Ireland Under 20’s eye place in World Championship final after emotional week

Ireland are set to face off against hosts South Africa for a place in the World Championship final.

The Ireland Under 20's head into this afternoon's (3.30pm) World Championship semi-final against hosts South Africa knowing that they now stand just 160 minutes from securing a first ever title for Ireland. Having overcome the toughest of groups which included familiar foes England, Australia and Fiji, Richie Murphy's side are bidding to become just the second ever Irish Under 20's side to reach the World Championship final. Should they be victorious, they will face off against the winners of England and France for a chance at writing themselves into Irish rugby folklore. Already claiming a Grand Slam last Spring, this crop of young talent has already shown what it is capable of, and are currently enjoying a year-long unbeaten streak. [caption id="attachment_289995" align="alignnone" width="640"] Richie Murphy's side are remaining "focused" ahead of their shot at reaching just a second ever World Championship final. (Credit: Sportsfile)[/caption]

Ireland Under 20's remaining "focused":

However, Richie Murphy's men are remaining humbly focused on the task at hand, knowing that they have won nothing yet. "There's definitely an air of excitement but I would say we're focused", the Irish head coach remarked. "They're looking forward to that challenge of South Africa and very much focusing in on the areas that we have to get right in relation to putting our best performance out". "If we can do that, we know we're going to be very close". Maintaining this focus will certainly be easier said than done though, with the Irish camp having endured a week of tragedy. Munster coach Greig Olivier passed away earlier this week after a shocking paragliding accident, with his son Jack a member of the Ireland panel. A talented scrum half in the Munster academy, Jack has now returned to Ireland to be with his family. In what was a touching tribute to his father, Fiji's captain presented Ireland with a commemorative jersey ahead of their final pool clash earlier in the week. Related Articles:

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