Grand task accomplished by McNamara’s troops

IRELAND showed incredible reserves of energy and resolve to land the Under 20 Grand Slam on a tension-filled night in Colwyn Bay. Having won the title the previous weekend with their victory over France in Cork, Noel McNamara’s side were desperate to secure the clean sweep and those nerves were evident for much of the game, with a fired-up home side pressuring Ireland into a

WALES U20 17 IRELAND U20 26

host of errors. With seven minutes to go, Ireland were chasing at 1714 with Wales pushing hard for a win, but a superb breakaway try by substitute scrum-half Colm Reilly gave them a vital lead and Ireland sealed the deal when prop Thomas Clarkson powered over for a try just before the final whistle. Reilly was not even in the original match 23 but was called onto the bench when first-choice scrum half Craig Casey was a late withdrawal, with Cormac Foley starting at No9. Out-half Harry Byrne was also a late withdrawal with Garryowen’s Ben Healy coming into the starting side and that disruption appeared to unsettle the visitors as mistakes littered their game, notably with their lineout and handling while Wales were winning the breakdown battle comprehensively. It allowed the home side to dominate the first half but as they seemed set to go in with a 10-0 advantage, Ireland got the pyschological boost of a converted try from Jonathan Wren, after brilliant work from Ulster’s Angus Kernohan. A slice of fortune saw Ireland go 14-10 ahead after 46 minutes when Connacht hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin picked and burst through a ruck with the referee deeming the ball was in play despite angry Welsh protests. But Wales responded to go 17-14 ahead and looked set to fill the role of partyspoilers Ireland’s seniors hope to adopt today before Reilly’s heroics set in train wild celebrations as Ireland landed their first U20 Grand Slam in 12 years. A good omen for Cardiff this afternoon. IRELAND: J Flannery; A Kernohan, L Turner, S French, J Wren; B Healy (R Russell 63), C Foley (C Reilly 63); J Wycherley (C Reid 60), D TierneyMartin (J McKee 63), T Clarkson; C Ryan (capt), N Murray (R Baird 49); M Moloney, S Penny, J Hodnett (D McCann 71). Scorers — Tries: Wren, TierneyMartin, Reilly, Clarkson. Cons: Healy (2), Flannery.