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Six Nations statement: Tom Curry 'Tunnelgate' incident
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Ireland U20 player ratings vs Italy | World Rugby U20 Championship
By Ian Cameron
Ireland U20 player ratings: Neil Doak’s charges slumped to a frustrating 18-16 defeat in the Italian heat, undone by a fired-up Italy side and their own catalogue of errors.
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In a game lacking fluency and filled with handling mistakes, the Junior Azzurri took control and rarely looked troubled by a stuttering Irish attack. Even with two late tries, Ireland’s performance lacked cohesion and conviction.
Here we rate the Ireland U20 players:
1. Alex Usanov – 6
Scrummaged fairly well against Italy’s powerful front row and didn’t go missing in the loose. Not spectacular, but far from Ireland’s worst performer.
2. Henry Walker – 5.5
Darts were inconsistent and some of the lineout issues lay at his door. Showed intent with ball in hand but lacked accuracy when it mattered.
3. Alex Mullan – 6.5
Held his end of the scrum up well and gave Ireland some go-forward in the tight. Deserved more support around him.
4. Mahon Ronan – 5
Never looked assured at the lineout and got turned over at a key moment. Worked defensively but faded badly before being hooked early in the second half.
5. Billy Corrigan – 5
Caught high twice and finished his shift with a yellow card for a professional foul. A gritty presence at times, but it was a tough outing overall.
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6. Bobby Power – 5
Carried with some intent and made his tackles, but an unnecessary penalty marred his effort. Replaced as Ireland chased the game.
7. Eanna McCarthy – 6
Ireland’s best forward in the second half. Made some key steals and threw himself into the fray, though he was left celebrating a try that didn’t come. Couldn’t stem the Italian momentum alone.
8. Luke Murphy – 6
Ireland’s primary carrying threat in the first 40, but struggled to impose himself after the break. Spilled a few balls under pressure.
9. Will Wootton – 6
Put in some good tactical kicks but gave away a couple of silly penalties. Looked like one of the few players trying to impose structure before being replaced on 63 minutes.
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10. Tom Wood – 6.5
Showed glimpses of the family pedigree with a few booming kicks and some brave running. However, couldn’t ignite a malfunctioning backline and must shoulder some of the responsibility.
11. Derry Moloney – 7
Secure under the high ball and gave Ireland some attacking spark. Beat defenders when given room but service was limited. A rare bright spot.
12. Eoghan Smyth – 5
A peripheral figure in a misfiring midfield. Barely saw the ball in promising situations and lacked impact when he did.
13. Ciaran Mangan – 5
A couple of poor handling moments summed up a jittery Irish performance. Never looked settled or confident.
14. Paidi Farrell – 4
Looked lightweight in contact and was badly outmuscled for Italy’s opening try. Had one nice break in the second half but couldn’t make up for the damage done.
15. Charlie Molony – 5.5
Mixed bag. A couple of costly turnovers, including a fumble that let Italy off the hook early. Did relieve pressure with his monster boot but looked rattled under pressure.
Replacements – 4.5
The bench failed to spark Ireland into life. While Mikey Yarr and Oisin Minogue both crossed late, it ultimately wasn’t enough. The scrum worsened after Tom McAllister came on, and there was no evident lift in tempo. Billy Bohan was accurate at lineout time, while Sam Wisniewski missed a difficult conversion and couldn’t fix a flat attack. Daniel Green and Clark Logan were anonymous in limited time.