Mark Hernan crossed twice as Ireland kept their hopes of securing back-to-back Under-20s Six Nations Grand Slams well on track with a pulsating 36-22 bonus-point victory over Wales at Irish Independent Park.
Hernan book-ended the first half by twice powering over the whitewash, while Dan Kelly and Lewis Finlay dotted down in between to wrap up the four-try bonus point by the interval.
Wales threatened a comeback after the break as they earned a penalty try and Osian Knott added to his first-half score with a second try but Andrew Smith’s effort helped seal the home victory.
A second triumph of the Championship means that 12 months after securing their first Grand Slam since the Under-21s Six Nations became the Under-20s Six Nations in 2008, Ireland are still on course to repeat the feat.
Despite the weather, another brilliant crowd here at Irish Independent Park tonight to get behind the Ireland Under-20s
The official attendance is 4⃣,8⃣2⃣2⃣
Thanks for your support, Cork!#ShoulderToShoulder pic.twitter.com/9t4egeoL18
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 7, 2020
The teams headed into the Round 2 clash off the back of contrasting results – Wales suffering a surprise 17-7 home defeat to Italy, while Ireland beat Scotland 38-26 and the start of the contest reflected that.
It took barely a minute for Ireland to surge into the lead as flanker Hernan charged down an attempted clearance kick and pounced on the loose ball for the score, before Kelly powered over from close-range on 17 minutes following sustained pressure on the Welsh line.
Jack Crowley’s two conversions took the score to 14-0 with less than a quarter of the game gone but that became 21-0 on 23 minutes with perhaps the try of the game.
Winger Smith brilliantly caught a Wales cross-field kick in his own 22 and went on a powerful, slaloming run up to halfway before, a few phases later, full-back Oran McNulty burst through a gap and fed Sean O’Brien who released Finlay with a neat offload to scoot under the posts.
Crowley’s 30th-minute penalty extended the hosts’ advantage, although Knott crossed the line shortly after to finally get Wales on the board.
But Ireland wrapped up the bonus point before half-time as Hernan powered over from the back of a lineout maul, with Crowley’s conversion making it 31-7.
Mark Hernan goes over for his second try of the night and Ireland Under-20s lead Wales 31-7 at half-time in Cork
#ShoulderToShoulder pic.twitter.com/goutDcx3rQ
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 7, 2020
With the wind behind them in the second half, Wales still retained hope of a comeback and Sam Costelow slotted an early long-range penalty before an inexorable driving maul from a lineout was illegally hauled down by Joe McCarthy, leaving referee Nika Amashukeli no option but to award a penalty try.
McCarthy was also sin-binned for the offence but the hosts survived ten minutes with a man disadvantage and looked to have put the result beyond doubt shortly after having their full complement restored as a pinpoint looped pass from the captain, No.8 David McCann, enabled Smith to dive over in the corner.
Wales refused to lie down however, as Knott went over for his second try with neat step inside on 70 minutes although they couldn’t force a fourth try that would have seen them leave with a bonus point.
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Source: 6 Nations