Hanrahan was the star of the show today.

Image: INPHO/Ron Gaunt

IRELAND HAVE CLAIMED fifth place in the IRB Junior World Championships thanks to an 18-7 win over France in Cape Town this afternoon.

Mike Ruddock’s side had already ensured that they would have their best ever finish in the competition after impressive victories over hosts South Africa, Italy and England.

They started with the same XV which began against the Six Nations champions and it was outhalf JJ Hanrahan who came up with the goods on the day. The 19-year-old Munster man, who has been shortlisted for the IRB Junior Player of the Year award, kicked six penalties to cancel out Gael Kickou’s try and a conversion from Enzo Selponi.

French prop Jefferson Poirot was also sinbinned for punching out at an Irish player.

IRELAND U20: Peter Nelson (Dungannon/Ulster); Barry Daly (UCD/Leinster), Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Chris Farrell (Dungannon/Ulster), Foster Horan (Lansdowne/Leinster); JJ Hanrahan (UL Bohemians/Munster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht); Des Merrey (Clontarf/Leinster), Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Alan O’Connor (UCD/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Queen’s University/Ulster), Jordan Coghlan (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).

Replacements: James Rael (Garryowen/Munster), Peter Reilly (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jake Cawley (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Shane Buckley (Garryowen/Munster), Aaron Conneely (Corinthians/Connacht), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht), Conor Finn (Buccaneers/Connacht).

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