Newslatestworld.com – Conor O’Tighearnaigh shouldn’t be here yet, but doors open when you’re good enough and determined.
This happened earlier this year when people in front of him in line got hurt up to the second row. The Irish Under 20 coach, Richie Murphy, was suddenly caught between a rock and a hard place. O’Tighearnaigh was in the next taxi to arrive. Since he got there, he has done a great job.
Today, the kid can win a grand slam for people under 20. (versus Scotland, 5 pm, Virgin Media). James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Oisin Dowling, and Ross Molony, all from St. Michael’s, are good locks. All of them are leaving school to play professionally. Now O’Tighearnaigh is at that door knocking.
“We are lucky to have a great group of coaches at every level, from freshmen to seniors,” he says of the school he used to go to.
He remembers seeing Craig Casey’s Irish team did it in 2019 and feeling slightly jealous. He says, “It would have been a good reason to come here.”
When he was given a chance, he took it. Ireland has been great in this tournament, beating France and England on the road. They have a great chance of winning a second grand slam in four years when they play today in Cork.
No matter how nice the Irish players have been this week, Scotland is not a strong team.
O’Tighearnaigh said, “They have a real pack.” “They like to fight and give you a hard time. We know that we have to meet them at the gain line and play hard. They will try to run you over, just like England and France. It’s important that our bodies look like theirs.”
If you do that, you’ll win a huge prize. They have to tune in. Ireland is the only team that can stop them from realizing their dream.
IRELAND HAS LESS THAN 20
Patrick Campbell (Munster), Aitzol King (Leinster), Jude Postlethwaite, Ben Carson (both Ulster), Fionn Gibbons, Charlie Tector, Matthew Devine (Connacht), Jack Boyle (Leinster), James McCormick (Ulster), Rory McGuire, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, Mark Morrissey (all Leinster), Lorcan McLoughlin, Reuben Crothers (both Ulster; captain) (Leinster)
Replacements Josh Hanlon (Ulster), Oisin Michel (Leinster), Scott Wilson, Adam McNamee (both Ulster), Diarmuid Mangan (Leinster), Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler (both Munster) Chay Müller (Bristol)
“We have former students like James Ryan and Ross Molony who have played for Leinster and Ireland and are now coaching us. That makes you really want to do well. They teach you a lot and make you want to do the same things they do.
Still, he has a chance to do something Ryan didn’t: win a grand slam at the Under 20 level. Given how old he is, that would be quite a feat.
