U18 defeat English counterparts

England U18  9 – 21  Wales U18

This was an impressive display by Wales, who played by far the more intelligent rugby and who showed much better handling skills.

Outstanding for Wales was outside half Dan Biggar who, apart from kicking four goals, directed the midfield with authority and showed silky running skills that suggests a promising future.

“I have to thank the players for their attitude and commitment; they played exceptionally well against a well-organised and physical England side,” said Wales Coach Simon King. He added, “We stopped their driving play and would have played more rugby if we had been able to get more ball but they were very strong in the set-piece.”

Wales, making a brisk start to the game, capitalised on their early pressure with a penalty goal by Biggar. Then when England were penalised at the breakdown, Biggar struck again to put Wales ahead by 6-0.

However, England responded with powerful forward play that ended with outside half Rob Miller opening his side’s scoring with a 40 metre penalty goal.

England’s strength in the set piece was beginning to tell and when the men in white won a line-out five metres out from the Welsh line, England attacked through their beefy forwards before spreading the ball wide.

A high tackle on England fullback Greig Tonks perhaps stopped a try but cost Wales a penalty, which was comfortably converted into points by Miller to level the scores.

Yet Wales replied in style. From a line-out in the England 22 area Wales moved the ball into midfield and outside centre Jason Harries made a swerving run to create the score. Biggar’s conversion gave Wales a 13-6 advantage.

Just before half- time England again used their forward power to earn another penalty and again Miller was accurate with the boot to reduce Wales’s lead to 13-9 at the break.

Wales were put under pressure early in the second half and were lucky to survive another penalty attempt, after another high tackle, this time on England prop Ben Moon.

Then, when England created a half overlap for left wing Charlie Sharples, Wales had to dig deep in defence. Having survived, Wales profited from a handling mistake by England that resulted in a penalty award and a further three points from the boot of Biggar.

Wales were then reduced to fourteen men after lock Lee Bray was sin-binned. Their seven-man pack did well to defend an England driven line-out and even better to disrupt English handling when the ball was eventually pushed wide.

In the event the ball went loose allowing Wales to gain 80 metres and a penalty, but his time Biggar put his kick just right of the posts. It mattered little as Wales, after stopping an England impromptu attack, played cleverly in the closing stages and finally forced a mistake from winger Sharples to give substitute James Loxton a try in the corner and a satisfying finish for victorious Wales.

Scorers
Wales U18: Tries: Harries, Loxton. Con: Biggar. Pens: Biggar (3)
England U18: Pens: Miller (3)

Wales U18:
Jason Tovey (Cwmcarn/Newport)
Tomos Rees (Coleg Sir Gal/Llandybie)
Jason Harries (Bro Myrddin/Carmarthen Quins)
Ashley Beck (Neath/Tonmawr)
Adam Hughes (Croesyceiliog)
Dan Biggar (Gowerton)
Lloyd Williams (Cowbridge/Llandaff)
Aaron Coundley (Cross Keys/Blackwood)
Ricky Guest (Coleg Sir Gal/Llanelli)
Scott Andrews (Y Pant/Llantrisant)
Lee Bray (Cross Keys/Blackwood)
Ashley Sweet (Pontypool/Pontypool Utd)
Kristian Dacey (Merthyr RFC)
Jack Shaw (Brynteg/Bridgend Athletic)
Justin Tipuric (Swansea/Trebanos)

Replacements used:
James Loxton (St David’s/Llandaff)
Stewart Maguire (St Josephs/Chepstow)
Rhys Williams (Blues Academy)
Daniel Partridge (Llantwit Major)
Jake Thomas (Pencoed/Ynysybwl)
Rory Pitman (Ospreys Academy)
Lewis Mills (St David’s/Rumney)

England U18:
Greig Tonks (Nottingham High School and Leicester Tigers)
Sebastian Stegmann (Cranleigh School and NEC Harlequins)
Ben Williams (Bryanston School and Bath)
Mike Stanley (Oaklands College and Saracens)
Charlie Sharples (St Peters HS and Gloucester)
Rob Miller (Keswick School and Newcastle Falcons)
David Lewis (Ivybridge Community College)
Ben Moon (Ivybridge Community College and SWERA)
Tom Collett (Wyggeston and QE1 Coll and Leicester Tigers)
James Currie (Millfield and Bath)
Graham Kitchener (Adams GS and Worcester Warriors)
Dan Williams (Ivybridge Comm College and SWERA)
Calum Clark (Barnard Castle and Leeds Tykes)
Jacob Rowan (Brasford GS and Leeds Tykes)
Carl Fearns (Sedbergh and Sale Sharks) captain

Replacements used:
Joseph Marlar (Sussex Downs and NEC Harlequins)
James Clark (London Irish)
Alex Brown (Dulwich College and Saracens)
Courtney Lawes (Moulton College and Northampton Saints)
Oliver Frost (Bromsgrove School and Worcester)
Tom Sargeant (Royal GS Guidlford and NEC Harlequins)

Referee: E Gauzans (FFR)