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14 Go to comments
B
Bruiser 59 minutes ago
How the Springboks’ No 10 options will keep the All Blacks guessing

Libbocks goal kicking shortcomings! Springbok supporters expect 100% from their kicker so lets see if they risk his frailty there…unlikely in biggest test match of the year. And FM has come off an average season. Only party second guessing here is RE. The ABs will be concentrating on themselves, not Rassies selection dilemma, and it is clearly a dilemma.

13 Go to comments
O
Over the sideline 1 hour ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

Because you are wrong. You are not seeing reality. BB is the most successful of the 3 followed closely by Dmac and a long way back is RM.

The stats don’t lie.



...

18 Go to comments
B
Bruiser 1 hour ago
How the Springboks’ No 10 options will keep the All Blacks guessing

All this BOK talk of 4 players in every position and squads of 108 players is all unproven. No-one is proven at test level till they play biggest test matches.

13 Go to comments
B
Bruiser 1 hour ago
How the Springboks’ No 10 options will keep the All Blacks guessing

Known Bok plan for last 100 years is to bash you up front and have a 10 who kicks goals. Lot of talk about being tricky with their 10, but lets see where the DNA falls when they have a chance for history at EP

13 Go to comments
A
Ardy 1 hour ago
'Won't be a problem': Former teammate weighs in on Mo’unga return

The rule of rugby is that forwards win matches and the backs decide the score.

I think you could compare kicking stats and passing stats but win/loss has little to do with a 10, unless he’s crap and NZ haven’t had one of them in my memory.



...

14 Go to comments
B
BleedRed&Black 1 hour ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

What's not so great is that Robertson has gone down the same path of indulging Barrett and McKenzie at the expense of new talent. Love needs to start playing 10 now for the AB's, and needs to get the job for the Hurricanes as well. Both Robertson needs to back a player who clearly has the confidence, the skill, the goal kicking and the physicality to play 10 at the top of the international game. Robertson does not need to treat Love like Hansen treated Mo'unga, a player he reluctantly included, mistreated, then dumped in the deep end when his preferred options failed.

18 Go to comments
E
Easy_Duzz-it 1 hour ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

There’s 2 problems the All Blacks have . The first is the ability to build pressure the second is holding composure in tight games . You can’t teach this , this comes from big game experience .

BB and Dmac have big game experience but they are losers . Any they’ve lost so many times in big games that they don’t know how to win . Mounga on the other hand is a winner .



...

18 Go to comments
A
Ardy 1 hour ago
The growing exodus of Australasia’s biggest rugby athletes must stop

The biggest problem (as highlighted) is not just the big guys, though that is a crime against union. It is ID’ing, and keeping talent that can step up. Mostly we just ooh and ahh about young kids carving them up in the backs at school. There is little knowledge about what to keep and what to let go.

I think we are too influenced by league, we seem to only enjoy forwards who can run.



...

6 Go to comments
E
Easy_Duzz-it 1 hour ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

Prime BB first loss to Ireland , prime BB couldn’t kick 1 of 3 conversions against the lions in front of the post . BB had a front row that was good enough and still collected Ls . Dmac couldn’t even crack the starting 15 when mounga was available . How many times has mounga schooled BB and Dmac ?? Isn’t it 5 years in a row 🤣🤣🤣 … if BB and dmac are so much better then mounga , then why has razor been calling for mounga to be in the team since he became coach … here’s the joke of the day though . Imagine getting schooled by a bot 🤣🤣🤣

18 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
The growing exodus of Australasia’s biggest rugby athletes must stop

The Allblacks have made an art form of picking batches of small guys that on the surface look better as they're generally less clunky and more complete from a younger age.

The problem is their peaks are lower, often a lot lower. The other problem is they get smoked by the big tier one forward packs of South Africa, France, etc.



...

6 Go to comments
O
Over the sideline 2 hours ago
How the Springboks’ No 10 options will keep the All Blacks guessing

Yep it’s like SA are the only team.

13 Go to comments
J
JB 2 hours ago
Ex-All Black coach Steve Hansen's verdict on Richie Mo'unga's new deal

Hansen loved him a bit of BB. Even when it was obvious he wasn’t the best in either the 10 or 15 position. He could no longer ignore RM so he switched Smith back to the wing and told BB to run the game from 15. That’s why we struggled. Foster continued this.

18 Go to comments
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