The Ireland U20s welcome France to Musgrave Park this Friday night for their first home game in this year's U20s Six Nations. They kicked off their Six Nations campaign and Grand Slam defence last Friday with a win over Wales. After a poor start, Ireland kicked on eventually winning 44-27. The bonus point win leaves Ireland top of the table coming into Friday's game as they continue their title defence. We have all the information on how to watch Ireland U20s v France tonight.
When is Ireland U20s v France U20s?
The game kicks off at 20:00 Irish time on Friday 10th February in Musgrave Park Cork.
How to watch Ireland U20s v France U20s?
Ireland U20s v France will be broadcast live on RTE 2. Coverage starts at 19:35 before the game kicks off at 20:00.
Form Guide
Defending champions Ireland started off their campaign with a comprehensive bonus point win in Cardiff while the French U20s side also beat Italy in the first round of the competition. Both teams are one win from one and are only separated by Ireland's bonus point in the standings. As a result, the winner of tonight's game will automatically leapfrog the other in the standings and take first or second place. With direct placing at stake between two of the tournament's top three teams, Friday's game looks like it could prove pivotal to either team's success later in the competition. In preparation, we've looked at what this means for both sides and how they weigh up against each other after last week's clashes.
While Ireland thrashed Wales, France's opening game saw them travel to Treviso to take on Italy. In what proved to be a tough challenge for the French side, they ended up winning by just a single point after Italy failed to claim the two points off their 83rd-minute try. While France we're lucky to come away with the win on Friday night the strength of their defense will prove challenging for Ireland's forwards, who enjoyed a fruitful outing last week. The French side went the whole 80 minutes against Italy without losing a single ruck or conceding a turnover, on the other hand, the Irish side lost four rucks and had the ball stolen at the breakdown four times. Despite this, French discipline was clearly lacking in a game that saw them concede fifteen penalties, five of them in the maul and having two players sent to the Bin.
On Ireland's side, they enjoyed a comfortable second half against Wales but struggled to get going in the first half. However, as the game opened up in the second half, Ireland's superior fitness shone through and everything became easier for the U20s. They'll be looking to pressure a much-changed French pack and undoubtedly exploit French indiscipline. This same fixture last year, saw Ireland win by a single point away in France.
Team News
Richie Murphy has made just one change to the Ireland side that beat Wales last week. Henry McErlean comes in at full-back for Ike Anagu, while James Nicholson gets pushed out to the wing to facilitate this swap. Gus McCarthy who had an impressive performance last week captains the side again this week, and the experienced pack remains unchanged. Sam Prendergast remains at ten after an outstanding performance against the Welsh, even getting credit from the great Sonny Bill Williams. The Ireland U20s team in full is:
The Ireland U20s Match Day Squad to face France in Cork on Friday night has been named! 🟢#FutureIsGreen | @PwCIreland pic.twitter.com/ySpZf5FJ6b
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 8, 2023
On the other hand, France have named a much-changed team after last Friday's close call with Italy. Sébastien Calvet has made seven changes to his side. These include four changes in the forwards, two of those in the front row as France undoubtedly look to prepare for the strength of the Irish pack, while in the backs there are changes at centre, full-back and scrum-half. The team in full is:
☘️🇫🇷 𝐋𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎 de notre équipe de #FranceU20 pour le match face à l'Irlande !
📺 Suivez la rencontre vendredi à 21h00 sur @lachainelequipe #IRLFRA #NeFaisonsXV #SixNationsU20 pic.twitter.com/nhog41k3cF— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) February 8, 2023
There's all the info you need on how to watch Ireland U20s v France tonight in the U20s Six Nations.
SEE ALSO: The 2013 Ireland U20s - Where Are They now?
