March 29th, 2008

England 18 France 0

England Under 18s maintained their 100 percent clean sheet in the Six Nations Festival on Saturday with an 18-0 victory over France at the Cork Institute of Technology.

The win comes following their commanding 78-8 defeat of Italy on Wednesday. Now only Scotland stand in England’s way and the young guns will take them on, on Tuesday.

England ran in two tries against France with Jacob Rowan of Bradford GS & Leeds Carnegie claiming his second try of the tournament and hooker Jamie George of Haileybury & Saracens also touching down. Fly half Rory Clegg also kicked five points and Bath’s Freddie Burns added a drop goal.

It took England 22 minutes to get any points on the board as both sides had to contend with extreme blustery conditions on the day but in the end a well worked England line-out from five metres out saw the pack drive their way towards France’s line and hooker George muscle his way over to score. Clegg added the conversion.

England continued to dominant the game, but they couldn’t put any more points on the board until after the restart.

With 55 minutes gone on the clock Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons No. 10 handed England a 10 point cushion with his first penalty which he struck from 40 metres out with remarkable ease considering the blustery conditions.

Minutes later and Rowan then put France out of reach with a 58 minute try. The score came after Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons full back Tom Catterick collected a wayward French clearance kick. Catterick then saw off three French defenders and with Rowan in support he off-loaded and Rowan ran in strongly in the corner. Burns missed the conversion, but added a drop goal on 75 minutes to seal the victory for England.

England Coach Alex Sanderson said: “This was a good result even though I am slightly disappointed that we missed a few opportunities. The lads, however, stuck to the structure and our game plan and that paid off. I was also really pleased with our scrummaging and driving mauls against a good French pack.

“There’s one more game to go now against Scotland on Tuesday. Now, we have to regroup, see how the lads are and get ready for our final match which we will of course be hoping we can win to end our season on a high.”
 
England Under 18s

1 Joe Marler (Richmond College & Harlequins), 2 Jamie George (Haileybury & Saracens), 3 Mako Vunipola (Millfield & Bristol Rugby), 4 Tom Holmes (Sandbach & Sale Sharks), 5 James Gaskell (Sandbach & Sale Sharks), 6 Rob Milligan (Rugby School & Northampton Saints), 7 Jacob Rowan (Bradford GS & Leeds Carnegie), 8 Alex Gray (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons), 9 Jordi Pasqualin (The King’s School Gloucs & Gloucester Rugby),
10  Rory Clegg (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons). 11 Sam Smith (Cranleigh & Harlequins), 12 Tom Casson (Sedbergh & Sale Sharks) C, 13 Andy Forsyth (QEGS Wakefield & Leicester Tigers), 14 Will Hurrell (Wyggeston & QE1 Coll Leicester Tigers), 15 Tom Catterick (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons). Replacements: 16 Lee Imiolek (Myerscough College & Sale Sharks), 17 David Blackwell (Hartpury College & Gloucester Rugby), 18 James Currie (Millfield & Bath Rugby), 19 Joe Quinn (St Wilfred's School & Leeds Carnegie), 20 Joe Trayfoot (Epsom College & Harlequins), 21 Joe Barker (QEGS Wakefield & Leeds Carnegie), 22 Sam Harrison (John Cleveland College & Leicester Tigers), 23 Freddie Burns (Bath College & Bath Rugby), 24 Tom Homer (Milton Abbey & London Irish), 25 Christian Wade (RGS High Wycombe & London Wasps), 26 Jack Wallace (RGS High Wycombe & London Wasps).

Tries: George, Rowan
Conversions:  Clegg
Penalties: Clegg
Drop goal: Burns
Substitutions: Harrison for Pasqualin (35), Currie for Vunipola (49), Trayfoot for Miligan (49), Burns for Clegg (55), Imiolek for Marler (55), Barker for Rown (64), Blackwall for George (67), Wade for Hurrell (67)

France Under 18s

Tries:
Conversions:
Penalties:

Referee: David Wilkinson (IRFU)

Half-time score: England 7 France 0

England Under 18s Six Nations Festival Fixtures

England Under 18s v Wales, March 2nd, Worcester Warriors Sixways Stadium, WON 25-15
England Under 18s v Italy, March 26th, Temple Hill Cork, KO 5pm WON 78-8
England Under 18s v France, March 29th, Cork Institute of Technology, KO 230pm, WON 18-0
England Under 18s v Scotland, April 1st, Musgrave Park Cork, KO 230pm
 
Ends…