RUGBY: Ireland to face England in Under-20 World Championship final

Man of the match Max Deegan and Shane Daly also crossed with Queen’s University outhalf Johnny McPhillips adding 15 points (three penalties and three conversions) while Brett Connon landed the final conversion in the 37-7 win.

Ireland will now meet England in the final at the AJ Bell Stadium, Manchester, on Saturday evening.

The hosts eased past South Africa last night in the second semi-final.

Ireland had reached the semi-final on one previous occasion at this age-group level.

The class of 2016 will now attempt to go one better than the Under-21 side who lost to New Zealand in final in 2004 in Glasgow.

Against Argentina, Ireland were 21-0 ahead in the first 30 minutes.

Stockdale opened the scoring when McPhillips’ crossfield kick was taken by Matthew Bryne and he gave to the fullback.

McPhillips converted from the right for 7-0 after eight minutes.

Argentine out-half Domingo Miotti was off target with a penalty and it was Ireland who extended their lead when number eight Deegan intercepted a pass from scrum-half Patricio Baronio and raced from his own 22 to score, escaping the despairing effort of out-half Miotti.

McPhillips converted from the left touchline this time to make it 14-0 after 23 minutes.

Ireland looked set for a place in the final for the first time when after a lineout take from skipper James Ryan saw Hugo Keenan step inside to send Stockdale away for his second try, with McPhillips’ conversion making it 21-0 after 29 minutes.

But Argentina came right back into contention just before the break when Miotti sent a grubbed through after a good move off a penalty lineout and his captain Juan Cruz Mallia got over to score.

Miotti converted to make it 21-7 at the break.

The next score was going to be crucial and while Argentina had more intend after the restart, it was Ireland, now firmly on top in the scrum, who extended their lead when McPhillips landed a penalty from 30m after 52 minutes to make it 24-7.

He was off target with his first kick of the night four minutes later from just inside halfway but did put 20 points between them with 18 minutes left as a tiring Argentina side coughed up penalties.

Argentina were reduced to 14 men when replacement prop Santiago Mare was red-carded for a headbutt on Irish lock Sean O’Connor.

Ireland finished in style with Daly intercepting inside the Argentine 22 to go over for their fourth try, with Connon converting.

LINE-UPS

Ireland: Jacob Stockdale (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Matthew Byrne (Terenure College/Leinster), Shane Daly (Cork Constitution/Munster), Conor O’Brien (Clontarf/Leinster) (Jimmy O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) ’60), Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Johnny McPhillips (Queen’s University/Ulster) (Brett Connon (Newcastle Falcons/Exiles) ’72), Stephen Kerins (Sligo/Connacht) (Niall Saunders (Harlequins/Exiles) ’72);

Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) (James Bollard (Dublin University/Leinster) ’72), Adam McBurney (Ballymena/Ulster) (Vincent O’Brien (Cork Constitution/Munster) ’65), Ben Betts (Young Munster/Munster)(Adam Coyle (Naas/Leinster) ’72), Sean O’Connor (Cashel/Munster), James Ryan (Lansdowne/Leinster) (Evan Mintern (Cork Constitution/Munster) ’72), Greg Jones (UCD/Leinster) (Kelvin Brown (Shannon/Munster) ’72), David Aspil (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster).

Argentina: Bautista Delguy; Tomas Malanos, Juan Cruz Mallia, Santiago Mare (Nicolas Osadczuk ’51), Julian Dominguez; Domingo Miotti (Martin Elias ’60), Patricio Baronio (Lautaro Bazan Velez ’46);

Ruben Ricco (Santiago Pulella ’60), Gaspar Baldunciel (Roman Pretz ’65), Santiago Medrano (Gonzalo del Pazo ’54); Franco Molina, Ignacio Calas (Conrado Roura ’46); Marcos Kremer, Mariano Romanini (Ricco ’76), Vicente Boronat (Bautista Stavile Bravin ’53)

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (.England)