John Fletcher: That’s some of the best I’ve seen

Posted on Apr 18, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

After witnessing his England U18 side clinch victory with the last play of their FIRA/AER Championship semi-final, Head Coach John Fetcher has said that England played some of the best rugby he’s seen.

London Irish wing Anthony Watson went over the line with seconds left to play to secure a 38-34 win, and Fletcher said:

“For the last 15 minutes we were outstanding, It’s some of the best rugby any Under 18 team that I’ve coached have played. The game could have gone either way, but often when you finish games the strongest you come out on top.

“It was a close one – we cut it quite fine, but you have to play for the full 70-minutes. We started quite brightly, getting an early try, but we were second best for the rest of the half. I was really pleased with the second half effort though, we came out and increased the intensity and moved them around. We though that if we did that we’d create a few gaps, and fortunately that’s what happened.”

England will now face Ireland in the final after the Irish beat hosts France 19-17 in the other semi-final. Fletcher’s side have already played Ireland this season, beating them 29-12 in Dublin in December, but the former Newcastle Falcons Head Coach has said that England can’t take anything for granted:

“It’s irrelevant what has happened in the past," Fletcher said. "Ireland have beaten a strong French side and they’ll be up for the final. At this level it’s about who turns up on the day, the margins between the elite sides in the northern hemisphere are marginal but we’re confident that we can produce.”

Bob Burrell

Posted on Apr 14, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Now Rugby is saddened to learn of the death of one of the sport’s great characters, former international referee, past president of Gala RFC, and renowned after-dinner speaker Bob Burrell.   He was 87.

Burrell was referee in five international matches in the late 1960s – Ireland v Wales in 1966; Ireland v France and France v New Zealand in 1967; and Ireland v England and France v Wales in 1969. He was also invited to referee the Varsity match prior to his international selection, which was a rare honour.

George Murray, former secretary of the South and a fellow referee, recalled: “Bob was a great humorist on and off the field and was a great one for encouraging the fun side of refereeing. He was an excellent referee and quite an inspiration to other referees.

“Ask anyone in Gala and they’ll have a Bob Burrell story to tell.  One of my favourites concerns a young Douglas Morgan playing against Langholm down at Milntown.  Douglas broke down the blindside next to the stand but he was caught and ended up at the bottom of a ruck where he was stood on and pushed face down in the mud.

“Douglas appealed to Bob ‘What about that ref?’ to which Bob replied ‘If I were you son I wouldn’t go up the blindside again!’

“He was such a personality, the Jim Renwick of his day.  He loved his rugby and wasn’t very good at getting home early on a Saturday night.”

Bob enjoyed 17 years as a referee.  Before that he was a gifted centre in a Gala side which included such talent as his brother, Dod (who went on to become President of the SRU and also managed the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 1977); Jim Lees, Dod Lyall and Arthur Dorward.   Bob played 140 games for Gala scoring some 28 tries in his career.

When he stood down from refereeing, Bob was a noted after-dinner and after-lunch speaker.  In his business life he looked after the sponsorship interests of Keyline Builders’ Merchants.

He served on the Gala RFC committee for many years becoming president in 1989 and fulfilling that office until 1991.  He was made a life member of Gala in 2004.

In recent years he has taken great pride in the progress of his grandson, Edinburgh, Scotland A and Scotland 7s forward Roddy Grant.

Bob passed away on a trip to see his family in southern Africa.  Scottish Rugby extends its sincere condolences to all Bob’s family and friends.

England U18 FIRA tournament squad announcement

Posted on Apr 12, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

England U18 Head Coach John Fletcher has named a squad of 24 ahead of this season’s FIRA tournament semi-final against Wales on Sunday, April 17, kick off 5pm. The game will take place in Auch in the south of France.

Fletcher’s side have had a mixed season, enjoying wins against Ireland and Italy earlier in the year before suffering a 26-21 defeat against Scotland just over two weeks ago in Leeds.

A win against the Welsh would take England into the final of the competition against either Ireland or hosts France on Saturday, April 23 in Tarbes.

England welcome influential Ivybridge College and Exeter Chiefs full back Jack Nowell back into the squad after he missed the Scotland clash, but are still without Nowell’s injured club colleague, prop Luke Cowan-Dickie. Newcastle Falcons No. 8 Joe Robinson joins up with the squad having recently represented England Clubs & Schools U18 in their 23-all draw against Ireland U18 Clubs in Dublin.

Speaking ahead of the game Fletcher said: “We’ve got a few players missing due to injury but the lads that have come in are all top players and they’ll be fine. I’m happy with the squad and we’ll be looking to put in a big performance against Wales on Sunday.

“It was disappointing to lose to Scotland but I’m keen to see how we bounce back.”

England U18 FIRA Squad

FORWARDS

Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry’s Grammar School) (Leeds Carnegie)
Joe Buckle (Bryanston) (Bath Rugby)
Jack Clifford (RGS Guildford) (Harlequins)
Max Crumpton (Oaklands College) (Saracens)
Matt Hankin (Haileybury College) (Saracens)
Danny Herriott (Moulton College) (Northampton Saints)
Alec Hepburn (Henley College) (London Wasps)
Tom Jubb (Oaklands College) (Saracens)
Nathan Morris (Sedbergh School) (London Wasps)
Joe Robinson (Sedbergh School) (Newcastle Falcons)
David Sisi (St Paul’s Catholic College) (London Irish)
Tom Smallbone (Harrow School) (London Irish)
Scott Spurling (Harrow School) (Saracens)

BACKS

Jack Arnott (Ivybridge College) (Exeter Chiefs)
Alex Day (St Joseph’s College) (Northampton Saints)
Sam Hill (Ivybridge College) (Exeter Chiefs)
Will Hooley (The Leys School) (Northampton Saints)
Mark Jennings (Myerscough College) (Sale Sharks)
James Lightfoot-Brown (St Paul’s Catholic College) (London Irish)
Jack Nowell (Truro College) (Exeter Chiefs)
Henry Slade (Plymouth College) (Exeter Chiefs)
Tom Stephenson (Moulton College) (Northampton Saints)
Anthony Watson (St George’s College) (London Irish)
Marcus Webber (Manchester Grammar) (Leeds Carnegie)

Sensational Second Half Comeback By England Under 18 Clubs and Schools

Posted on Apr 11, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

A try in the final two minutes earned England Under 18 Clubs and Schools a dramatic 23-23 draw against Ireland Under 18 Clubs at Ashbourne RFC, Dublin yesterday.

Ill discipline proved costly for England as they gave away 16 penalties to gift Ireland easy points but in a spirited second half comeback the side reduced the 17-0 half time deficit.

A converted try by Ireland in the first two minutes put England on the back foot and ankle injuries to both flanker Hugh Lockhart and hooker Nico Woodward meant that the services of Matthew Lamont and Tom Crozier were required after less than 10 minutes.

With limited possession, England tried to force play and were either turned over or penalised at the breakdown before they had chance to build the phases.   

Ross Harrison carried the ball well and Joe Robinson was inspirational in defence but it took a try-saving tackle from winger Tom Bowen, who covered the width of the pitch, to deny Ireland a second try.

England’s best attack of the half came just before the break when James Crossley spotted a gap in midfield before sending the pass wide for Tom Harty.  The winger fended off the Irish defence to gain ground but England were unable to capitalise.

A transformed England team emerged from the dressing room after half time and, with Ireland feeling the pressure, England were awarded two penalties within the space of ten minutes.  Captain, Freddie Gabbitass slotted both between the posts to put England on the score sheet, 17-6.

Kieran Ball and Daniel Lee were introduced as part of half time changes and made an immediate impact with driving runs that helped England build momentum.  Solid play in the loose by Josh Pettet and Hugo Govett ensured that England’s forwards kept possession and created a platform for attack.

An ambitious penalty attempt from Gabbitass from the touchline went wide and minutes later the boys in white were anxiously defending in their five metres as Ireland looked to force themselves back into the game.   A tackle on the line from Harry Sloan, who was outstanding in defence throughout, gave England the chance to clear.

England were consistent in the set piece and a solid take in the line-out by Elliot Stooke, just short of the 22, created quick ball for Henry Taylor.  The scrum half looped round off Gabbitass to off load to JJ Kilmartin whose incisive angle broke the Irish defence and sent him over the line.  A well executed training ground move and the conversion by Gabbitass brought England within four points with 13 minutes remaining.

A moment of ill discipline from the restart gave Ireland another penalty just in front of the posts and Thomas Daly, who had kicked all of Ireland’s penalties, took the three points which proved crucial to the outcome of the game.

Sensing the possibility of victory, the determined England side were immediately back in the Irish half, using the width to open up attacking opportunities.   With the clock ticking an off load from Kilmartin put Robinson through on the wing but he was unable to control the ball and sent it into touch just short of the try line.

Ireland’s frantic clearance kicks failed to gain them distance and England maintained their dynamic and relentless attack.  With two minutes to go, Taylor’s pick and go opened up the Irish defence, and he offloaded to Crozier.

The hooker, whose impressive all round performance was key for England, drew the final two players to create the space for Jacob Wilson to burst down the wing with unstoppable speed and cross the whitewash.  Gabbitass held his nerve to convert the try in stoppage time and give England the well deserved draw. 

Ireland Under 18 Clubs 23 – 23 England Under 18s Clubs and Schools

15. Jamie-John Kilmartin (Bath Rugby, Millfield School, Somerset)

14. Tom Harty (Cobham RFC, Epsom College, Surrey)

13. James Crossley (North Walsham RFC, Wymondham College, Eastern Counties)

12. Harry Sloan (Harlequins, Skinners School, Kent)

11. Tom Bowen (Lewes RFC, Sussex Downs College, Sussex)

10. Freddie Gabbitass (Bath Rugby, Millfield School, Somerset) (Captain)

9.  Joseph Bartlett (Taunton RFC, Ivybridge Community College, Somerset)

1. Hugh McBride (Bromsgrove School, North Midlands)

2. Nico Woodward (Coney Hill RFC, St. Peter’s Gloucester, Gloucestershire)

3. Ross Harrison (Lymm RFC, Lymm High School, Cheshire)

4. Elliott Stooke (Hartpury College, Gloucestershire)

5. Josh Pettet (Sevenoaks RFC, Cranbrook School, Kent)

6. Hugo Govett (Leeds Grammar School, Yorkshire)

7. Hugh Lockhart (Bromsgrove RFC, Bromsgrove School, North Midlands)

8. Joe Robinson (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School, Cumbria) (Vice Captain)

Replacements (All were used):

1.  Tom Crozier (Colchester RFC, Colchester VI College, Eastern Counties)

2. Kieran Ball (Wellington College, Essex)

3. Matthew Lamont (Exeter Chiefs, Ivybridge Community College, Devon)

4. Daniel Lee (Exeter Chiefs, Ivybridge Community College, Devon)

5. Henry Taylor (Harlequins, Cranleigh School, Bucks)

6. Henry Purdy (London Wasps, Cokethorpe School, Oxon)

7. Jacob Wilson (London Wasps, Cokethorpe School, Oxon)

An England player with a foot in both camps

Posted on Apr 8, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Kieran Ball knows what kind of test England Under 18s Clubs and Schools can expect when they take on Ireland this Sunday because last year he was pulling on the green jersey.

The prop from Essex qualifies to represent Ireland because his grandmother is Irish and by playing for the Exiles he progressed through the selection process.

Kieran played three warm up fixtures with the Ireland age grade team before reaching the final of the FIRA AER tournament where they were defeated by France.

“Ireland have a good running game and move the ball well,” said Kieran.  “I know four of the boys who are playing for Ireland Under18 Clubs again this season and they seem confident that they can beat us at the weekend but I’ve told them they are wrong!”

“The Irish have had more training time than us but the quality of the coaching we are receiving is excellent.  I can see how much I have developed as a player even in the limited time we have had available.”

If both teams’ previous fixtures are anything to go by, Sunday’s clash could be an exciting game of attacking rugby.  Ireland Under 18 Clubs beat Germany Under 18s 54-0 while England still scored five tries despite going down 58-33 to a very physical Worcester Warriors Academy Under 19s last weekend.

The warm up match was the first time the England team had played together and the conditioned game of four quarters allowed the coaches to experiment with different combinations.

“We can take confidence from our performance,” said Kieran.  “Our defence was weak but it is always difficult when you are in a team who have never played before.  We conceded 17 points in the first quarter but by the second and the third quarters we were already making progress and really developed within the game.

“When you win, there is always the danger of complacency but the loss has given us complete determination to go forward.  There is a lot of talent in the team and it is an amazing opportunity to be alongside such exciting players.”

Kieran won his first cap for England at Under16 but there was no aspirational Under 18 team last season so the Clubs and Schools team was introduced.  It gives players the experience of representative rugby while keeping them on the selectors’ radar as they continue to pursue academic commitments.

Kieran attends Wellington College and his immediate ambition is to go to Cambridge University and play in the annual Varsity Match held at Twickenham.

“My studies are a little bit on the back burner at the moment,” admits Kieran.  “But rugby comes first for me and if we win against Ireland it will all be worth it.”

“I know I was fortunate to be able to play for Ireland last year.  But if I ever had to choose it would be the rose every time.  To pull on an England shirt is an incredible honour.”

The coaches will name Sunday’s starting line up after the team have trained at the Surrey Sports Park this afternoon.

They then fly to Dublin on Saturday ready to take on Ireland Under 18 Clubs at Ashbourne RFC (April 10, 11.30.)

England Under 18 Clubs and Schools Squad:

Forwards:

Kieran Ball (Wellington College),  Tom Crozier (Colchester RFC, Colchester VI College), Hugo Govett (Leeds Grammar School), Ross Harrison (Lymm RFC, Lymm High School), Matthew Lamont (Exeter Chiefs, Ivybridge Community College), Daniel Lee (Exeter Chiefs, Ivybridge Community College), Hugh Lockhart (Bromsgrove RFC, Bromsgrove School), Hugh McBride (Bromsgrove School), Josh Pettet (Sevenoaks RFC, Cranbrook School), Joe Robinson (Newcastle Falcons, Sedbergh School), Elliott  Stooke (Hartpury College), Nico Woodward (Coney Hill RFC, St. Peter’s Gloucester)

Backs:

Joseph Bartlett (Taunton RFC, Ivybridge Community College), Tom Bowen (Lewes RFC, Sussex Downs College), James Crossley (North Walsham RFC, Wymondham College), Freddie Gabbitass (Bath Rugby, Millfield School), Tom Harty (Cobham RFC, Epsom College), Jamie-John Kilmartin (Bath Rugby, Millfield School), Henry Purdy (London Wasps, Cokethorpe School), Harry Sloan (Harlequins, Skinners School), Henry Taylor (Harlequins, Cranleigh School), Jacob Wilson (London Wasps, Cokethorpe School)