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.