RUGBY U-20s: FRANCE v IRELANDAt: Stade de la Chevaliere, Mazamet When: Tonight, 7.45pm On TV: RTÉ 2
IRELAND ARE unlikely to face a repeat of last week’s match that went all one way against Italy. In that light under-20 coach Allen Clarke has kept faith with the same side that started Friday’s impressive 39-0 victory at Dubarry Park. The replacements bench is also unchanged, with all seven players having seen action in the second half of the one-sided opening match.
France tonight is an altogether different venture for this talented Irish side. Coached by the legendary Phillippe Sella, they have arrived to the competition as last year’s champions (Ireland were runners-up on points difference when the Blues beat the Azzurri in the final weekend), but are smarting from last week’s 8-8 draw with Scotland, which puts them third on the table behind the leaders England and Ireland in second. Ireland can take some comfort from last week as the game between France and Scotland was one Scotland could have won had they taken more from their periods of dominance.
There will be a marked level of urgency, though, because if France have any hopes of retaining the title today’s match, which takes place just outside Toulouse, is a must-win outing for Sella and his crew.
Right-wing Darren Hudson collected a hat-trick last week with tries also coming from Ulster’s Nevin Spence, Munster’s Simon Zebo and Leinster’s Brendan Macken in what was a prolific contribution of scores from the backline.
Impressive as it was though, Ireland will have to start where they left off against Italy last week. It took the team an opening half before they were able to shake off a bout of firstnight nerves. But the forwards showed enough muscle to be confident in Mazamet.
“We are aware that we have a much tougher game ahead of us on Friday than we had last weekend,” said Clarke. “That being said, we have prepared and planned well for this fixture. The team gelled well last weekend and we are focused on the task ahead.”
Sella has made a number of changes to the team that drew with Scotland. Two of his backline players, one in the frontrow and two in the backrow will sit it out.
IRELAND UNDER-20:A Conway (Blackrock College/Leinster); D Hudson (St Mary's College/Leinster), B Macken (Blackrock/Leinster), N Spence (Ballynahinch/Ulster), S Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); J McKinney (Queen's University/Ulster), J Cooney (UCD /Leinster); B Cagney (UCC/Munster), N Annett (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), J O'Connell (Lansdowne/Leinster), D O'Callaghan (UCC/Munster), B Marshall (UCD/Leinster), R Ruddock (UCD/Leinster) (capt), D Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster), P Butler (Shannon/Munster). Replacements: D Doyle (UCD/Leinster), S Maguire (Old Belvedere/ Leinster), B Hayes (Cork Constitution/Munster), R O'Sullivan (Bective Rangers/Leinster), M Heaney (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), B Kingston (Blackrock/Leinster), E Griffin (Corinthians/Connacht).
FRANCE UNDER-20:Fritz; Lagain, Lamoulie, Barthélémy, Sinzelle; Bosch, Bales; Erbani, Molcard (c), Grange, Souvent, Sousa, Lamache, Ivaldi, Geledan. Remplacements: Ben Arous, Giudicelli, Blondin, Gourdon, Laforgue, Hubert, Dulin.
Referee:G Garner (England).
