On the ditch

Ireland’s U20 side are reigning Grand Slam champions, but this year’s squad is a very different one from last year and so Eric Elwood and his coaching staff are almost starting from scratch in this year’s competition. Their first game this year was held in Athlone against Italy on a bitterly cold night.

And it was a tough game with a dogged Italy providing a huge challenge to Ireland. A very physical encounter, it also saw Italian lock Alberto Cazzola red carded in stoppage time.

Final Score: Ireland 6 - Italy 0

Ireland — N Morris (Leinster); D Kearney (Leinster), E O’Malley (Leinster), E Sheridan (Leinster), C Cochrane (Ulster); M Dufficy (Leinster), D Moore (Leinster); P Karayiannis (Ulster), S Douglas (Ulster), B Barclay (Leinster); D Nolan (Connacht), E Sheriff (Leinster); K Essex (Munster), P Ryan (Leinster), P Mallon (Leinster). Replacements: S Scanlon (Munster) for Morris (15); J Harris-Wright (Leinster) for Douglas (48 ); J Sandford (Ulster) for Nolan (59); K Green (Leinster) for Moore (80).

Italy — G Sapuppo; A Bacchetti, R Quartaroli, A Chiesa, E Rotella; R Bocchino, L Martinelli; A de Marchi, T D’Apice, M Ravalle; F Giusti, A Cazzola; N Simoni, S Favaro, L Petillo. Replacements: M Nava for Sapuppo (59 ).

Ref — A MacPherson (Scotland).

Tags: Eric Elwood, Ireland U20, Ireland V Italy, Martin Dufficy, Six Nations, U20SixNations08