Sam Prendergast’s monster late penalty saw the Ireland Under-20s pick up a memorable first U-20 Six Nations Summer Series win in Verona as they beat England for the second time this season.
UNDER-20 SIX NATIONS SUMMER SERIES POOL A: Tuesday, July 5
IRELAND UNDER-20s 37 ENGLAND UNDER-20s 36, Payanini Rugby Centre
Scorers: Ireland U-20s: Tries: Fionn Gibbons, James McCormick, Penalty try, Lorcan McLoughlin; Cons: Sam Prendergast 3, Pen try con; Pens: Sam Prendergast 3
England U-20s: Tries: George Hendy 2, Alex Harmes, Lewis Chessum, Mikey Summerfield, Iwan Stephens; Cons: Fin Smith 3
HT: Ireland Under-20s 28 England Under-20s 19
Out-half Prendergast, a year young for this level, showed nerves of steel to hand Ireland a 37-36 victory, with Richie Murphy’s side rewarded for a tenacious four-try performance.
Having conceded two tries inside the opening five minutes, they battled back brilliantly to take a 28-19 half-time lead with Fionn Gibbons, James McCormick and the excellent Lorcan McLoughlin all touching down.
Ireland also squeezed in a penalty try, but England’s strong bench became a factor in the second half as they put together tries from Mikey Summerfield, Iwan Stephens and George Hendy.
Crucially, only one of them was converted as Hendy’s 68th-minute effort saw the English lead 36-34. Ireland had relied on two Prendergast penalties to keep the scoreboard moving in the right direction.
As good as the Irish attack was in registering their bonus point by the 35-minute mark, it was their composure down the final stretch that made the difference as Prendergast made the most of that all-important penalty from just inside halfway.
Full report to follow…
TIME LINE: 3 minutes – England try: George Hendy – 0-5; conversion: Fin Smith – 0-7; 5 mins – England try: Alex Harmes – 0-12; conversion: Fin Smith – 0-14; 9 mins – Ireland try: Fionn Gibbons – 5-14; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 7-14; 16 mins – Ireland try: James McCormick – 12-14; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 14-14; 22 mins – Ireland penalty try & conversion – 21-14; England yellow card: Rekeiti Ma’asi-White; 31 mins – England try: Lewis Chessum – 21-19; conversion: missed by Fin Smith – 21-19; 35 mins – Ireland try: Lorcan McLoughlin – 26-19; conversion: Sam Prendergast – 28-19; Half-time – Ireland 28 England 19; 46 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 31-19; 53 mins – England try: Mikey Summerfield – 31-24; conversion: Fin Smith – 31-26; 58 mins – England try: Iwan Stephens – 31-31; conversion: missed by Fin Smith – 31-31; 64 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 34-31; 68 mins – England try: George Hendy – 34-36; conversion: missed by Fin Smith – 34-36; 77 mins – Ireland penalty: Sam Prendergast – 37-36; Full-time – Ireland 37 England 36
IRELAND U-20: Patrick Campbell (Young Munster RFC/Munster); Aitzol King (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Fionn Gibbons (UCD RFC/Leinster), Daniel Hawkshaw (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Dylan O’Grady (UCD RFC/Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Ethan Coughlan (Shannon RFC/Munster); George Hadden (Gorey RFC/Clontarf FC/Leinster), James McCormick (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), Adam McNamee (Malone RFC/Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Reuben Crothers (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster) (capt), Lorcan McLoughlin (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster).
Replacements used: Andrew O’Mahony (UCC RFC/Munster) for Coughlan (15 mins), George Coomber (UCC RFC/Munster) for O’Grady (25), Darragh McSweeney (Shannon RFC/Munster) for Wilson (49), Kieran Ryan (Shannon RFC/Munster) for Hadden (54), Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for O’Tighearnaigh (65), Ronan O’Sullivan (Highfield RFC/Munster) for Mangan (72), Shay McCarthy (Young Munster RFC/Munster) for Campbell (76). Not used: Dominic Rhys Heys (Gloucester Hartpury Rugby/IQ Rugby), Reece Malone (Loughborough University/Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), George Shaw (Cardiff University/IQ Rugby).
ENGLAND U-20: George Hendy (Northampton Saints); Iwan Stephens (Newcastle Falcons), Rekeiti Ma’asi-White (Wasps), Ethan Grayson (Northampton Saints), Alex Harmes (London Irish); Fin Smith (Worcester Warriors), Charlie Bracken (Saracens); Tumy Onasanya (Sale Sharks), Ollie Fletcher (Newcastle Falcons), Jevaughn Warren (Saracens), Ewan Richards (Bath), Lewis Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Ethan Staddon (Bath), Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers) (capt), Toby Knight (Saracens).
Replacements used: Chandler Cunningham-South (London Irish) for Knight (40 mins), Mikey Summerfield (London Irish) for Warren (41), Lucas Brooke (London Irish) for Staddon, John Stewart (Bath) for Fletcher, Tom Litchfield (Northampton Saints) for Ma’asi-White (all 49), Archie McArthur (Wasps) for Onasanya, Tom Carr-Smith (Bath) for Bracken (both 54), Sam Harris (Bath) for Harmes (65), Charlie Rice (Bristol Bears) for Edwards (67), Greg Fisilau (Wasps) for Ilione (74). Not used: Jed Walsh (Leicester Tigers).
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (Italy)
Source: Irish Rugby