England U18 record second tour victory

Posted on Aug 24, 2011 in Age Grade Rugby, England, English Rugby

Australia A Schools 0 England Under 18 27
Oakhill College, Sydney (3.15pm)

England’s talented youngsters recorded a second victory on their tour of Australia today, notching up four tries in an accurate and powerful display of running rugby.

Despite making ten changes to the side that beat an Australian U19 Academy side 19-8 last Sunday, coach John Fletcher’s side retained their trademark physicality and showed no signs of unfamiliarity. “Despite leaving a few tries out there, we still scored four and kept them out so I’m reasonably pleased with the performance,” said Fletcher.

“We started well, scoring three first half tries,” he added. “Despite coming out well after the break, the second half got a bit frantic at times, probably because we tried to force it a bit too much. We weren’t precise enough but I’ve got to give them credit, the Australian side tackled well and hard and certainly made the breakdown tough for us in the second half.”

But with a number of players coming off injured, Fletcher and his coaching team will have to wait and see how the players recover ahead of Sunday’s big match against Australia Schools. “We picked up a few knocks so we’ll have to wait and see where we are come the weekend.”

A pair of first half tries for dynamic front row duo Max Crumpton (Oaklands College & Saracens) and prop Kyle Sinckler (Epsom College & Harlequins), sandwiched around an effort from full back Jack Nowell (Truro College & Exeter Chiefs), gave the tourists a comfortable 17-0 lead with less than 30 minutes on the clock, fly half Will Robinson adding a conversion.

Strong running from a number of forwards, notably the front row, and skipper Dominic Barrow, and Exeter Chiefs centre Sam Hill, ensured England remained permanently on attack, with the home side barely breaking out of their own half. While England failed to capitalise on at least two more scoring chances, Australia too couldn’t make the most of what limited possession they had, with two knock-ons and a collapsed scrum in closing minutes of the first period proving costly.

A flurry of half time substitutions ensured the intensity was maintained but England struggled to retain the accuracy they displayed in the first half. A 60th minute penalty from Robinson extended the lead to 20 before replacement full back Marcus Webber (Manchester Grammar and Leeds Carnegie) proved his worth, wrong footing the midfield defence to cross for England’s fourth try after only 10 minutes on the pitch. An easy conversion from Robinson rounded off the scoring and left Fletcher and the team with plenty to be pleased with ahead of Sunday’s grand finale.

England U18 starting XV v Australia A Schools

15 Jack Nowell (Truro College & Exeter Chiefs)

14 Oliver Rosillo (Harrogate Grammar & Leeds Carnegie)

13 Tom Stephenson (Moulton College & Northampton Saints)

12 Sam Hill (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs)

11 Zach Kibirige (Yarm School & Newcastle Falcons)

10 Will Robinson (Twyford College & London Wasps)

9 Alex Day (St Joseph’s College & Northampton Saints)

1 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Truro College & Exeter Chiefs)

2 Max Crumpton (Oaklands College & Saracens)

3 Kyle Sinckler (Epsom College & Harlequins)

4 Tom Jubb (Oaklands College & Saracens)

5 George Sandford (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)

6 Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry’s Grammar & Leeds Carnegie), captain

7 Joe Buckle (Bryanston & Bath Rugby)

8 David Sisi (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)

Replacements

16 Scott Spurling (Harrow School & Saracens)

17 Danny Herriott (Moulton College & Northampton Saints)

18 Jack Clifford (RGS Guildford & Harlequins)

19 Matt Hankin (Haileybury College & Saracens)

20 Sam Jones (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs) (unused)

21 James Lightfoot-Brown (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)

22 Henry Slade (Plymouth College & Exeter Chiefs)

23 Marcus Webber (Manchester Grammar & Leeds Carnegie)

Scorers: T Crumpton, Newell, Sinckler, Webber; P Robinson; C Robinson (2)

Coaches: John Fletcher (Coach), Ian Peel (Asst Coach), Peter Walton (Asst Coach)

Australia A Schools

1 Tom Moloney (St Joseph’s Nudgee College),

2 Fa’atausili Lafaitele (Victoria Point SHS),

3 Scott Tolmie (Cyril Jackson SHS),

4 Harry Rorke (St Ignatius College),

5 Terrin Walls (St Patrick’s College),

7 Richard Hardwick (Churchlands SHS),

8 Tautala Tasi (Ipswich Grammar School),

9 Jock Merriman (Shore School),

10 Jack Debreczeni (Trinity Grammar School),

11 Nathan Scarano (Knox Grammar School),

12 Sam Johnson (St Edmund’s College),

13 Andrew Robinson (St Mary McKillop College),

14 Nathan Roye (Newington College),

15 Jonathan Vaux (St Ignatius College),

Replacements

16 Ephraim Lesa (Lalor Secondary School),

17 Campbell Wakely (The Southport School),

18 James Caterson (Endeavour Sports HS),

19 Scott Mains (Villanova College),

20 Gordon Broome (Asquith Boys HS),

21 Patrick McCarthy (Aquinas College),

22 Grant Davies (Brisbane Grammar School),

23 Lachlan Duncan (The Southport School).

Coaches: Jarred Hodges (Coach) and Peter Gibson (Asst Coach)

REFEREE: Richard Goswill

Victory for England U18s in tour opener

Posted on Aug 22, 2011 in Age Grade Rugby, England, English Rugby

England’s young guns kicked off their summer tour Down Under with a 19-8 victory over an Australian Academy U19 side, outmuscling and outkicking their older opponents.

With the sides scoring one try apiece, it was the boot of Henry Slade that proved the difference, the Plymouth College and Exeter Chiefs fly half kicking four penalties and converting his club and country team mate Luke Cowan-Dickie’s try.

Said head coach John Fletcher afterwards, “One year can make a big difference in age grade rugby. The Australians were a big side so we’re pleased with our performance and the boys will be better for it come Wednesday.”

Fletcher’s side will take on a midweek Australian Schools A side before their final test a week next Sunday. “Man for man they were bigger but we stuck together and I thought our pack was the dominant force in the game. Henry Slade kicked well and in tight games like these it’s important to keep the scoreboard ticking over,” he added.

After conceding a try in the opening minutes, when Australian prop Gary Neugebauer drove over from a lineout in the left hand corner, England dominated the first half, their committed defence and tactical kicking confining the home team in their own half.

Slade opened the visitors’ account with a penalty after eight minutes to close the deficit to two points. After missing a second opportunity 10 minutes later, England eventually capitalised on their dominance of territory and possession, when a nice blind-side break from scrum half James Lightfoot-Brown afforded Slade another kick at the posts. This time he made no mistake, putting his side 6-5 ahead after 28 minutes.

The home side dominated the second quarter but led by the imposing lock Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry’s Grammar and Leeds Carnegie), the England pack’s aggressive tackling held them at bay, eventually forcing a turnover which allowed the backs to run the ball out of danger.

When a 60m break from wing Marcus Webber set up a lineout inside the Australian 22, the English pack made it count, with impressive Truro College prop Cowan-Dickie burrowing over in the right hand corner. Slade’s conversion in the final minute extended England’s lead to 13-5 going into the break.

The home side fought back with a Dion Taumata penalty in the opening minutes of the second half but despite dominating proceedings for the next 20 minutes, the commitment and physicality of the visitors forced a number of handling errors that left them with little else to show for their efforts.

With Aussie hooker Roach sent to the sin bin, Slade slotted a third penalty, adding a fourth with 58 minutes on the clock. Invigorated by a flurry of substitutions the England line held firm, surviving a succession of Australian attacks and although some slick handling and a decent break by full back Jack Nowell eventually came to nothing, the visitors weathered the Australian storm to record a convincing and well deserved victory.

England U18s

15 Jack Nowell (Truro College & Exeter Chiefs)
14 Marcus Webber (Manchester Grammar & Leeds Carnegie)
13 Sam Jones (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs)
12 Sam Hill (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs)
11 Jack Arnott (Ivybridge College & Exeter Chiefs)
10 Henry Slade (Plymouth College & Exeter Chiefs)
9 James Lightfoot-Brown (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)
1 Luke Cowan-Dickie (Truro College & Exeter Rugby)
2 Tom Smallbone (Harrow & London Irish)
3 Danny Herriott (Moulton College & Northampton Saints)
4 Tom Price (Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth 1st & Leicester Tigers)
5 Dominic Barrow (Prince Henry’s Grammar & Leeds Carnegie)
6 David Sisi (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)
7 Matt Hankin (Haileybury College & Saracens)
8 Jack Clifford (RGS Guildford & Harlequins)

Replacements
16 Max Crumpton (Oaklands College & Saracens)
17 Kyle Sinckler (Epsom College & Harlequins)
18 George Sandford (St Paul’s Catholic College & London Irish)
19 Tom Jubb (Oaklands College & Saracens)
20 Joe Buckle (Bryanston & Bath Rugby)
21 Alex Day (St Joseph’s College & Northampton Saints)
22 Will Robinson (Twyford College & London Wasps)
23 Tom Stephenson (Moulton College & Northampton Saints)

Scorers: T Cowan-Dickie; P Slade 4; C Slade

Australia Academy U19s
15 Peter Schuster
14 Lindsay Crook
13 Malietoa Hingano
12 Con Foley
11 Blake Murray
10 Dion Taumata
9 Matthew Lucas
1 Gary Neugebauer
2 Hugh Roach
3 Oliver Hoskins
4 Jed Holloway
5 Steven Cummins (captain)
6 Luke Beauchamp
7 Boyd Killingworth
8 Jason Havea

Replacements

16 Timothy Reid
17 Michael Bermingham
18 Samuel Reiser
19 Tom Connor
20 Timothy Donlan
21 Stuart Dunbar
22 Leslie Makin
23 Mitchell Felsman

Scorers: T Neugebauer; P Taumata

REFEREE: Rohan Hoffman

Bonding is key to Counties success says manager Old

Posted on May 31, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Transforming a disparate group of rugby players from all parts of the country into a cohesive unit in the quickest time is once again the major challenge facing England Counties XV Manager Mike Old and his coaches Dave Baldwin and Jan Bonney as he leads another team on a three-match tour to Spain tomorrow (Tuesday, May 31).

With only four players from the previous outing in Dublin in March involved on the trip, 15 who have never worn an England Counties jersey before and representatives of 22 different clubs and 12 different counties, the squad is as mixed as any in the past, thereby offering a series test for all concerned.

“Once again the make-up of the squad follows a well-established format in that we have a very diverse group of people, so we need to bring them together as quickly as we can.” says Old: “We finish our tour with a game against Spain and we will select that team on the strength of performances in the two warm-up games, so we need to get the players to gel as soon as we can to make sure that players can produce their best form in those games.

“Our aim is to win all three matches, to build a well-organised, effective team and to leave Spain having bonded another group of young players and to leave our hosts with a good legacy from England rugby.

“The Counties set-up is very, very good, but there are always new ideas to introduce and this time around we’re planning to do some team-building activities away from the rugby pitch. I firmly believe that the correlation between the team bonding together as a social group and producing good performances on the pitch is absolutely key. You need to get that right very quickly.

“The coaches are working on different things as they seek to promote an open style of play in which players take responsibility. I know that’s a bit of a cliché in that it’s what everybody aspires to, but delivering that ethos under pressure is part of the challenge for the coaches and the players alike.

“As with every tour, there is a huge responsibility on everyone to help to promote and develop the Counties brand. The Bill Beaumont Cup this year has seen some excellent players coming through and yesterday’s final was a very good advert for the county game.

“If we can go away and have very positive tours, the profile of the team grows and to play for it becomes increasingly attractive, as we are clearly seeing. To do that you need to be involved with the County Championship and with a very exciting tour planned for next summer, we want to see more high-quality players bidding for places on it by supporting their County sides.

“In the current group we have a huge amount of pace, which is always exciting; we’ve got a bit of experience; and we’ve got some young lads on the way up. Creating a blend and a balance is the key so that they all understand the ethos of what we are about. The sooner we achieve that, the easier it is for everyone and the more successful we’ll be.”

The squad overcame the first hurdle at Twickenham yesterday when the three players involved in the Bill Beaumont Cup final – wingman Ollie Brennand and Tom Hughes from Lancashire and Hertfordshire prop Rob Schillaci – all came through unscathed.

England Counties squad:

Forwards: Rob Baldwin (Wharfedale & Yorkshire), Richard Boyle (Tynedale & Northumberland), Matt Hall (Blaydon & Northumberland), Ben Hilton (Launceston & Cornwall), Martin Kent (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Aaron Myers (Westoe & Durham), Steve Pape (Rosslyn Park & Somerset), Jack Preece (Birmingham Solihull & Gloucestershire), Rob Schillaci (Hertford & Hertfordshire), Ben Sparks (Stourbridge & Gloucestershire), Tom Stradwick (Henley & Kent), Tommy Taylor (Sale Jets & Cheshire), Craig Voisey (Moseley & North Midlands), Gavin Woods ( Caldy & Cheshire).

Backs: Ollie Brennand (Fylde & Lancashire), Gareth Collins (Leicester Lions & Warwickshire), Steve Hamilton (Rotherham & Kent), Peter Hodgkinson (Ealing & Cheshire), Tom Hughes (Preston Grasshoppers & Lancashire), Cameron Mitchell (Plymouth Albion & North Midlands), Charlie Mulchrone (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Fergus Mulchrone (unattached & Cheshire), Harry Peck (Tynedale & Northumberland), Aaron Penberthy (Redruth & Cornwall), Ollie Thomas (Moseley & North Midlands), Curtis Wilson (Leeds & Yorkshire).

Barbarians name star-studded squad

Posted on May 25, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Doug Howlett, Willie Mason and Tim Visser are the latest additions to the star-studded Barbarians squad for their two-test summer tour which includes a clash against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday June 4.

The invitational side announced their full squad today as they prepare for their first clash against England at Twickenham this weekend.

New Zealand-born rugby league powerhouse Willie Mason has only just agreed a deal to switch codes and join Toulon but has been called straight into the Barbarians squad.

Cardiff Blues skipper Paul Tito joins club-mate Martyn Williams in the squad and Scarlets prop Iestyn Thomas completes the trio of Welsh based players.

(more…)

England Counties XV selectors cast their net wide

Posted on May 25, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

The England Counties XV, the representative flagship of the County Championship and the game outside the Premiership, has remained true to its traditions by casting their net far and wide in selecting a squad of 26 players for a three-match tour to Spain from June 1/12, 2011.

The squad contains 17 players who will be on tour with the Counties XV for the first time; players from 12 of the 14 Counties involved in the Bill Beaumont Cup are represented; and 22 different clubs are in the squad.

The party contains two players – No 8 Ben Sparks and fly-half Aaron Penberthy – who played in the inaugural England Counties Under 20 match against Scotland Under 20s in Leeds recently and also includes England Students lock Richard Boyle.

“It’s fantastic to see young players progression through the England Community game and getting their chance in representative teams,” said Team Manager Mike Old: “The Counties XV has always had a blend of young players and more seasoned campaigners and the presence of these two youngsters maintains that trend.”

At the more senior end of the party is North Midlands fly-half Ollie Thomas, who made his debut for the Counties XV in 2005. The changing nature of the squad is underlined by thefact that there are only five survivors from last year’s Canada tour and four from the game against the Ulster Bank Club International Team in March.
“One of the most pleasing aspects of the selection process is that despite the disruption to the league programme the quality of the County Championship this year has improved week on week.” said Old. “Contenders for the squad have been watched throughout the season by a team of selectors, but involvement in the Bill Beaumont Cup remains a key component of the selection process and form in that competition has shaped the selection process.

“Even with the extension of the club season, all the players involved have represented their Counties, the only exceptions being Ben Sparks and Gareth Collins, who both made themselves available for senior county selection for Gloucestershire and Warwickshire respectively, but was unable to play owing to Under 20 and Leicester Lions club commitments. Both counties were happy for their names to go forward for inclusion.

“We’ve had huge support from county coaches and committees recommending players and our selectors have considered a wide range of players from all parts of the country. However, owing to the over-running of the league season some strong candidates could not be considered for the squad for a variety of reasons, among them injuries, matrimonial commitments and work issues which prevent them from being involved.

“That said, the quality of the players representing their Counties has meant that we do not see any real effect on the quality of the composition of the squad. As always, we have an interesting balance of players, both young and more experienced, and it’s a great group of talent that will give coaches Dave Baldwin and Jan Bonney some excellent material to work with as they prepare to take on two Spanish districts before we tackle the Spanish national team.”

The tour will include games against a Madrid XV (Saturday, June 4 in Madrid), a Castilla Leon Union XV (Wednesday, June 8 in Salamanca) and a match against a Spain XV (June 11 in Valladolid).

The Spanish are currently 23rd in the International Rugby Board rankings behind Namibia and ahead of Chile and are currently in the news for having a side in the Hong Kong sevens for the first time since 2009. They played in the World Cup in 1999 and currently have 20,016 players registered with 220 clubs.

England Counties have met the Spanish national side once previously. Both took part in a FIRA Festival in South West France in 2007, when the Counties were 21-15 winners in Morlaas.

The England Counties squad is:
Forwards: Rob Baldwin (Wharfedale & Yorkshire), Richard Boyle (Tynedale & Northumberland), Matt Hall (Blaydon & Northumberland), Ben Hilton (Launceston & Cornwall), Martin Kent (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Aaron Myers (Westoe & Durham), Steve Pape (Rosslyn Park & Somerset), Jack Preece (Birmingham Solihull & Gloucestershire), Rob Schillaci (Hertford & Hertfordshire), Ben Sparks (Stourbridge & Gloucestershire), Tom Stradwick (Henley & Kent), Tommy Taylor (Sale Jets & Cheshire), Craig Voisey (Moseley & North Midlands), Gavin Woods ( Caldy & Cheshire).
Backs: Ollie Brennand (Fylde & Lancashire), Gareth Collins (Leicester Lions & Warwickshire), Steve Hamilton (Rotherham & Kent), Peter Hodgkinson (Ealing & Cheshire), Tom Hughes (Preston Grasshoppers & Lancashire), Cameron Mitchell (Plymouth Albion & North Midlands), Charlie Mulchrone (Macclesfield & Cheshire), Fergus Mulchrone (unattached & Cheshire), Harry Peck (Tynedale & Northumberland), Aaron Penberthy (Redruth & Cornwall), Ollie Thomas (Moseley & North Midlands), Curtis Wilson (Leeds & Yorkshire).