Munster Rugby's Ruadhan Quinn bags hat-trick as Ireland U20s thump Scotland

THE Ireland U20 side maintained their hopes of claiming a Six Nations Grand Slam after setting new records for the most points scored in a match and biggest winning margins in the competition by hammering Scotland 82-7 at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night.

Munster Rugby back-row Ruadhán Quinn helped himself to a hat-trick of tries in a player-of-the-match performance, as Ireland U20s hit top spot in the standings ahead of the final round of fixtures on St. Patrick's weekend.

Hosting England, who lost 42-7 to France, at a sold-out Musgrave Park next Sunday next, 5pm, Ireland will aim for an unprecedented second successive U-20 Grand Slam. 

Richie Murphy's Ireland side swept into a 47-0 half-time lead in Glasgow, debutant Andrew Osborne setting them on their way and Fiachna Barrett, captain Gus McCarthy, Ruadhan Quinn (2), Fintan Gunne and James McNabney all following him over the whitewash.

Back-row Quinn, who has featured for the Munster senior side in the URC this season, won a Munster Schools Senior Cup medal with Crescent College Comprehensive just 12 months ago.

The Ireland starting XV on Friday night also included Munster Academy and UL-Bohemian second-row Evan O'Connell, a past pupil of Castletroy College, in the second row as well as well as powerful number eight Brian Gleeson, also of the Munster Academy and Garryowen FC.

Munster Rugby's Danny Sheahan came off the bench in the second half to score one of Ireland's 12 tries in a commanding display.

Out-half Sam Prendergast, the 2023 U-20 Six Nations top scorer, took his season's tally to 63 points with seven conversions. Ireland's only defensive blip was the leaking of an early second half try to Scotland's Corey Tait.

SCORERS: Scotland: Try: Corey Tait; Con: Luke Townsend. Ireland: Tries: Andrew Osborne, Fiachna Barrett, Gus McCarthy, Ruadhán Quinn 3, Fintan Gunne, James McNabney, Diarmuid Mangan, Danny Sheahan, Rory Telfer, Oscar Cawley; Cons: Sam Prendergast 7, Matthew Lynch 4.

IRELAND U-20: Henry McErlean (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster), John Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); George Hadden (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster) (capt), Fiachna Barrett (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Evan O'Connell (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Conor O'Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Ruadhán Quinn (Old Crescent RFC/Munster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster). Replacements used: Danny Sheahan (UCC RFC/Munster) for G McCarthy, George Morris (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) for Hadden, Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster) for Barrett, Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster) for O'Tighearnaigh (all 50 mins), Matthew Lynch (Dublin University FC/Leinster) for Prendergast (52), Oscar Cawley (Naas RFC/Leinster) for Gunne, Rory Telfer (Queen's University Belfast RFC/Ulster) (both 60), Liam Molony (Dublin University FC/Leinster) for Gleeson (66), O'Tighearnaigh for O'Connell (70).