Jarvis Takes The Starring Role With 17 Points
ENGLAND A 21
WALES A 29
The boot of Lee Jarvis steered Wales to a third successive win in the Six Nations A Championship and put them on course for a possible Triple Crown when they meet Scotland A at Wrexham in two weeks time.
Twice the visitors had to come from behind and the Neath outside half Jarvis had a hand in almost every score.
By the end of the night he had helped himself to 17 points and made it a memorable night for the Welsh fans at Bristol’s Ashton Gate ground.
The English pack dominated the lines-out, but were put under great pressure at the scrums. So much so, that in the end French referee Didier Mene sent the Gloucester loose head prop Trevor Woodman to the sin-bin with eight mintues to go.
Jarvis got the game off to a great start when he droped the first of his two goals with only a minute gone. He was wide with three of his four penalty attempts in the opening period, but did manage one to add to a Brett Sinkinson try off the back of a close range scrum which Ceri Sweeney converted.
Sweeney deputised for Jarvis for seven mintues when the Neath No 10 had three stitches put into a cut eye.
England’s repsonse to that opening shot from Jarvis was to take the lead with a Mark Regan try.
The Bath hooker got a second score from a rolling line-out jsut before the break, but Wales still changed ends with a one point lead, 13-12.
Two penalties from new English outside half Phil Jones gave the home team the lead in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, but it was short lived.
A Jarvis break up the blindside, carried on by Adrian Durston, paved the way for the Newport wing Matthew Watkins to squeeze over in the left corner.
The touchline conversion was crucial, Jarvis was up to the task and Wales were back infront at 20-18.
Jarvis and Jones swapped penalties as the tension mounted, but Jarvis’second drop goal broke English hearts.
Wales dominated the closing exchanges and ,when Woodman was sent to the sideline, Jarvis completed the scoring with another penalty.
Scorers: England: Tries: Mark Regan 2; Con: Phil Jones; Pens: Phil Jones 3. Wles: Tries: Brett Sinkinson, Matthew Watkins; Cons: Ceri Sweeney, Lee Jarvis; Pens: Lee Jarvis 3; DGs: Lee Jarvis 2.