The Electric Ireland Under 20s are right up against it in Narbonnes on Friday night but their coach is in confident mood.
Nigel Carolan’s Wolfpuppies got off to a losing start in Donnybrook, last week, after some sloppiness either side of half-time cost them dearly.
Ireland were beaten 35-24 and have lost two players – Jack Power and Will Connors – to injury.
Added to that, Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale and Ross Lyttle are required for senior provincial duty. They play a talented France side that began their campaign with a six-try victory over Italy.
If the situation looks tough for Ireland – and it is – they need only look back to an epic away performance by their contemporaries in 2012. Back then, at the nearby Stade des Alpes [Grenoble], an Ireland U20 side containing the likes of Iain Henderson, Paddy Jackson, Jack Conan and JJ Hanrahan, edged a thriller, 13-12.
Before he flew out to Narbonne, Carolan said, “We were disappointed with how things went against Wales. I thought that we played well overall but mistakes proved costly in the end. We’ve hopefully addressed the key areas and we’ll be looking for an improved performance on Friday night.
“Our training sessions this week have been very positive and the players are looking forward to the game in Narbonne. If we can maximise on our opportunities, I’d be confident of a result.”
France began their championship with a comprehensive 40-3 win over Italy. Les Bleuets scored four tries in the first-half before adding two more after the break.
France scrum-half Christopher Kaiser says he is expecting a serious test from ‘a very beefy’ Irish side. He comments, “Ireland are very strong around the ruck. For me, that will be a key area of the game. The team that gives absolutely everything there, in terms of intensity and aggressiveness, will win the game.”
As for the Irish players, here is what they have to say about a game that is as win or bust as they come.
IRELAND U-20: 15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Matthew Byrne (Terenure/Leinster), Shane Daly (Cork Con/Munster), Jimmy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Conor O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster); Johnny McPhillips (QUB/Ulster), John Poland (Cork Con/Munster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Adam McBurney (Ballymena/Ulster), Conor Kenny (Buccaneers/Connacht); Peter Claffey (Galwegians/Connacht), James Ryan CAPT. (Lansdowne/Leinster); Cillian Gallagher (Sligo/Connacht), Dan Walsh (Cork Con/Munster)*, Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Replacements: Shane Fenton (Young Munster/Munster), James Bollard (Dublin University/Leinster), Conán O’Donnell (Sligo/Connacht), Sean O’Connor (Cashel/Munster), Kelvin Brown (Shannon/Munster), Stephen Kerins (Sligo/Connacht), Brett Connon (Newcastle Falcons), Terry Kennedy (St Mary’s/Leinster)*
FRANCE U-20: Buros; N’Gandebe, Penaud, Arrate, Roudil; Belleau, Kaiser; Jelonch, Cancoriet, Voisin; Tanguy, Verhaegue; Simutoga, Mauvaka, Castets CAPT.
Replacements: El Ansari, Bourgarit, Setiano, Hannoyer, Grenod, Couilloud, Septar, Pilati
Kick-off: 8:05pm [Irish time]
