Treacy try spares Ireland’s blushes against Georgia

Ireland U-20 22-16 Georgia U-20

Ireland produced a stunning 25-phase move in the final play of the game to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the World Rugby U-20 Championship with a dramatic winning try in the 83rd minute at the Danie Craven Stadium in South Africa.

Georgia seemed poised for a shock win when they led 16-15 as the clock ticked past 80 minutes but Willie Faloon’s men did not panic and worked the ball from their own half before replacement winger Finn Treacy got over in the left corner after the cover had been sucked infield dealing with the constant barrages from a desperate Ireland side.

Treacy’s former Pres Bray team-mate Jack Murphy added the touchline conversion to seal a win which seemed beyond Ireland for long periods against a fired up Georgia side, who were gutted at the end.

Ireland led 12-6 at the end of an opening half that they dominated playing with the breeze, but they struggled to break down a resolute Georgia defence.

Ireland had feared the Georgia scrum but for the most part they held their own in that department but surprisingly their lineout wobbled and a few chances were let slip from promising positions in the opening half.

Both sides were guilty of sloppy handling in the sticky conditions before the afternoon rain in Stellenbosch and Ireland had to settle for a six-point interval lead.

Similar to their emphatic win over Italy in the opening game, Ireland hit the front from a penalty down the left after Sean Edogbo won it inside his own half. Ireland executed the lineout and after debutant Ruben Moloney was stopped short in a multi-phase move, the experienced Hugh Gavin cut a perfect line to get over, with his Connacht academy team-mate Sean Naughton adding the extras to make it 7-0 after six minutes.

Moloney got over four minutes later when he cut a superb line in midfield but the score was scratched when tighthead Andrew Sparrow was pinged for obstruction on the edge of the ruck.

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The new laws, which see the players trialling new smart mouthguards, resulted in Georgian tighthead Davit Mtchedlidze being called ashore for a HIA before returning after 12 minutes.

Ireland crossed for their second try at the end of the opening quarter when another multi-phase move from wing to wing ended with Gavin setting up Stephen Smyth with a neat out-the-back pass and the hooker stepped inside before scoring an unconverted try near the right corner.

Ireland sorted out their lineout in the run-up to the break but the Georgians also readjusted their scrum and won a couple of penalties and as they finally built phases out-half Luka Tsirekidze, who has been capped at senior level, landed two good penalties to cut the gap to 12-6 at the interval.

Georgian laid down a marker on the restart when they won a penalty on an Irish scrum and after going to touch down the right, a series of surges, with centres Giorgi Khaindrava and Luka Kobauri making most ground, ended with skipper and number eight Nika Lomidze cutting through for a converted try which edged them 13-12 in front after 46 minutes.

They went for the kill with a kickable penalty on the 22 three minutes later but, to Ireland’s relief, got pinged for obstruction after taking the five-metre lineout.

Ireland, having drafted in Munster’s Brian Gleeson at number eight in a bid to stem the flow, countered and Naughton edged them back in front with a penalty inside the 22 before the out-half was replaced by Jack Murphy.

But it was Georgia who seized the upperhand and piled forward and it took some desperate defence from Evan O’Connell, Edogbo and Smyth to keep them at bay.

Georgia got a couple of chances to wrap it up but Tsirekidze was somehow off target with two penalties from 30 metres in the final 10 minutes.

Those misses kept Ireland in the game and they made the most of them to salvage a most dramatic winning try.

Ireland: O’Connor; Colbert, Berman, Gavin, Moloney; Naughton, Coffey; Boyd, Smyth, Sparrow; McKillop, O’Connell; Edogbo, Flynn, L Murphy.

Replacements: Bell for Boyd (half-time), Gleeson for L Murphy (46), Mullan for Sparrow (51), J Murphy for Naughton (57), Spicer for McKillop (64), Treacy for Moloney (65), M Yarr for Flynn (78).

Georgia: Metreveli; Khorbaladze, Kobauri, Khaindrava, Keshelava; Tsirekidze, Jigauri; Ungiadze; Khakhubia, Mchedlidze; Lagvilava, Tsulukidze; Suluashvili, Dvali, Lomidze.

Replacements: Kuntelia for Mchedlidze 11-23 mins HIA, Kotorashvili for Ungiadze (57), Kheladze for Khakhubia (62), Tskhadadze for Tsulukidze (62), Ganiashvili for Lomidze (72), Kachlavashvili for Jigauri (62), Burtikashvili for Keshelava (75).

Referee: Reuben Keane (Australia)