Ireland under-20s score late try to avoid shock defeat to Georgia

World Rugby Under-20 Championship: Ireland 22 Georgia 16

Captain Evan O’Connell said Ireland will need to improve when they play Australia in the decisive pool game next Tuesday after snatching victory in the most dramatic fashion possible to keep their World Rugby Under-20 Championship hopes alive in South Africa.

Ireland, runners-up last year and one of the firm favourites this summer, seemed poised for a shock defeat when they trailed 16-15 as the clock ticked into the red and they tried to work the ball from the middle of the field.

But in a fashion which his uncle Paul, the Irish forwards coach, did many times for Munster, O’Connell led the way as Willie Faloon’s men worked a 25-phase, inch-by-inch move, which ended with the ball finally going wide after the cover was drawn in. and replacement winger Finn Treacy scored the match-winner in the left corner.

It was rough justice on Georgia but it keeps Ireland on track for the semi-finals, although O’Connell was quick to point out they will need to improve if they are to defeat Australia in the decisive pool game next Tuesday.

“We know we are going to need to be a lot better than that next week,” said O’Connell. “There are no easy games in this tournament. All we have been doing is taking each game as it comes and we will now start looking forward to next week.

“They were a really physical team and just getting that try in the corner, we are over the moon.”

Treacy, who is in the Connacht academy, kept his nerve to collect a bouncing pass from his former Pres Bray team-mate Jack Murphy and supply the finish which got Ireland out of jail after a gripping contest at the Danie Craven Stadium.

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 Georgian defence.

Ireland had feared the Georgian 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 multiphase 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.

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 multiphase 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 outhalf 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 outhalf was replaced by Jack Murphy.

But it was Georgia who seized the upper hand and piled forward and it took some desperate defence from 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 ten minutes.

Those misses kept Ireland in the game and they made the most of them to salvage a most dramatic winning try and they will now turn their attention to their final pool match next Tuesday when they take on Australia.

Ireland scorers: Tries: H Gavin, S Smyth, F Treacy. Cons: S Naughton, J Murphy. Pen: Naughton. Georgia scorers: Try: N Lomidze. Con: L Tsirekidze. Pens: Tsirekidze (3)

Ireland: B O’Connor; D Colbert, S Berman, H Gavin, R Moloney; S Naughton, O Coffey; J Boyd, S Smyth, A Sparrow; J McKillop, E O’Connell; S Edogbo, M Flynn, L Murphy. Replacements: P Bell for Boyd half-time, B Gleeson for L Murphy (46), A Mullan for Sparrow (51), J Murphy for Naughton (57), A Spicer for McKillop (64), F Treacy for Moloney (65), M Yarr for Flynn (78).

Georgia: O Metreveli; L Khorbaladze, L Kobauri, G Khaindrava, L Keshelava; L Tsirekidze, A Jigauri; L Ungiadze; M Khakhubia, D Mchedlidze; D Lagvilava, T Tsulukidze; L Suluashvili, A Dvali, N Lomidze. Replacements: D Kuntelia for Mchedlidze 11-23 mins HIA, L Kotorashvili for Ungiadze (57), S Kheladze for Khakhubia (62), M Tskhadadze for Tsulukidze (62), T Ganiashvili forLomidze 72), M Kachlavashvili for Jigauri (62), T Burtikashvili for Keshelava (75).

Referee: Reuben Keane (Australia)