ENGLAND limbered up for their IRB Under-19 World Championship match with Ireland later this month with a crushing win at Broadstreet’s ground near Coventry on Friday evening.

The sides are due to meet again in a group match in Durban and England scored all the psychological points with an eight try demolition.

England dominated every aspect of the game with London Irish full-back Topsy Ojo leading the rout with two superb first half tries. Ojo gathered a high pass for the first and sliced clean through a static defence.

His second was even better, using right wing Kieron Lewitt as a decoy and creating a brilliant score from nothing.

England’s win was based on an industrious performance from the pack which was splendidly led by Tom Ryder and the pace and precision of their backs proved too much for the Irish.

To complete a satisfactory evening Leicester fly-half Ross Broadfoot converted all but one of the tries, his only miss coming when he failed to improve replacement Matthew Cook’s last minute score.

England’s other tries came from scrum-half Warren Fury and centre Paul Diggin in the first half. Winger Tom Dawes, Lewitt and Rory Teague also crossed in the second half.

Ireland’s try was a close range effort from number eight Michael Essex after the break which full-back Eamon Fitgerald improved. Fitzgerald also landed two first half penalties.

Once again Broadstreet staged the game splendidly with an estimated crowd of 3,000 attending the third Under-19 international to be staged at what England regard as their home ground at this age group.

Ryder delighted with England Win

England Under-19 captain Tom Ryder began a memorable weekend by leading his side to a crushing 54-13 win over Ireland at Broadstreet near Coventry this evening.

The Leicester Tigers lock led by example in England's third win of the season and he will return to his first club Newark today (Saturday) to help them celebrate one of the biggest days in their history.

Ryder, who comes from Southwell, played for Newark from eight to 16 and he will have the honour along with local boxer Esham Pickering of collecting the Rugby World Cup trophy, the Webb Ellis Cup, from the helicopter that will deliver it to Kelham Road on the Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire leg of the Sweet Chariot Tour.

"I played for Newark right through the mini and junior section so it will be an honour to go back there and collect the World Cup," Ryder said.

"It's a big weekend with that event and this game and I was delighted with the way we played.

"We worked hard during the week and it was pleasing to see most of the things we worked on come off. We wanted to play the game out wide and I thought that our backs looked very sharp.

"Hopefully we can continue that form in our last game against Wales at Morley next Friday and then into the IRB Under-19 World Championship in South Africa later in the month."

Tosh Askew, the England Under-19 manager/coach, was also delighted with the win but sounded a not of caution ahead of the rematch with Ireland in a group match in Durban.

"I don't think we can read too much into this result because we know that Ireland usually start poor and come stronger later on," he said.

"But I was pleased with the performance, particularly our willingness to be positive, to try things and to keep the ball alive."

England introduced Leeds Tykes pair Danny Care and David Doherty, both members of the England 18-Group Clubs squad, onto the bench and Doherty made his debut as a replacement late in the second half.

The youngsters may not feature against Wales at Morley next Friday because Askew hopes that a squad that was depleted by injuries this week will be back to something approaching full strength.

"Danny and David have trained with us so they know the set up and they are players that we have obviously got an eye on for next season," Askew said.

"It was good to get them involved tonight and for David to get his first cap. But we have three backs to come in to strengthen that back line and with the players that we have to come back in and the way that the side is pulling together I think that we will be a force to be reckoned with in South Africa."

London Irish full-back Topsy Ojo was certainly a force to be reckoned with by Ireland as he scored two brilliant first half tries and set up one for Tom Dawes in the second period.

"We worked very hard in training this week and it was good to see a lot of things that we worked on in training come off in the match," said Sidcup-based Ojo.

"Obviously the World Championships are in he back of our minds but we have a game against Wales to play before we go to South Africa and we don't want to lose that one.

"This was very much a team performance but also for me individually. The first try was from a planned move, the second I can't remember too much about how I got the ball but there just seemed to be a lot of space in the Irish defence, their winger just stepped off me and I went through the gap."

England flanker Robert Vickerman (Hymers School, Hull and Leeds Tykes) was stretchered off in the seventh minute. The injury was not as bad as was first feared but Vickerman has a damaged shoulder and an assessment on whether he will be fit to face Wales will be made early next week.

England Under-19s: T Ojo (London Irish); K Lewitt (Bath), P Diggin (Northampton), R Teague (Gloucester), T Dawes (Bath); R Broadfoot (Leicester), W Fury (Bath); D Hartley (Worcester), R Webber (Leeds), M Lambert (Harlequins), T Ryder (Leicester – captain), S Cox (Sale), J Haskell (Wasps), R Vickerman (Leeds), C Goodman (Bath). Replacements: D Doherty (Leeds) for Diggin 72, L Ovens (Bristol) for Hartley 57, S Mackie (Newcastle) for Webber 57, M Cook (Bradford Bulls) for Cox 57, M Hills (Sale) for Vickerman 7.

Ireland Under-19s: E Fitgerald (Old Belvedere), C Power (Corinthians), G Byrne (Terenure College), S Megaw (Queens University), C McNaughton (Greystones); C Mahony (Highfield), C Willis (UCD); R Feeney (UL Bohemians), J Kerins (UCC - captain), P Doran-Jones (Dublin University), C Lavery (Rainey Endowed School), B Holland (CBC), R Walsh (UCC), F McGuckian (Dublin University), M Essex (CBC). Replacements: M Scott (Belfast Harlequins) for Megaw 48, J McGrugan (Ballymena) for McNaughton 31, C Gildea (Terenure College) for Mahony 57, P Phelan (Exiles) for Willis 48, G Mitchell (RBAI) for Feeney 48, G Moran (UDC) for Kerins 51, M Moloney (UCC) for Doran-Jones 40, D McGowan (Sligo) for Walsh 25.

Referee: Mr N Ballard (Wales)