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

Ireland U20 player ratings: A ruthless display from the Irish U20s as they held nothing back, delivering a 73-22 win in their final showing in the group stages.

With Charlie O’Shea and Sean Walsh each bagging a hat-trick, Ireland managed to gain some momentum ahead of the ranking knockouts. Here’s how the players rated:

1. Adam Cooper – 7
A few missteps here and there at scrum time, but an overall fine performance from loosehead prop Adam Cooper. Managed to bank a try of his own.

2. Duinn Maguire – 8
Good command of the set-piece from Duinn Maguire, with the Irish hooker keeping his forward pack focused throughout the game while getting involved in a few critical plays that ended with the Irish celebrating.

3. Blake McClean – 7.5
Energetic physicality from the Ulster NTS/Instonians RFC front-rower, who managed to claim one successful jackal and two dominant tackles. Left his mark in the scrum.

4. Sean Walsh – 8.5
At times, he looked like a third centre, surging onto the ball at full speed to make three line breaks and make the opposition concede a cascade of defensive errors, bagging two tries in the process.

5. Joe Finn – 7.5
Twelve successful tackles – one of which saved Ireland from conceding a try midway through the first half – from Joe Finn, with the lock also bullying the USA opposition in the lineout, where he managed to intercept two throws.

6. Charlie Keane – 7.5
Showed real skill at the breakdown tussle, clawing a couple of turnovers and a penalty to help set things in motion for Ireland. Didn’t need to make too much noise to make his presence felt.

7. Ben Blaney – 7
The Irish captain focused on defence and keeping the set-piece tidy, completing 10 effective tackles —two of them dominant — and leading his team to a resounding victory in the final match of the group stage.

8. Alex Lautsou – 7
Performed well off the back of the scrum but never had the opportunity to showcase what he could as a carrier, ultimately ending up among the Irish forwards with the fewest direct involvements in attack.

9. Christopher Barrett – 7
Made the right calls to help Ireland land a 73-22 win, knitting a well-balanced string of passes that injected good energy and dynamism into his side’s attacking platform. Three assists and a stunning solo try.

10. Charlie O’Shea – 9.5
A hat-trick in under 30 minutes and an outing that completely shattered the USA’s attempts to secure their try-area. The Irish fly-half’s acceleration, pace and clinicality gave depth to Ireland’s attacking strategy, as shown by the 181 metres carried, six line breaks, ten defenders beaten and involvement in 80 per cent of his side’s finishes.

11. Johnny O’Sullivan – 6
In a high-scoring game for Ireland, O’Sullivan and Molony drew the short straw, with both wings afforded little opportunity to get involved. Beyond a few positive aerial catches, the Dublin University backline operator was a spectator for much of the tussle.

12. Sean Walsh – 9.5
Aside from a penalty conceded and a knock-on, Sean Walsh had pretty much a Player of the Match Performance. The Irish inside centre added three finishes to his tally and provided three assists, sending his team-mates over the line. He seemed to be everywhere at once, pumping five dominant tackles as well.

13. Rob Carney – 8
It wasn’t as dazzling as his centre pairing, but he still showed the skill to crack open the opposing defence with style and speed.

14. Charlie Molony – 4
Simply not his day. After being sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, Molony was sent off due to an unfair aerial contest. Assisted on Daniel Ryan’s try minutes before seeing the red card, but it was not enough to evade a negative rating.

15. Daniel Green – 8
Slotted in eight of 10 conversions and made several great attacking combos with O’Shea, providing a dynamic attacking flow for Ireland. Outstanding under the high ball and astute in his reading of the USA’s kicking game, consistently answering with precision and quality. Unfortunately, I made one of the biggest missed tackles of the game, gifting Leo Kessler-Venables a try.

Replacements
16. Luke McLaughlin – 7.5
Performed well coming off the bench, steering the Irish maul towards the Baby Eagles’ in-goal area. Claimed a try for himself.

17. Max Doyle – 5.5
Seven minutes into the contest, just two scrums, with a penalty conceded in one of them. Earned a bit of redemption with a slick pass to Jack Deegan’s try.

18. Jamie Conway – 7
Kept the scrum running and played his part in a solid defensive effort.

19. Paddy Woods – 7
Fulfilled his defensive duties and delivered some interesting passes that were squandered.

20. Diarmaid O’Connell – 6
Came in when the game was already over, packing a few good tackles.

21. Luke Coffey – 6.5
Wasn’t on the same level as his starting scrum-half but improved over time.

22. Jack Deegan – 6
He didn’t make a significant impact off the bench, largely because Ireland played with 14 men until the end of the match. Bagged his side’s 11th finish with 2 minutes to go.

23. Daniel Ryan – 6
Came in guns blazing, finding gaps in the USA’s defence and eventually managed to cross the whitewash. Good showing from the Connacht/Corinthians utility back.