March 3, 2008

England Under 16 continued their preparations for this month’s Four Nations Tournament in France with a 47-10 win over Saracens Academy Under 17 in a practice match at Solihull School on Sunday (March 2).

Played over two periods of 25 minutes and one of 20, the non-cap fixture allowed the England 16 Group selectors another look at the 26 players preparing to face France, Italy and Wales in the tournament from March 17-27.

England scored seven tries to two, including two each for wing Sam Edgerley and full back/wing Alex Lewington, against their mostly older opponents from Saracens.

The other five tries were also scored by backs – centre Jamie Elliott, centre/fly half Sam Stanley and outside centre Sam Stuart – with George Ford kicking four conversions and fellow fly half Tom Heathcote one.

“The forwards stuck to their task against older opponents,” said George Squires, England 16 Group’s chairman of selectors.

“There’s the making of a side with quite a bit about them. One of the tries started from our own goal line, and went through the hands – forwards and backs – to the other end.

“Saracens had Jackson Wray, an England U16 cap last season, in their side and he was very complimentary about the England forwards.”

With the rules of the Four Nations Tournament dictating that every squad member must start at least one match, and play at least a half, England’s lead coach Gareth Rees and his colleagues have been mindful of trying different combinations and maintaining a flexible approach in selection.

It was a particularly busy weekend for 16-year-old Edgerley, who also scored two tries and kicked four conversions and a penalty for 21 points in Wellington College’s quarter-final win over RGS Newcastle in the Daily Mail Under-18 Schools Cup on Saturday.

England U16 have the proud record of being the country’s only representative team unbeaten since the Rugby World Cup year of 2003.

They will put this on the line in the Four Nations Tournament based in Lyon, which is in its second year after England hosted and won the inaugural version in 2007.

England will face Wales U16 in Bourgoin on March 20, followed by the Under 17 teams of Italy (Vienne, March 23) and France (Lyon, March 26).

The final training camp this weekend (March 7-9) at Cokethorpe School in Oxfordshire will include a practice match against Bath Academy U17.

England U16 A scored 11 tries in a 65-10 win over the Midlands Division in their practice match at Solilhull School on Sunday.

Ends