Ireland U20 Scrape Past Georgia in Sloppy Opener Marked by Nerves, Heat, and Hope

A five-point win in Calvisano hides bigger questions for Ireland’s young hopefuls

A win’s a win, sure. But Ireland’s U20 side didn’t look like a title contender in their opening match of the World Rugby U20 Championship. They survived more than they triumphed, edging past Georgia 35-28 in the sweltering Italian sun.

The match had moments of quality, sure. But it was also riddled with missed tackles, miscommunication, and nervy decision-making. Coach Neil Doak’s side may have taken five points, but it came with a side dish of worry.

A fast start fades quickly in a bruising first half

It all began brightly enough. With barely a minute gone, Charlie Molony scooped up a blocked crossfield kick and set up Paidi Farrell in the corner. It was crisp. Direct. Confident.

But the good vibes didn’t last. Georgia hit back hard through 6’7″ lock Gagui Margvelashvili on 15 minutes, smashing their way through with ominous intent.

Ireland replied via Henry Walker, their busy hooker, five minutes later. But that back-and-forth energy quickly turned into something scrappier. Giorgi Spanderashvili sliced through on the edge of halftime to bring it back to 18-14. Both sides lost players to the bin during a heated stretch that hinted at more chaos to come.

This game got messy.

Execution errors, shaky exits and a stubborn Georgia fightback

By the 49th minute, Spanderashvili was in again. Ireland had dominated possession—but it felt more stressful than strategic. Their exit play, frankly, was a mess. Box kicks undercooked. Support slow to rucks. Georgia kept inviting themselves back into the party.

Then, mercifully for Doak, some daylight.

• Mahon Ronan muscled over from close range.

• Charlie Molony, perhaps Ireland’s best on the day, finished a crisp move to stretch the lead to 14.

That should’ve been that. But it wasn’t.

Late nerves underline Ireland’s discipline issues

At 35-21 with the clock winding down, many might have mentally checked out. Georgia didn’t.

Shota Kheladze crashed over in the 79th minute. Then came the conversion. Suddenly, it was 35-28 and Ireland were retreating, panicked. The final phase of the match was less rugby, more survival mode.

Doak was animated on the sideline. His players were blowing. And for a brief moment, it felt like Ireland might cough it all up.

They didn’t. But only just.

One sentence, for effect.

Individual performances shine, but collective cohesion missing

It wasn’t all doom and gloom. A few young men in green stood up under pressure, offering flickers of hope ahead of Thursday’s bigger test against Australia.

Molony was outstanding. Confident under the high ball, electric in attack, and calm in chaos. Mahon Ronan brought bruising presence off the base. And Henry Walker? He worked like a man who didn’t know how to jog.

Still, there were concerns across the board.

• The back row looked out of sync on defensive reads.

• Kicking from hand was erratic.

• The lineout wobbled more than once under pressure.

Those are not small issues.

Georgia deserves credit for the pressure they created

This wasn’t just Ireland playing badly. Georgia were relentless. Fit. Physical. And clearly well-drilled.

Their forwards carried with venom. Their midfield defenders hit hard and tackled low. Spanderashvili’s double was no fluke—he ran smart lines and punished soft shoulders.

For a side often dismissed outside of Europe’s Six Nations bubble, Georgia made a statement.

Here’s how the match stats stacked up:

One sentence again. Because sometimes silence between words says more.

What’s next: All eyes on Paarl and a fired-up Australia

Next stop: Paarl. Opponent: Australia. Stakes? Very real.

If Ireland win, they likely make the semi-finals. But Australia’s not Georgia. They’ll play faster, wider, and with sharper instincts.

Doak and his staff have three days to fix what’s broken. And it’s not just one thing.

They’ll need to:

• Settle their exit strategy.

• Improve tackle accuracy.

• Be smarter with penalties and breakdown decisions.

If they don’t, they won’t be lucky to escape. They’ll just lose.

This group has talent. That much is clear. But talent without structure is a gamble. And the U20 Championship doesn’t forgive sloppy gamblers.

For now, Ireland’s campaign is alive. But it’s wobbling.