Try-fest at Allianz Park as Saracens U18 come out on top

There was plenty of attacking prowess on show as Saracens U18 were 38-31 winners over London Irish U18. With a tight and nervy affair in the first half, the game opened up in the second half with a total of nine tries in the 35 minute period. Despite a late surge by London Irish it was Saracens that had enough to see out the victory.

Saracens U18 victorious over Irish in a
thrilling game at Allianz Park

Both Saracens and London Irish have struggled to find form so far in this season’s RFU Under 18 League, with both teams with only the one win as we approach the latter stages of fixtures. Saracens had been on the wrong end of a heavy score line against Gloucester and a narrow loss against an undefeated Harlequins side. However with a 59-21 victory over Bristol last week, they would be looking to build on their impressive performance.

London Irish, having played one more fixture than Saracens, have put in good performances but have failed to see games out, with second half come backs for Gloucester & Exeter. However, a dramatic last minute victory in Bath last week saw them pick up their first victory of the season. With both sides having shown plenty of attacking ability throughout the season, it was sure to be a high scoring affair. With conditions dry but cold, the artificial surface at Allianz Park provided the perfect surface for an expansive game.

                The first half began with solid defensive efforts, with neither side able to gain a foothold with play broken up by a number of infringements. Despite Saracens with bulk of territory in the early stages it was Irish with the first real threat but a chip through was knocked on over the line. It was Saracens who finished the half the stronger of the two sides with two tries just before the break. The first try came from a quick tap penalty and a well delayed pass from fly-half Manu Vunipola to put Josh Hallett in. As London Irish sought to attack from deep a huge tackle from Oli Morris put the London Irish defence on the back foot, a quick turnover from the resulting ruck meant Cameron Boon had an easy finish to make the score 12-0 at the break.

                Saracens continued to pile on the pressure at the start of the second half but it was London Irish who struck first with a try from deep. A quick counter attack from Irish saw scrum half Harry Delaney break 90m down the wing to be hauled down just short, but Ronan Maloney finished off the score for Irish. As both sides begin to make changes the game began to open up with both sides favouring attack from deep inside their own half. It was Saracens who extended their lead with a fortunate bounce on the artificial surface as a chip over the top beat two Irish defenders and gave Saracens winger David Jimoh a run in unopposed.

                Irish hit back immediately from the kick-off, running the ball from inside their own 22m. This time a great offload out of the tackle put Connor Burns in behind the line, some great footwork put him past several Saracens’ defenders on his way to the try line, the conversion putting Irish back to within one score of Saracens. However, Irish’s ambition proved costly as they went back on the attack from deep, this time a quick turnover gave Saracens the advantage inside the Irish territory. As the ball was spun wide Saracens lock Andy Christie collected the ball and a powerful hand-off and carry to the line put him over in the corner, extending Saracens’ advantage.

                The tries continued to come thick and fast as both sides showed a willingness to spread the ball out wide. This time the kick through, which had worked so affectively for Saracens, was blocked by Irish and collected well by Irish’s Fergus Guiry who used his pace from 50m to race to the try line. Irish continued to press Saracens and a kick through from Irish was collected well by fly-half Russell Bennett, and a good run from him put Irish in a threatening position inside the 22m and a strong carry from Irish finished the score to put them in the lead for the first time in the game.

    

            As the game entered the latter stages and after a game played at an extremely high tempo it was Saracens who made the most of some missed tackles from Irish as they punctured a hole in the defence. As Irish tried to scramble their defence it was a quick dart from Saracens from the breakdown which saw the scrum half scamper over the line to put Saracens back in the lead. And Saracens extended that lead once again immediately from the kick-off, as they collected the high ball. Several offloads in the tackle and good running lines puts them through the Irish defence and over to put the game out of Irish’s reach.

                It was Irish who finished the game with final say on the scoreboard as a neat offload found Connor Burns who had the pace to score the game’s 11^th and final try, but it wasn’t enough for Irish as the full-time whistle saw Saracens 38-31 victors.

                It was a highly entertaining game at Allianz Park and credit goes to both sides for the ambition and skills on show. There was high class handling on show as the game opened up in the second half with a number of offloads saw opportunities to get in behind defence. Despite the high intensity at which the game was played, both sides continued to press until the final whistle. While neither side really outplayed the other, Saracens deserved the victory as they were more clinical in attack and their defence in the first half held London Irish to nil at the break.

                London Irish will be disappointed to have fought back several times to get within one score, and indeed lead Saracens in the second half, to let Saracens pull away at the end of the match. But there should be no shame in a very strong and committed performance from the entire squad, including two players making the step up from U16 level to cover injuries in the squad. While they have only picked up one win in their five games so far this season, it doesn’t represent some very strong performances and tight games that have slipped away. There is clear leadership ability in the squad with both Ben Loader and Josh Basham continuing to impress with individual performance and in character. London Irish will also continue to be pleased with the contribution from the front row as Connor, Torpey & Baker all put in impressive performances with strong tackling around the park and good work at the breakdown. Slick handling throughout the backline gave Burns, Maloney & Guiry opportunities to show the pace they possess. While Irish are now unable to reach finals day in February, they will hope they are able to put in a strong performance and pick up a second victory against a Bristol side who have also struggled to find form this season. Irish’s last fixture this season will take place at Hazelwood next Saturday, February 4^th.

                Saracens, with two games still remaining in this season’s league, will be hoping for big results against a very strong Exeter outfit at Sandy Park next Sunday, and against Bath at Allianz the following week. Saracens can be pleased with a number of performances from their side with Manu Vunipola pulling the strings well from fly-half with a number of well-placed kicks and well timed passes. There were also clinical finishes and good pace from the outside backs, with Josh Hallett, Oli Morris & David Jimoh all crossing the whitewash. While up front both locks in Cameron Boon & Joel Kpoku and flanker Andy Christie put in powerful performances in the tackle area and showed they were comfortable with ball in hand. Saracens remain outside the top three spots in the southern pool needed to reach finals day, and will need the help of other results in the last two weeks if they are to make it into those qualifications spots, but will be focused on their own games hoping to continue to build on their victories over Bristol & London Irish.

Ospreys Premiership Select stun London Irish to end winning streak

Ospreys Premiership Select produced a second half comeback to beat London Irish 26-24 in the British & Irish Cup, inflicting their first defeat of the season in all competitions. Irish looked in control of the game but Ospreys fought back from 24-7 down to score 19 unanswered points on a cold, clear day at the Madjeski.

Ospreys Premiership Select attack causing problems
 for Irish at the Madjeski Stadium

Coming in to Saturday’s game, London Irish had won 21 of their 21 fixtures in the 2016-17 season, including being 5 from 5 in the British and Irish Cup. This left Irish top of their pool and having already secured a home quarter-final in the competition later in March. Irish continued their policy of playing some of their young talent, such as Johnny Williams, Harry Elrington & Matt Williams for the fixture with a handful of more experienced players.

Ospreys Premiership Select, a second side of Guinness Pro 12 table toppers Ospreys, were looking to avenge the 25-14 defeat suffered to London Irish in the first pool game of the competition. Since the first game of the competition the side had no doubt improved with two impressive victories over Connacht. With no chance of qualifying for the quarter finals in this year’s competition, the players would have been hoping to put in standout performances to impress Ospreys’ selectors.

                Despite the freezing temperatures at the Madjeski, it was a clear dry day with real opportunities for attacking rugby. It was Ospreys who made the most of the conditions after turning the ball over immediately from the kick-off. With quick ball Ospreys created a simple overlap and it left an easy run in for Phil Jones to score a try within the first minute. The conversion gave Ospreys the perfect start at 0-7.

                Irish sought to immediately strike back and were on to the front foot with possession inside the Ospreys 22m. But the Ospreys defended the try line well, holding London Irish up over the line on three different occasions. With Irish unable to finish off their chances, they earned a centre field penalty which Tonks opted to kick and put the score at 3-7.

                Shortly from the kick-off the assistant referee spotted foul play which resulted in a yellow card for Ospreys prop Jenkins and allowed Irish a chance to continue applying pressure to the Ospreys defence. With smart play from Scott Steele at the base of a scrum it allowed captain Gilsenan the chance to break into the 22m. With a clever offload to Johnny Williams, it allowed him to break through and be dragged down over the line, this time with clear grounding Irish finally score their first try. The conversion brought the score to 10-7.

                Irish continued to dominate possession and territory in a disjointed first half with several early injuries to Ospreys’ forwards. On the half hour mark Irish again made the most of the territory they were enjoying with a driving maul from a lineout hauled down just short of the Ospreys’ try line. With the ball spread out wide it was Ojo who was stopped just short, but Ciaran Hearn’s pick and drive was enough to see him over the line for the team’s second try. The conversion meant the score at the half was 17-7 to London Irish.

                The second half started much the same as the first ended with the Irish forwards testing the Ospreys’ defence. This time three quick penalties in succession put Ospreys on the wrong side of the referee, with their second sin bin, this time for replacement Lee Purnell. Irish made the man advantage tell straight away. The resulting maul was again defended well by Ospreys and stopped just short, but Ollie Hoskins drove straight through the resulting ruck and bundled over the try line for a try 5 minutes into the second half. Another conversion from Tonks put Irish 24-7 to the good.

                With replacements being made by both sides the game became more open with both sides seeking to gain territory but poor kicks gave the opportunity for counter attack. And it was that which proved crucial for Ospreys. A poor kick down field gave Ospreys the chance to attack, and after breaking into the Irish half a high tackle from Irish no8 Nayolo resulted in a penalty in a promising position and a yellow card. Ospreys made the most of the position and the resulting driving maul, which Ospreys had defended so well in the first half, turned into their own weapon and was driven over the line by Kieran Williams for Osprey’s second try, bringing the score to 24-14.

                Ospreys begin to gain momentum with the man advantage, with a number of phases inside the Irish 22m, but the Irish defence held firm. However, it was a mistake from Irish which Ospreys capitalised on. A ball spilt out from an Irish breakdown was quickly collected by Ospreys. As the ball was spread wide Irish did not have enough time to readjust and it was a simple overlap that was finished by centre Joe Thomas. A difficult touchline conversion brought Ospreys within three points at 24-21.

               Irish then finally found themselves an opportunity from a penalty 45m out in front of the posts. After some discussion Tonks pointed to the posts and hoped to extend Irish’s advantage with the long range penalty. The penalty is pushed wide and the score remains at 24-21 with just over 5 minutes remaining. Ospreys, regaining possession, continue to look dangerous in the closing minutes. This time with possession in the midfield they spread the ball wide. With the Irish defence pushing up it created a large gap for Thomas to exploit. A strong hand-off from Thomas gave him a run in for the line and he scored in the corner. The conversion missed but Ospreys had taken the lead at 24-26 with just minutes remaining.

 

Irish had opportunities to attack in the Ospreys half and continued to threaten to break through but strong Ospreys’ defence repelled them and managed to isolate Irish runners and win a penalty as the clock went red. Ospreys cleared the ball into the stands and record a famous win over Irish.

While the win did not affect the positioning in the table for the British & Irish Cup, it was Irish’s first defeat in all competitions and very unexpected, especially from a 24-7 score line early in the second half. Ospreys will be delighted with the way they responded in the second half and managed to dominate possession after a lot of hard defending in the first. With a strong performance up front to repel the Irish driving maul, which has been a powerful force so far this season, and clinical finishing from Thomas & Williams, there will be plenty of players hoping to push on into contention for the senior Ospreys squad for the rest of the season as the international period comes around.

For Irish however, the defeat will ask questions about their mental toughness going forward. Although the squad is likely to look incredibly different next weekend, a number of senior players failed to perform as well as hoped in this fixture. There were however strong performances from Irish despite the loss. Gilsenan had a very good game with some good defending but also powerful running and subtle handling. Some of the younger players in the squad also put in a good shift, with Elrington not looking out of place in the Irish front row. Irish will travel to Ealing next weekend, as their focus turns back to remaining top of the Championship table. Brendan Venter, London Irish technical director, who was present at the game, will be looking for a good response across the squad as he noted after the game ‘Life is not about success, it’s about the way we deal with success and failure.’

Exeter U18 forwards lead 24-21 comeback against London Irish

An impressive first half performance from London Irish was not enough to stop them falling to a third straight defeat in the RFU Academy U18 League. Exeter’s forwards dominated the second half and provided the platform for an impressive turnaround to win 24-21 at Hazelwood.

Exeter forwards put in a huge performance for victory
at a very cold Hazelwood.

                London Irish had a difficult start to their defence of their U18 League title after squandering winning positions against Harlequins and Gloucester in their first two games. Exeter meanwhile had beaten Bristol in their first and only game of the season so far. Despite the near freezing temperatures the artificial pitch at Hazelwood created plenty of opportunity for open and running rugby which both teams took advantage of.

                An Exeter mistake from the initial kick-off gave London Irish the early opportunity to show off their dangerous attack. Irish didn’t need a second invitation as a perfectly floated pass from the midfield gave Irish a simple two-on-one to set up an early score. An easy conversion gave Irish an early 7-0 lead. Irish maintained the pressure on Exeter with the majority of early possession. It didn’t take them long to turn the possession into points again as Irish 15 exploited a hole in the Exeter defence and broke through. The full-back was dragged down over the line for a second early score, doubling their lead to 14-0.

                It was Irish who were dominating the kicking battle as well and playing a very strong territorial game. A strong kick chase immediately put Exeter back under the cosh in their own 22m. Irish continued at a high intensity and it was the Irish hooker who charged down an Exeter clearance kick, which meant a simple run in for Irish no.7 to score unopposed under the posts. Irish extend the lead to 21-0 within the first 15 minutes.

                Exeter continued to be starved of possession by an astute Irish gameplan which kept Exeter pinned back. Although, with minutes to go in the half, it was Exeter who finally got an opportunity to attack. With Irish attempting to play from deep a handling error gifted Exeter a strong position within the Irish 22m. Exeter’s forwards made the most of the chance with a powerful driving maul from 15m out that took them all the way over for the score. With an impressive touchline conversion, the half ended with Irish leading 21-7.

                It was Exeter who started the brighter of the two in the second half with the forwards picking up where they left off before half time. Another dominant driving maul is stopped just short of the Irish tryline, however a few phases later Exeter pick and drive for a try. The conversion puts Exeter within one score of Irish at 21-14.

                Exeter, now in the ascendency, continue to pin Irish back deep in their own half. A mistake from Irish at their own lineout gives Exeter a scrum in the Irish 22m. With the scrum holding firm a big carry from the very impressive Exeter replacement no.8 carries him through a tackle and over for another try. Not long into the half and Exeter have levelled the score at 21-21.

                The game really begins to open up as replacements are made and time on the clock begins to run down. Both sides have opportunities to attack in promising positions but the final pass is lacking and neither side are able to take advantage. While the Exeter replacements forwards continue to cause Irish problems up front, the backlines handling errors mean they are unable to capitalise on several good positions. However, Irish’s ability to attack from deep with pace in the outside backs means they also have the potential to create opportunities across the field.

                With only minutes remaining on the clock and Exeter attacking, a penalty from the breakdown gives them the chance to take the lead. A kick just outside the 22m is calmed converted by the Exeter kicker and it’s Exeter who lead for the first time in the match with just a few minutes remaining. The Exeter forwards regain possession shortly after the kick-off and are able to see out the remainder of the time on the clock to seal an impressive 24-21 victory.

                Despite Irish’s domination and possession in the first 40 minutes, the late score before the half for Exeter gave them the platform they needed to turn the game around. Huge credit goes to the Exeter forwards for how they led their team to victory with a very impressive performance to turn the game around. Exeter will be pleased with the kicking from the tee as their no.10 nailed several difficult conversions and a pressure penalty to ensure the win. The Exeter bench can also be proud of the impact they made in the second half, especially the replacement number 8 who caused Irish problems with his strong and powerful running. Exeter, who are now two wins from their first two games, will now look to push on and hope the be involved in the bigger matches come finals day. However, they will face tough competition next week as they welcome Gloucester to Sandy Park next Saturday.

                Irish will once again be disappointed to have seen a strong leading position slip away for the second week in a row. Irish looked very strong in the first half and started the game very well, but very overpowered in the second. There are positives to take from the game for Irish with the fly-half leading a dangerous looking backline with an impressive performance from Irish 14. Also strong performances from Irish 3, who put in a very strong performance up front and in the loose before being taken off late in the first half, and the Irish hooker who played the majority of the game and continued to put his body on the line. However, with three losses from their first three games, Irish now have a huge mountain to climb if they want to make it back to finals day later in the season. They will hope to put in a complete performance next week when they travel to Bath.

                If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch any of this seasons RFU Academy U18 League, I’d suggest checking the fixture list on the RFU site to find a game close to you. The intensity and skill level on display has been highly impressive from all the teams I have seen play this season. Teams have committed to very strong and physical encounters as well as very promising and exciting backs play. The rugby on display from these future stars of the English game leaves plenty to be excited about for the Aviva Premiership & English rugby in the years to come.


*Sadly I was unable to find team news for this fixture for either side so have been unable to credit some of the impressive performances.

Henley hold off a late Ram’s fightback

Henley Hawks did enough with a dominant performance in the first half to see in 2017 with a 17-12 victory over Redingensians. The Hawks three tries within the first 30 minutes proved too much of an advantage for the Ram’s to overcome in a second half comeback at a packed out Dry Leas.

Henley putting Redingensians under pressure
              in front of a large crowd at Dry Leas

                There was a bumper crowd for this local derby as Henley looked for a repeat of the 26-22 victory over Redingensians early in the season. With both the Hawks & Rams sat in mid-table in National 2 South it was sure to be a hard fought contest as both sides looked to kick start the new year with a win.

                Henley took the most of their opportunities early on as a lineout inside the Ram’s 22 was converted into a try as a strong driving maul with Henley centre Liam O’Neill lurking at the back went over in the corner. A missed conversion from the touchline gave Henley a 5-0 lead within 5 minutes. Redingensians had an immediate opportunity to respond with a penalty from 45m out in front of the posts but was just pulled to the right. Henley continued to apply early pressure as quick ball created an overlap which fly-half Butler exploited to put O’Neill through for a simple finish and his second try. The conversion put wide by Henley doubled their lead to 10-0.

                Despite the difficult conditions underfoot, Henley continued to press and provide quick ball for the backs. Redingensians failed to make the most of the early ball they had with several handling errors handing Henley back possession in dangerous positions. The Henley forwards provided a very strong platform to play from, and the pressure told 25 minutes in when a powerful maul starting on the 22m was careening toward the Ram’s try line before being sacked just short. The referee producing the yellow card for Rams hooker, Ben Henderson and Henley decide to keep on the pressure opting for a 5m scrum. After several resets the forwards get the scrum moving towards the Rams try line as it is collapsed just short, leaving the referee with no option but to give the penalty try. A simple conversion a Henley extend their lead to 17-0.

                Despite their dominance for the majority of the first half it was Redingesians who finished the half on top. However, despite several opportunities inside the Hawks 22m, it was the Henley defence that held firm and managed to drive a pressing Ram’s maul into touch. This brought a confident first half performance from Henley to a close with them leading on the scoreboard 17-0.

                It was Redingesians who came out the dressing room the brighter for the second half. With plenty of possession in the early stages of the half, the Rams made several ventures into the Hawks 22, only to squander several opportunities with handling errors. The game began to break down as replacements took place and the quick pace of the game took its toll. With the game beginning to open up with several turnovers in the midfield there were opportunities for both teams to take the game by the scruff of the neck. 20 minutes in the Ram’s took the initiative as a breakdown in midfield was quickly turned over and a kick in behind the Henley defence took a favourable bounce for Jack Rossiter who had a walk in from 5m out. The conversion missed brought the score to 17-5.

                Redingesians continued to take advantage of the open nature of the second half and maintained the pressure on Henley. Indiscipline also let Henley down with a clear high tackle just inside their half, giving the referee an easy decision to reach for the yellow card for Hayhow. The Ram’s opted to kick for touch and it proved the right option as the flanker Thomson exploited the gaps left from the yellow card and dashed over unopposed from 15m out. With a simple conversion the score was 17-12 with the Rams now in control.

                Then followed a sustained period of pressure from Redingesians who were unable to convert pressure into points. While the Rams looked threatening with ball in hand, they lacked a killer instinct to finish off those chances. Knock ons in vital positions and missed lineouts gave Henley opportunities to clear their lines. As time began to run down Henley closed the game down well and kept possession in the tight five and wound down the clock. And as time ran out it was Henley that held on to see out a 17-12 victory.

                With Henley the more clinical side when there were in the ascendancy in the first half, it was a deserved home win to start off the new year. But huge credit to Redingesians who really took hold of the game in the second half and put Henley under huge pressure, just missing that composure to finish off chances late in the game. The win means that Henley close in on their local rivals in the league and have the chance now, as the year moves forward, to look at pushing on into the top half with possible wins against Exmouth & Barnes up next. The loss means Redingesians miss out on a chance the close the gap on those ahead, but with some big games against Redruth & Chinnor to come there will be more chances the improve their position in the table.