This is at a time when Ireland won two Under-20s Grand Slams, reached a World Cup final and finished fourth in the global tournament. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA WireThree – Jack Boyle (4), Darragh Murray (2) and Alex Kendellen (1) – have made the jump from the 2021 Irish Under-20s. It’s important to point out that Ireland won Under-20s Grand Slams in 2022 and 2023 and in the latter year, Richie Murphy’s charges also reached the Under-20 World Cup final in South Africa. The Irish system, as it stands, is desperately in need of refinement and a clear-eyed commitment to unclogging the blockages. 2023: Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Paddy McCarthy (Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Hugh Gavin (Connacht)2024: None.

Source: The Irish Times February 13, 2026 06:13 UTC