The Ireland Under 20's recorded a very impressive victory over their French counterparts last night in a thoroughly entertaining game full of woshkabomy. Ireland are now the only team in the championship that remains unbeaten with bigger challenges in England, Wales and Scotland ahead. Head coach Nigel Carolan has been getting them to play a very exciting brand of rugby, spreading it wide and releasing the potential of their outside backs.
If you want to know more about the whole squad, check out the breakdown here, but this will be looking at one of the star performers.
Profile: Ross Byrne
Perhaps the most outstanding player from the two games so far has been the outhalf Ross Byrne. Ross Byrne has collected the man of the match award in both of Ireland's games so far, having steered them to a comprehensive 47-15 over Italy in dreadful conditions, while yesterday's victory over France by 37 points to 20 was extremely impressive. Byrne is one of the returnees from last year's U20's group, and is showing fantastic poise and composure.
Byrne's 100% kicking record against France with six attempts was very impressive, especially given the pressure the referee put him under trying to hurry up his process. Ross Byrne never looks flustered, and always seems to have time on the ball. As Hugh Cahill and Donal Lenihan noted several times during the game last night, he seemed to have an almost telepathic relationship with his scrumhalf Nick McCarthy due to their time together for UCD, but their partnership goes back much further than that. McCarthy was in Ross Byrne's year in St. Michael's College, and have been growing their understanding since they were 13.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FyK94nQuDA
I described Ross Byrne as a younger Johnny Sexton, and he has only reinforced that opinion in his play. He has a fantastic rugby brain, and seems to know when to kick, and when to release his outside backs. They are both tall for an outhalf, and their long range passing skills are fantastic. Ross Byrne as singled out for some treatment from the French forwards, but the way he attacked the gainline is very similar to the threat that the French defense will have to face in the senior men's international.
Ross Byrne is just one of several players on this team that has a big future on their hands, but he's been my standout performer so far.
