Ireland rally to take well-deserved win over England in U20 Six Nations

Hello and welcome to our coverage of England u20s vs Ireland u20s in the Junior Six Nations. England, unlike their senior counterparts, are still on the hunt for a Grand Slam following victories against Wales and Scotland. Ireland’s form, however, is much more aligned to Andy Farrell’s setup, having lost heavily to an ominously good-looking France before scraping past Italy by 30-27.

The Irish similarities don’t end there, they suffered a drop in form last year (earning them a wooden spoon), after first and second placed finishes in the years prior. They’ll be desperate to prove that Ireland’s existential concerns around player development are reactionary but in England face an opponent with an equal desire to prove a point. After their grand slam win in 2021 the English youth setup, masterminded by Mark Mapletoft and now Andy Titterrell, has excelled with consistently high Six Nations finishes (a grand slam denied dramatically by Wales in 2024) and a World Cup win in 2024. Most notable about their success, however, has been the steady line of Premiership, and in some cases, international ready players. That seems to be no different this year.

Noah Calouri, the 19-year-old winger who trained with England seniors in the Autumn, played in England’s 19-16 comeback win vs Wales in the opening round but has been rested since by Titterell as a result of the high volume of minutes he’s picking up for Saracens. In his place is Tyler Offiah, son of rugby league international Martin, with Leicester Tigers’ George Pearson on the other wing – he scored a superb individual try against Stormers in the Champions Cup this season.