Ireland’s Six Nations weekend got off to a bumpy start as Wales under-20s grabbed a deserved 11-point victory in Donnybrook.

While there were positives for Nigel Carolan’s new look side, with just four squad member’s surviving from last year, a challenging campaign lies ahead.

Ireland started brightly with Johnny McPhillips slotting over a second minute penalty.

The hosts then landed the first try of the night within four minutes; out-half McPhillips producing a beautiful cross field kick for Hugo Keenan to collect in space, and his lay off saw Matthew Byrne drive within inches of the Welsh line. Cillian Gallagher was quickest to the loose ball, touching straight down over the Welsh line, as the TMO singled the green light.

The visitors grew into the game as we passed the quarter-hour mark, Dan Jones having pulled back a penalty, after the powerful Welsh pack forced the Irish back in their first encounter.

The Welsh eventually breached the Irish defence on 22 minutes, Dafydd Hughes touching down after four last ditch Irish tackles.

Now there's the action shot of the night so far from @IrishRugby U20's vs @WelshRugbyUnion U20's! pic.twitter.com/4FhUdLuSuY

— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) February 5, 2016

Blood sub Kelvin Brown delivered the best gain of the Irish first half, from their own 10-metre line to the Welsh 10-metre line, Brown driving on from Connors pass, assisted by Daly and Poland. With Poland subsumed by the Welsh pack, unfairly according to referee Charabas of France, Johnny McPhillips calmly slotted over the resulting penalty kick.

The Welsh deservedly led at half-time after a comedy of errors in the Irish defence. John Poland’s bad clearance from the restart allowed Wales into Irish territory.

While Ireland scurried to clear the danger, with a good turn over, Poland again delivered a poor end-line clearance, the quick return seeing lock Adam Beard too strong for the Irish to land Wales’ second try of the day.

Wales lead Ireland on a scoreline of 20-14 at half time in the U20 6 Nations! #IRFU pic.twitter.com/xn2Rapy10L

— sportsfile (@sportsfile) February 5, 2016

Dan Jones added his second conversion to give the visitors a 20-14 half time lead, and Jones was on hand to add Wales’ third try one minute into the second half, intercepting a poor Poland pass.

Ireland hit back eight minutes later, the first time the green pack were found an offensive position; Kelvin Brown with the try after leading the maul from the line-out.

The Irish were hit with a hammer blow when Peter Claffey was sent to the sin bin just before the hour mark, with Jones adding his third penalty to give the Welsh a 28-19 lead.

.@IrishRugby head coach Joe Schmidt is down in Donnybrook to support the Under 20's tonight too! pic.twitter.com/fIrU1XvnLv

— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) February 5, 2016

A man down, the Irish where also running the risk of losing a try and it was power-house Harri Millard who sprinted home from 13 meters to put 16 between the sides with 14 minutes remaining.

Shane Daly grabbed a consolation try for Ireland in stoppage time, the hosts keeping possession and moving the ball in front of the Welsh goals to score.

So a new dawn in Donnybrook for Ireland, which will take some time to get to the morning.

Teams and Scorers

Ireland: Power (Connon 80), Byrne, Daly, O’Brien, Keenan, McPhillips (O’Brien 69), Poland (Fenton 76), Porter (Bollard 80), McBurney (Kerins 76), O’Donnell (Kenny 63), Claffey (O’Connor 69), Ryan, Gallagher, Connors (Brown HT), Deegan.

Blood Sub: Brown for Deegan.

Tries: Gallagher, Brown, Daly

Penalties: McPhillips (3)

Wales: Williams, Benham (Morgan 80), Millard, Watkin, Giles (Thomas 61), Jones (Evans 71), Smith (Morgan-Williams 53), Domachowski (Lewis 80), Hughes, Lewis (Brown 63), Lewis-Hughes, Bear, Phillips, Evans, Keddie (Sieniawski 76).

Replacements not used: Phillips.

Tries: Hughes, Beard, Jones, Millard

Cons: Jones (3)

Penalties: Jones (3)