The Counter Ruck: The history of Ireland U20s

With Ireland’s current crop of U20s training against the senior side today at the Aviva Stadium, we took a deep dive into the underage structures in Irish rugby.

John O’Sullivan has covered age grade international sides for a number of years, and he joins host Nathan Johns to recall his memories of following Irish teams around the world.

From dramatic penalty shoot-outs vs South Africa to meeting players’ parents, John has plenty of stories regarding Ireland’s young players.

We also look at the efficacy of the system. Does Ireland bring their U20 graduates through to senior level quickly enough? Do our young players get enough game time? Can the provinces alone offer the best youth talent an outlet to grow?