April 8, 2008

Harpenden won the London & South East final of the National Under 17 Cup on Sunday (April 6) to qualify for the national semi-finals.

Harpenden defeated London Irish Amateurs U17 32-29 at Old Albanians RFC in St Albans with four tries scored by backs Dougie Norris, Courtney Dodds, Louis Gabriel and Tom Rhodes.

Owen Farrell added 12 points from three conversions, a penalty goal and a dropped goal.

Farrell – fresh from captaining England Under 16 in the Four Nations Tournament in France – is in his third season with Harpenden, and his second playing a year above his age group.

He was watched in the London & South East final by his father, Andy, who earlier the same day had played and injured a shoulder for Saracens in their Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Ospreys.

“There was a contrast in styles as London Irish had a large, well-disciplined pack and ours was slightly smaller and more mobile,” said Robin Longden, Harpenden’s U17 coach.

“We were in front from the first five minutes and it was nip-and-tuck from then on.”

Harpenden can now look forward to a semi-final of the National Under 17 Cup against the representatives of the South West at Henley RFC on April 20.

In the other London & South East U17 competitions Tunbridge Wells won the Plate, Dorking took the Bowl and Hertford won the Shield.

National U17 competitions, London & South East finals (at Old Albanians RFC, April 6, 2008):

Cup: Harpenden 32 London Irish Amateurs 29

Plate: Tunbridge Wells 25 Old Albanians 15

Bowl: Dorking 20 Chelmsford 19

Shield: Hertford 24 Folkestone 19

Ends