Overview
- Neill scored a decisive second-half try while Ireland were down to 14 men following flanker Joe Finn’s yellow card.
- The narrow victory came a week after Ireland’s heavy opening-round loss to France in the U20 Six Nations.
- Born in Cape Town, Neill rose through South Africa’s schoolboy system, captaining Western Province at the 2024 U18 Craven Week and earning SA Schools honours.
- He joined the Leinster academy after activating Irish eligibility through his grandparents and holds an Irish passport.
- Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote said South African franchises, including Western Province, tried hard to retain Neill, who chose the Irish pathway for his future.