England U20 outmuscle Ireland in World Rugby Junior World Championship thriller

England U20 defeated Ireland in their opening match of the 2026 Junior World Championship in Georgia, despite Ireland racing to a 12-0 lead with two tries in the first six minutes, including a brace from Connacht winger Daniel Ryan. Ireland's hopes unraveled after yellow cards to Dyan McNiece and another player briefly reduced them to 13 men, allowing England to score 24 unanswered points and overturn the deficit. Ryan completed a hat-trick but finished on the losing side as England, who had lost 31-21 to Ireland in February, stormed back through tries from Jimmy Staples and James Pater, with Hugh Shields contributing conversions.