Ireland U20 player ratings vs Argentina | World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026

Ireland U20 player ratings: Argentina blasted out of the blocks to lead 14-0 inside 12 minutes and never really loosened their grip on the contest.

Ireland responded with moments of promise and crossed for six tries of their own, but a relentless stream of handling errors, missed tackles and defensive lapses left them chasing the game throughout. There were flashes of quality, particularly after the interval, but by then the damage had largely been done. It was a tough lesson against a clinical Los Pumitas side as Ireland slipped to a 62-40 defeat.

1. Max Doyle – 6
Had his hands full against a powerful Argentine scrum but stood up well to the challenge. Put in several thumping hits around the park and battled throughout before making way.

2. Rian Handley – 7
Rewarded Ireland’s first sustained spell of pressure by crashing over from a catch-and-drive. Worked tirelessly in the tight and never stopped competing despite the scoreboard.

3. Sami Bishti – 6
Led from the front before being replaced. Won an important scrum penalty when the Argentine loosehead bored in and was one of Ireland’s more influential forwards while he was on the field.

4. Joe Finn – 6
Showed good touches, including the pass that helped create Charlie O’Shea’s second-half score, but defensive shortcomings were part of a difficult afternoon for the pack.

5. Donnacha McGuire – 5
Worked hard in the engine room without ever managing to stamp his authority on proceedings. Another who found the physicality of the Argentine pack difficult to contain.

6. Josh Neill – 8
One of Ireland’s standout performers. Carried with intent throughout, produced a superb turnover early in the second half and deservedly powered over for a late try. Kept battling when plenty of others faded.

7. Alex Lautsou – 6
Refused to take a backward step and landed a few heavy shots despite Ireland spending long spells on the back foot. Missed tackles were part of the wider defensive issues but his physicality never wavered.

8. Diarmaid O’Connell – 7
Carried with purpose and consistently looked for work. One of the more effective members of the back row during a difficult afternoon.

9. Christopher Barrett – 5
Could do little to prevent Argentina’s clever blindside move from the opening scrum on Ireland’s line. Involved in the build-up to Blake McClean’s try but too many missed tackles proved costly as Argentina repeatedly found space around him.

10. Tom Wood – N/A
An early head injury ended his afternoon before it had really begun. Forced off after nine minutes and did not return.

11. Daniel Ryan – 5
Strong under the high ball at times and made one late burst through the Argentine defence, but too many errors and turnovers blunted his impact. A yellow card further damaged his overall contribution.

12. James O’Leary – 5.5
Produced the assist for Jack Deegan’s try but also spilled possession on 52 minutes when Ireland had built a promising attacking platform. A mixed outing.

13. Jack Deegan – 6
Scored a well-worked try and had positive moments with ball in hand after impressing from the bench against England. Unfortunately, some poor defensive reads hurt Ireland badly and cancelled out much of the good work.

14. Charlie Molony – 5
Flattened by a huge Argentine hit that forced a knock-on and later missed an important tackle as Argentina cut loose again out wide. Never quite found a way into the game.

15. Noah Byrne – 4.5
A day to forget. An early Josh Neill fumble came from a dreadful pass form Byrne, which summed up a difficult afternoon after last week’s heroics. Too many mistakes with ball in hand and defensive lapses made this a performance well below his usual standards.

Replacements – 7
Charlie O’Shea brought real energy after replacing the injured Wood, mixing excellent attacking moments with the odd defensive error. He scored twice, kicked well and looked dangerous whenever he attacked the line. Blake McClean added a try from the bench, while Ben Blaney and James O’Dwyer injected life into Ireland’s attack during their best spell. Dylan McNeice added industry after coming on.