Falcons make JPM Final

Posted on Aug 2, 2011 in Newcastle Falcons, Sevens

By Paul Eddison, Sportsbeat

Newcastle booked their place in the finals of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series with a convincing display at Edgeley Park on Friday.

Falcons won three out of three to cruise into next Friday’s final at the Stoop where they will be looking to go one better than their runner’s up spot to Saracens last year.

And they will be joined by hosts Sale who booked their place with a win over Worcester in the final match of the evening.

It was the Sharks who made the brightest start to the evening opening the scoring through centre Will Addison to take a 7-0 lead over Newcastle at half-time.

That was as close as anyone came to troubling Falcons and they came roaring back after the break with three tries, Joel Hodgson scoring the first and setting Ryan Shortland up for the second before Luke Fielden sealed the 15-7 win.

A very inexperienced Leicester side was then dispatched by Worcester 19-10, Danny Gray proving the difference with two tries and two conversions while James Freeman grabbed the Warriors’ other try.

Centre Ed Rolston scored two tries for Tigers but it was not enough to avoid defeat.

Leicester were immediately back in action and clearly unable to cope with back-to-back games as the Sharks tore them to shreds 47-0.

Player of the round Danny Bibby scored a hat-trick while Jordan Davies, Will Cliff, Addison and Tom Brady also helped themselves to tries.

Newcastle then booked their place in the finals with a comfortable 19-10 over Worcester, Hodgson again scoring from an offload from Luke Eves.

Fielden again got on the scoresheet, along with Mark Wilson to put Newcastle clear before a Sam Miller double gave the score some respectability.

Falcons were able to overcome the challenge of back-to-back games in their following clash with Leicester, crushing the Tigers 41-7 after conceding early.

Tahir El Mahdi pounced to give Tigers the early lead but two tries from Chris Pilgrim, as well as scores from Wilson, Richard Mayhew, Alex Tait, Will Chudley and Aaron Myers, were enough for a convincing win.

That set up a winner-takes-all clash in the final match between hosts Sale and Worcester, and the Sharks gave the visitors no chance as they coasted to 45-12 win.

Tickets for every round of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series are available through Ticketmaster /www.ticketmaster.co.uk http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk /or by calling 0844 847 2492

Tigers name squad for JPM sevens

Posted on Jul 28, 2011 in Leicester Tigers, Premiership, Sevens

Leicester Tigers have named their squad ahead of the JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby Sevens on Friday night.

A youthful Tigers team will travel to Edgeley Park to play Newcastle Falcons, Worcester Warriors and hosts Sale Sharks.
Alex Lewington, the 19-year-old Academy wing and full-back, will captain the squad.

Wing Lee Robinson, who scored 45 tries in just over 100 appearances for Bristol Rugby and made his Tigers debut in the Aviva Premiership fixture away to Saracens last season, provides senior experience.

Tigers also include lock Rob Conquest, centre Ed Rolston and back-rower Jethro Rawling, who all played their part in the success of the Development XV in securing last season’s Aviva Premiership A League title.

Academy manager Neil McCarthy said: “The JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby Sevens gives our young players exposure in a really good competition.

“This year in particular, because there are senior players away at the World Cup, it gives some of the younger players an opportunity to show their worth.”

Lewington, who made two first-team appearances in last season’s LV= Cup, said the chance to wear the Tigers colours was a huge incentive in itself.

“It’s awesome to wear a Tigers shirt,” he said. “It’s always a special feeling every time you put one on and you cannot take it for granted. You want to treasure it.”

Leicester Tigers (JP Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby Sevens, Friday, July 29, Edgeley Park, kick-off 7.30pm)

1 Jake Albon, back row
2 Rob Conquest, second row
3 Harry Wells, second row/back row, England Under-16A
4 Ed Rolston, centre
5 Jethro Rawling, back row, England Under-19
6 Lee Robinson, wing, Barbarians
7 John Hale, centre
8 Alex Lewington, wing/full back, England Under-18
9 Tahir El Mahdi, wing, England Under-16A
10 Javiah Pohe, centre, England Under-18
11 Tom Bowen, full-back
12 Scott Steele, scrum-half

Tigers challenge for Tait

Posted on Jul 14, 2011 in Leicester, Premiership

England international centre Mathew Tait has completed his move to Leicester Tigers.

Tait, 25, has played more than 150 first-team games in eight seasons in club rugby, starting at Newcastle Falcons and then moving to Sale Sharks.

Capped 38 times by England, Tait has played at wing and full-back as well as at centre, and is now looking to make an impact at Welford Road.

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “We think Mathew is an excellent addition to the squad.

“He has gained a lot of experience for a player who is still just 25 years old and he has played at the highest level, including the World Cup Final in 2007.

“But he is still young, he is still ambitious and he wants to challenge himself here.”

County Durham-born Tait made his senior debut for Newcastle Falcons in 2004 and gained his first England cap as an 18-year-old during the 2005 Six Nations.

He moved to Sale Sharks in 2008 and gained his most recent England cap in Australia last summer.

Tait said: “The move to Leicester Tigers gives me a great opportunity to continue my development as a player and I know there is still a lot to come in my career.

“I’ve enjoyed some great times in the game already and I still have ambitions and goals to achieve in rugby.

“There is a superb set-up at Leicester and a very competitive squad. I’m looking forward to trying to establish myself in the team here.”

Tigers recruit three new young guns

Posted on Jun 10, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Leicester Tigers have recruited three of England’s brightest young talents ahead of the 2011/12 season.

The nine-times Premiership champions have agreed terms with Kieran Brookes, Graham Kitchener and Micky Young who are all currently with the England Saxons squad at the Churchill Cup.

Brookes, a prop, and scrum-half Young will move from Newcastle Falcons, while second-rower Kitchener was part of the Worcester Warriors squad which gained promotion to the Aviva Premiership in the 2010/11 season.

Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “We’re delighted to be able to add such promising young talent to our squad. We hope they all enjoy a successful Churchill Cup this summer and we look forward to them joining us in time for the build-up to the new season.

“We’ve brought a number of young players through to our first-team squad in the last couple of seasons and we think these three have the potential to develop well within our environment.

“It is important for this club to retain a strong, young English core to the squad and we have an excellent record in that regard.”

Brookes, 20, has played almost 40 first-team games in two years with Newcastle Falcons, while 22-year-old Young has made 79 senior appearances since his debut in 2007/08.

Kitchener, 21, was among the try-scorers in the England Saxons win over the USA last Saturday and made 32 appearances in Worcester’s Championship-winning season.

Second row Dave Markham joins Gloucester Rugby

Posted on Jun 10, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Gloucester Rugby have added to their second row options for 2010-11 with the signing of 19 year old Dave Markham from the Leicester Tigers.

Markham played his junior rugby with Rainford High School, Ormskirk RFC and Sedbergh School before joining the Sale Sharks Academy. He was also capped by Lancashire at U14, U15 and U16 levels.

Having moved to the Tigers, he made his senior debut for as a replacement in the LV= Cup fixture at Exeter in January 2011 and was an Aviva Premiership A League winner with the Tigers in 2011, starting the final against Sale Jets.

Talking to the club website this week, Markham admitted that he’s really looking forward to reporting for preseason training and getting a good preseason under his belt.

“Gloucester is a great club in a great rugby community and it’s a chance for me to explore the game more and test myself against some of the best players in the country.”

“It’s about developing myself as a person and as a player. Gloucester have shown in the past that they’re not afraid to give young players a chance and hopefully I’ll get some game time as the season goes on.”

“I’m really looking forward to meeting the rest of the squad and putting in the hard work in training. But especially working with guys like Alex Brown, Jim Hamilton and Will James and learning from them, developing my game and making the most of any opportunities that come my way.”