Ireland set for success at World Rugby Under-20 Championship in South Africa

Irish Rugby team ready to take on the world in U20 Championship opener

The Ireland coach, Richie Murphy, has expressed his confidence ahead of their opening match against England in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship. The 2023 U20 Six Nations Grand Slam winners will play their Pool B matches against Australia and Fiji later this month.

“We will bring a mentality that we can compete at the very top level,” said Murphy. “In terms of fitness and the standard of the squad, we are well off.”

Murphy also highlighted that out of 23 players involved in their last game against England, 22 have travelled to this tournament along with some returning from injuries which has strengthened the team even further.

A tough group containing four teams with aspirations of going further into competition:

This year’s championship is set to be particularly challenging as both Australian and Fijian squads remain somewhat unknown quantities. Speaking about it, Coach Murphy said: “It’s definitely difficult; you’re never happy when playing your rivalries like England but starting our campaign with them means adjusting our game plan accordingly before facing Australia and Fiji.”

Saturday’s match is expected to be played on a heavy pitch which could create problems for Ireland who aren’t used to such conditions during games. However, they’ve been preparing hard by focusing on areas where improvements were needed so let’s hope those efforts pay off come Saturday.”