U20s title down to the wire after thrilling England-Ireland draw

The one thing that can be said with certainty about age-grade rugby at U20s level is that more often than not the entertainment served up is top-notch viewing. Friday night at The Rec embellished this consensus, the quality of the edge-of-seat action igniting an electric atmosphere for the 12,267 attendance.

Come the finish, it was all-square, a gripping 32-all draw leaving the title undecided ahead of next weekend’s final round of matches where England go to France and Ireland host Scotland.

No one can predict how that will turn out but the one definite outcome following this nine-try thriller was that neither team can be crowned Grand Slam champions.

The last time these countries clashed at U20s, they produced a terrific 34-all draw in Paarl in the opening round of last June’s Junior World Championship, and this 2024 Six Nations title race remains delicately poised.

Both teams came into this round four encounter with three wins apiece – with the English placed on top courtesy of having one bonus point more than the Irish. They have kept hold of that advantage after this draw.

Ireland had altered their entire front row as well as a lock in the hope of adding more heft to the scrum. However, they infringed at the first set-piece and the kick to the corner led to England mauling their way to the line through Junior Kpoku. Skipper Finn Carnduff then squirmed over from a resulting ruck for the fourth-minute breakthrough converted by Sean Kerr.

It was 13 weeks ago when Ulster, the team that Irish coach Richie Murphy will intriguingly take over on an interim basis at the end of this age-grade championship next weekend, were obliterated at The Rec by the Bath scrum, but Ireland found a way to limit the damage here so that it didn’t become a damaging, result-defining facet of play.

A penalty win four minutes into the second half bore this out and while England did win one back on 61 minutes, Ireland doggedly levelled this set-piece penalty count at two-all less than 90 seconds later (it did later end three-two in the hosts’ favour).

Despite their under-the-pump beginning to the match, Ireland, who were looking to take another step towards a third successive age-grade Grand Slam, drew breath with a ninth-minute Jack Murphy penalty kick some minutes after an excellent tackle from Wilhelm de Klerk announced them in the game.

By now, the breakdown battle was ferocious and Ireland next infringed, Kerr landing penalty points from near halfway to push the margin back to seven.

A trump Irish card, though, in this Murphy era has been to be at their most dangerous when least expected. They constantly adapt and brilliantly find a way and here was no different on 16 minutes when a soft fumble from Olamide Sodeka was royally punished a few phases later.

It was out-half Murphy, the Irish coach’s son, who lofted the gem of a crosskick from halfway that was gobbled up by Finn Treacy. The winger still had plenty of work to do from outside the 22 but he made it look easy, blitzing Josh Bellamy on the outside and running around to dot down under the posts for the try added to by Murphy’s conversion.

That levelled it at 10-all and the visitors would have been ahead if a chip kick bobble had been kinder for Hugo McLaughlin after it eluded English scrum-half Archie McParland.

England’s reprieve was only temporary, however, as they were again punished for an unnecessary error. This time it was a messed up lineout call that hurt and with Treacy gaining territory by securing Murphy’s kick, the hosts were scrambling.

A penalty advantage was signalled when Asher Opoku-Fordjour didn’t roll away at a breakdown and that was Ireland’s cue to clinically pounce, the ball making its way back into the hands of Treacy who put Ben O’Connor in for the unconverted lead-taking try.

Down by five, England cut the gap to two – 13-15 – by the interval, Kerr landing a penalty following a rollicking Nathan Michelow carry, and it was all to play for following an end-to-end opening half.

The second period continued with the frolics, Irish winger McLaughlin redeeming himself for a try-ruining spill on the 22 by galloping in at the corner on 48 minutes for an unconverted score and a seven-point advantage.

Eight minutes later, it was England who were celebrating. Carnduff made a huge bust to haunt the line and with the Irish cover sucked in, George Makepeace-Cubitt found the unmarked Oli Spencer with a peach of crosskick for a try.

The conversion was missed, leaving two points in it, and the pendulum then swung again. Ireland used a scrum penalty to secure territory and sub hooker Henry Walker was then mauled over for the bonus point try. Again, the extra weren’t snapped up, leaving it 25-18 with less than 15 minutes remaining.

You just knew there would be another quick twist and there was, England getting over through Kane James following a five-metre penalty and Kerr scored the conversion to tie it all up with 10 to go.

What belting fun this contest was and it was the hosts who thought they had the last laugh. Scrum and in-at-the-side penalties earned them territory but rather than shoot at the posts, they went for touch and that decision got them the four-try bonus point – Ben Waghorn getting in at the corner on 77 – and Kerr’s touchline conversion make it a seven-point lead.

That should have been that but it remarkably wasn’t. There were English complaints about the award of a penalty to Ireland, but it set up a heart-stopping, clock-in-the-red finish that culminated with Luke Murphy scoring by the posts on 82:13. Sub kicker Sean Naughton added the game-levelling conversion. Wow!