France finished the Men’s Under-18s Six Nations Festival unbeaten while there were no shortage of eye-catching displays across all participating teams across the three matchdays at Energia Park in Dublin.
Over 340 players participated in 24 mouth-watering fixtures across the men’s and women’s festivals in 2023, with hundreds in attendance and over 235,000 fans watching on YouTube.
The Under-18s Six Nations Festival has provided the springboard for several future internationals to date. Louis Rees-Zammit, Raffi Quirke and Stephen Varney all featured in the 2019 competition while several players who featured in 2022, including Wales’ Louie Hennessey and England’s Finn Carnduff, made the step up to the Under-20s Six Nations earlier this year.
The class of 2023 will now be hoping to follow in their footsteps – let’s take a look back at how this year’s men’s competition unfolded…
Matchday 1
Johan Wasserman’s outstanding solo try proved the difference as France edged past England 23-22 in a thrilling encounter which concluded the opening day.
Jack Bracken dotted down to give England the lead but Kalvin Gourgues bulldozed his way through to give France the advantage at the break.
Thibaut Motassi and Reuben Logan traded tries as England retook control but Wasserman’s excellent finish put France 23-17 ahead, and a missed conversion meant that Kepueli Tuipulotu’s late score was no more than a consolation.
Ireland were clinical in their 36-20 victory over Scotland.
With the scores locked at 10-10, Ireland scored two tries within five minutes to take a 22-10 lead into the break.
Two more scores either side of a second Scotland try was enough to see out the win in front of a home crowd in Dublin.
Italy crossed for five tries as they got off to the perfect start with a 29-8 win over Wales.
The Azzurrini started brightly and were two tries to the good inside the opening quarter of an hour before Tommaso Redondi powered over to send his side in 17-3 ahead at the break.
Italy rubber-stamped an impressive win with two more scores either side of Wales’ first try of the Festival from Harry Thomas.
Matchday 2
Ireland defeated Wales 48-17 to secure back-to-back tournament wins on Matchday 2.
Andre Ryan, Luke Murphy, Todd Lawlor, Evan Moynihan and Luke McLaughlin gave the hosts a 27-12 lead at half-time, with Kyle Harris and Ioan Duggan crossing for Wales.
Moynihan scored his second before Charlie Molony ran half the pitch for Ireland’s seventh.
Both side’s replacement hookers also touched down late on, with Mikey Yarr going over for Ireland and Wales’ Thomas the last to cross in an entertaining affair.
France also maintained their perfect start to the Festival, beating Scotland 50-7.
Ugo Pacome Nassar, Wasserman, Elyjah Ibsaiene and Kalvin Gourgues added to a penalty try during an impressive first half from the French, with Seb Stephen scoring for Scotland.
Gourgues and Wasserman scored their second tries after the break, with Xan Mousques touching down for France’s eighth of the afternoon.
England beat Italy 26-10 to secure their first win of the Festival.
Charlie Myall and Ben Redshaw gave England an early advantage, but Italy showed heart to stay in the game through the boot of Francesco Borelli.
Mattia Midena then crossed the whitewash to bring the score to 12-10 but Billy Sela restored England’s nine-point lead before half-time.
Bracken scored a second after the break as England held firm in the second half.
Matchday 3
France made it three wins from three with a dazzling performance against Italy, beating the Azzurrini 57-17.
Wasserman crossed for the third successive match, while Fabien Brau Boirie scored twice.
Sialevailea Tolofua, Thibaut Motassi, Lyam Akrab, and Edouard Junior Jabea Njocke also crossed for Les Blues.
Pietro Gritti touched down twice and Giacomo Milano went over for Italy.
England ended their festival on a high, beating hosts Ireland 56-14.
Archie McParland and Kepueli Tuipulotu both registered doubles as England scored nine tries and made a big statement in Dublin.
Charlie Myall scored England’s first after just four minutes, with Conor Byrne, Ned McCormack, Sela and Charlie Griffin also going over.
Paidi Farrell and Bryan Walsh scored Ireland’s tries.
Wales beat Scotland 35-29 in perhaps the game of the Festival.
Scotland’s Stephen and Wales’ Kodie Stone traded tries early on before full-back Scott Delnevo gave Wales an 18-10 lead at the break.
Scotland retook control with scores from Johnny Ventisei and Samuel Rockley, but Wales regained the initiative through tries from Evan Wood and Steffan Emanuel.
Stephen crossed for his second to leave just a point between the sides heading into the final twenty minutes but Wales responded again through replacement prop Sam Scott and managed the closing stages well to finish their campaign with a memorable win.