England U20 snatch last gasp draw

The Leicester Tigers’ wing was on the end of a pass in the final play of the game to provide a thrilling end to the U21 Six Nations. The equalising conversion salvaged a draw for the away side which had seemed unlikely when No.10 Rhys Priestland kicked Wales U20 into a 21-11 lead with his seventh penalty. England U20 battled back and opting for a line out from a penalty with the clock ticking down lead to Youngs’s crucial score.

Wales U20 have recorded only one win out of their five matches in the U21 Six Nations; and England U20’s late comeback meant that a second comfortable win ended unfortunately in a draw. Rhys Priestland punished England for a host of early errors, from David Smith not releasing when he counter-attacked to the backs being offside in defence, with three penalties for a 9-0 lead.

Cozens pulled back a penalty for England but they needed a try-saving tackle from Smith on left-wing Jimmy Norris, who looked clear after getting on the end of a chip and gather by fullback Martyn Thomas, to stop them going further behind.

Priestland missed two further penalties but then landed a banker in front of the posts before Cozens pulled back three points. Dave Doherty should have scored a try just before the break as he appeared on Ellis’s left shoulder following the No.8’s sixty-metre break from a scrum on his own 22 but he failed to spot the supporting wing.

Doherty was not to be denied after the restart when he was again on hand as Andy Saull broke down the left and he sprinted in unopposed to bring England within a point, Cozens missing the conversion.

However, Priestland kicked three more penalties for a ten point lead as referee Carlo Damasco regularly penalised England. Cozens’s third penalty kept England in the hunt and replacement Ollie Dodge looked as if he was clear but again fell foul of the whistle as Damasco judged that he had knocked on a bobbling ball that had clipped his knees.

Chevvy Pennycook almost went through from Cozens’s pop pass and, as England U20 piled on the pressure, they finally broke the Wales defence.

U21 Six Nations
Wales U20  21 – 21 England U20

Wales U20
Pens: Priestland (7)

England U20
Tries: Doherty, Youngs
Pens: Cozens (3)
Con: Cozens

Wales U20: M Thomas (Dragons); A Jenkins (Llanelli/Scarlets), J Lewis (Bedwas/Dragons), G Maule (Newport/Dragons), J Norris (Bedwas/Dragons); R Priestland (Llanelli/Scarlets); R Lewis (Neath/Ospreys); H Gustafson (capt, Llanelli/Scarlets), M Jones (Sale Sharks), J Corsi (Newport/Dragons), B Davies (Blues), J Down (Cardiff/Blues), D Lydiate (Ebbw Vale/Dragons), J Harris (Bedwas/Dragons), L Evans (Newport/Dragons)

Replacements: K Owens (Llanelli/Scarlets) for Jones 65, N Eaves (Pontypridd/Blues) for Gustafson 72, M Larsen (Cardiff/Blues) for Evans 75, D Allinson (Cardiff/Blues) for R Lewis 59, R Jones (Sale Sharks) for Priestland, L Ford (Wanderers/Blues) for J Lewis 74 Not used: A Brown (Bedwas/Dragons)


England U20: D Smith (Northampton Saints); D Doherty (London Wasps), D Waldouck (London Wasps), A Powell (Saracens), T Youngs (Leicester Tigers), L Cozens (Bath Rugby), D Care (capt, NEC Harlequins); D Cole (Leicester Tigers), M Mullan (Worcester Warriors), T Mercey (Saracens), D Attwood (Bristol Rugby), P Hoy (Northampton Saints), A Shaw (Leicester Tigers), A Saull (Saracens), H Ellis (London Wasps)

Replacements: R McMillan (Gloucester Rugby) for Mullan 54, C Beech (Northampton Saints) for Cole 54, C Pennycook (Bristol Rugby) for Saull 65,  D Pointon (Northampton Saints) for Care 76, O Dodge (Leicester Tigers) for Smith 65 Not used: M Cox (Worcester Warriors), B Thomas (Saracens)

Referee: C Damasco (Italy)
Attendance: 3652