Churchill Cup/ Ireland A 39 Canada 20: Ireland A got their Churchill Cup campaign off to a winning start, but they had to work hard to see off Canada in a highly entertaining match at Exeter's Sandy Park on Saturday night.
Ireland scored three tries in the first half to lead 17-6 at the break, only to be hit by a Canadian onslaught that suddenly saw them trail 20-17, but a further trio of touchdowns ensured victory.
Ireland outhalf Jeremy Staunton saw an early, 48-metre penalty bounce back off the crossbar, while Canadian winger James Pritchard missed a more simple, 35-metre effort.
The Irish got the first points in the 14th minute, when a catch-and-drive lineout move was finished off by the Ulster lock Ryan Caldwell.
Staunton missed the conversion, and three minutes later Pritchard cut the deficit to two points with a long-range penalty.
Ireland then stepped up a gear to score two tries in nine minutes.
Ulster centre Darren Cave picked a beautiful diagonal line through the defence to cross for the first; and Munster winger Keith Earls went over in the corner after the ball was moved swiftly left from a close-range scrum.
Canada, however, came storming out of the blocks in the second half, with a break by fullback Mike Pyke setting up a try for centre Craig Culpan, and then powerful runs by centre David Spicer and Pritchard providing winger Dean Van Camp with a score in the corner.
Pritchard converted both and suddenly Ireland trailed 20-17.
However, straight from the restart, a kind bounce ended up in Staunton's hands, and his deft kick to the corner was touched down by John Hearty.
Moments later, Wasps flanker Jonny O'Connor caught the ball at the back of a five-metre lineout and bundled his way over, with Staunton converting, and then adding a 74th-minute penalty for a 32-20 advantage.
Staunton completed the scoring deep into injury time with a converted try to complete a personal, 14-point haul.
IRELANDA: J Sexton (J Hearty 49); P McKenzie, D Cave, S Mallon (F McFadden 77), K Earls; J Staunton, C Keane (K Campbell 77); R Hogan (M Ross 80+9), J Fogarty (capt) (D Cannon 80+9), M Ross (D Fitzpatrick 62), R Caldwell, A Farley (D Cannon 49-53), S Keogh (J Muldoon 80+4), J O'Connor, R Wilson.
CANADA: M Pyke; D Van Camp, C Culpan, D Spicer, J Pritchard; R Smith (D Daypuck 80+9), M Williams (capt) (E Fairhurst 80+10); D Pletch (K Tkachuk 51), P Riordan, S Franklin (M Pletch 77), J Jackson, M Burak, C Yukes (A Carpenter 67), N Dala (A Kleeberger 32), S McKeen. Not used: D Biddle.
Referee: Andrew Small(RFU).
