The Ireland U20s have succumbed to a crushing 15-12 loss against the Italy U20s in miserable conditions in Treviso. The result leaves Ireland with just a single win in this campaign and last in the Six Nations standings.
Neil Doak's men endured a disastrous start to the evening, nearly immediately conceding a sloppy and unnecessary penalty that gifted Italy three points and a hold in the game.
While the Azzurri then received a yellow card for taking Tom Wood out in the air, giving Ireland a chance to respond. It was their fourteen men who capitalised, putting two tries and twelve points past an error-strewn Irish side, giving themselves a deserved fifteen-point lead heading down the tunnel.
14 mins: Italy 15-0 Ireland - visitors caught napping as replacement Alessio Caiolo-Serra scores under the posts - extra points added with conversion
📺 https://t.co/XnOP6grVqF @SixNationsU20 @RTE2 @RTEplayer #rtesport pic.twitter.com/aBxu02mmSy— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) March 14, 2025
Ireland however, refused to lie down and claimed the first score of the second half after Henry Walker finished off an exceptionally strong Irish maul. When ill-discipline once again saw Italy yellow-carded and reduced to fourteen men, Ireland made no mistakes in taking advantage, with Tom Wood finishing off the most coherent phase of backs play Ireland had put together all game to close the gap to three and turn momentum in Ireland's favour.
IRELAND TRY '62
Italy 15-12 Ireland: Off a good lineout maul, Tom Wood is at the end of a flowing move and touches down; conversion added@SixNationsU20 @RTE2 @RTEplayer #rtesport
📺https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7… pic.twitter.com/hciFc3Q80n— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) March 14, 2025
Ireland would again cross the whitewash minutes later for a potential try that would've given them the lead. However, the TMO mounted his objections and denied them both the try and their route back into the game for an earlier obstruction at the maul.
Despite being much improved in the second forty, a first half that was laden with error and inaccuracy proved too costly for Neil Doak's men who fell just shy of overturning the fifteen points Italy scored in the opening 11 minutes.
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Darren Cave hopeful Italy loss could spark Ireland reaction
After a trying Six Nations that has seen Ireland lose four of five games and fall to Italy for the first time at this age grade, Neil Doak must now turn his attention to this summer's U20s World Championship for which Ireland will have to return to Italy.
Speaking on RTÉ after the narrow loss in Treviso, Ulster legend Darren Cave while initially apprehensive about this side's prospects in the World Championship, remained hopeful that the result could spark a reaction in Ireland.
Remembering his own time at the age grade, Cave explained that regardless of whether they have the ability to compete at the very top level of the World Cup, there will be no shortage of motivation to improve their performance.
I think particularly with young players are you better getting that jolt to life now to start preparing for an U20s World Championship or are you better off leaving with a good taste in your mouth sort to speak. Is this going to kick them into life or leave them low on confidence.
Will this get a jump in performance, I would be quietly optimistic. I remember it from my career, there's no other window of rugby that's such big ramifications for your long term future, it doesn't matter if you're winning a World Cup, you still have 30 odd players that are fighting for an academy spot. It could change your life, a couple of big performances and you could get picked up by an academy or visa versa.
So you'd like to think that even if its not a team going to contest a World Cup, it's 30 players going to do their best and try and win contracts and all those other wee sub plots.
That sentiment was echoed across the RTÉ panel, who were in no doubt that many of these players could go on to become great internationals regardless of this campaign.
Friday night's result, however, left them dead last in the standings, with Scotland overtaking them thanks to a last-minute losing bonus point that summed up an Irish campaign that while at times impressive, lacked the very last clinical step to get over the line.
Should they be able to find that between now and this summer's trip to Italy to take on the best in the world, there's little reason why Ireland won't be back holding their own in those upper echelons of world rugby.
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