Five Ireland players to watch at the World Rugby U20 Championship
With Wales and Scotland covered ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championship, we now take a look across the Irish sea to assess the last remaining Celtic nation, Ireland.
The U20 Six Nations was a mixed bag for Ireland who struggled for consistency, but they did identify some key combinations and contributors ahead of their tournament opener next week, when they will meet France, before also taking on Georgia and South Africa in Pool C.
Caelan Doris, Leinster
A veteran of last year’s tournament and the captain of the side, Doris is the logical place to start in this Ireland squad that has been hamstrung by injuries.
Fellow number eights Zach Mercer and Juarno Augustus were two of the prominent stories of the U20 Championship last season but Doris was not far behind them and with another year of experience and development under his belt, this could be the summer when he arrives on the global rugby scene.
His carrying ability will be crucial for Ireland and he has the physical ability to make the hard yards around the fringes, but also the speed and footwork to make people miss and exploit gaps in defences away from the rucks.
Matthew Dalton, Ulster
The lone non-Leinster player in this shortlist, which is both a nod to how productive the Leinster pathway currently is, but also what an impressive player that Dalton is becoming.
Either a mobile second-row or a powerful blindside flanker, Dalton will have to provide Ireland with the go forward that they have lost with strong carriers Jack O’Sullivan and Ronan Kelleher missing the tournament with injuries.
A spot on the blindside would not only free up Dalton to roam a little more and bring his carrying to the fore, it would also open a slot in the engine room for Charlie Ryan, who was eased into U20 rugby from the bench during the Six Nations.
Harry Byrne, Leinster
The younger brother of Leinster fly-half Ross Byrne, Harry was one of the bright spots for Ireland during the U20 Six Nations.
He doesn’t yet have the same control at 10 that his older brother does, but he reads the game well and sees attacking opportunities quickly in the scenarios that defences present him. He is, in fact, a very similar player to the one Ross was a couple of years ago when we saw him at this level.
With Angus Curtis missing the tournament with injury, Byrne has lost a secondary playmaker pressure valve outside of him and this will be a stern test of Byrne’s ability to pull the strings in a back line, as well as manage field position and the decision-making involved in that.
Jack Aungier, Leinster
Losing Ulster tighthead Tom O’Toole to injury is only going to add pressure on Aungier to perform over the next few weeks. Thankfully, he’s the latest in a growing line of very adept Irish tightheads coming through at this level.
Between Aungier and O’Toole, Ireland’s one-two punch at the fulcrum of the scrum would have been one of their biggest weapons in France, but instead, Ireland’s rotation policy is likely to be a little less prominent as a result and a lot physically will be asked of the Leinster man.
His scrummaging, unsurprisingly, is his biggest strength and though he is unlikely to rip off too many rampaging runs through opposition defences, he will provide Ireland with a physical carrying presence around the fringes.
Tommy O’Brien, Leinster
Like Doris, O’Brien is another remnant of Ireland’s 2017 squad, although he did miss the U20 Championship last summer due to injury, so this will be his first taste of the tournament.
The centre captained Ireland during the U20 Six Nations, with Doris absent through injury, and though the armband returns to Doris in France, O’Brien will be an important leader in the back line, particularly with Curtis also missing.
Comfortable at both 12 and 13, O’Brien may find himself brought in to inside centre to help Byrne and keep Ireland moving forward over the next few weeks, but if he can find space in the wider channels, look for him to challenge defences with his pace, hard lines and eye for a gap.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
88 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments