Ireland U-18s Overcome England To Start International Series In Style

UNDER-18 MEN’S INTERNATIONAL SERIES – ROUND 1:

Monday, August 12 –

ENGLAND UNDER-18s 28 IRELAND U-18 SCHOOLS 42, Stellenberg High School, Cape Town
Scorers: England: Tries: Noah Caluori, Tom Davis, Victor Worsnip, George Newman; Cons: James Linegar 4
Ireland: Tries: Luke McLaughlin, Jack Deegan 2, Josh Gibson, Brian O’Flaherty, Conor O’Shaughnessy; Cons: Tom Wood 4, Conor O’Shaughnessy 2
HT: England 7 Ireland 21

Jack Deegan delivered a player-of-the-match performance from outside centre, scoring two tries and having a hand in three more as Michael Hodge’s Ireland youngsters secured a statement victory at Stellenberg High School.

A wind-backed Ireland erased Noah Caluori’s eight-minute try with three of their own. The maul platform helped to propel Luke McLaughlin over, and Deegan and Josh Gibson showed quick reactions to finish off two more attacks.

Ulster flyer Gibson’s 30th-minute score came while England scrum half Asa Stewart-Harris was in the sin bin. Tom Wood, who impressed at out-half, landed all three conversions for a 21-7 half-time lead.

Captain Charlie Molony, Donnacha McGuire, and Diarmaid O’Connell led by example as Ireland had to stave off a strong fightback from England during the closing 35 minutes.

After Deegan had completed his brace, England managed to twice cut the gap to seven points before a classy last-minute try from replacement Conor O’Shaughnessy made it a 14-point winning margin.

Having only just come on, Brian O’Flaherty also scored with his first touch in the 56th minute, as the Ireland backs carved out an important score that gave them enough of a cushion to start the tournament in impressive fashion.

Following on from this year’s U-18 Six Nations Festival in Parma, Ireland’s U-18 International Series debut presents the players with a chance to test themselves against quality international opposition in a high performance environment, while touring the great rugby nation of South Africa.

Well supported by family members in the stand, Hodge’s young squad are set to play hosts South Africa at Paarl Gimnasium on Friday, before concluding their campaign against Georgia at Paarl Boys High School on Tuesday, August 20.

A moment’s silence was held before kick-off in honour of France U-18 player Medhi Narjissi, who was tragically swept out to sea during a recovery session at Cape Point last week. The France U-18s withdrew from the competition following the devastating news.

Ireland were first to breach the opposition 22, but a spill from Sean Walsh allowed England to kick clear after Wood’s initial turnover penalty. Centre Walsh’s strong carries helped his side to get back on the front foot, along with Molony’s high fielding from full-back.

However, a lost Irish lineout led to England attacking from deep off a scrum, and the fleet-footed Caluori blazed clear from the right for a tremendous individual try, converted by James Linegar.

It was a timely boost for the English outfit following the unfortunate loss of their captain Patrick Hogg to injury. Sam Winters, their full-back, got his hand to a pass, preventing Deegan from making a break down the left touchline.

A barnstorming scrum, won against the head, got Ireland on the move again, with Wood retrieving his own kick through. A scrum penalty led to a maul and McLaughlin reacted quickest after the ball had gone to ground, barging over impressively from close range.

Following Wood’s levelling conversion from the left, Johnny O’Sullivan ran back a kick with interest on the 20-minute mark. The Ireland U-18 Sevens international brilliantly beat four defenders to take play up towards the English 22.

They maintained their presence inside the English half, and had another maul attempt – this time on the right – before the forwards chipped away, and then James O’Dwyer’s pass bounced up for Deegan to cross under Caluori’s challenge.

A McGuire lineout steal, coupled with Stewart-Harris’ subsequent yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, saw England pinned back inside their own 22. Their maul defence kept the deficit at seven points until Ireland struck again when putting the ball through the hands.

The backs’ slick passing saw Deegan make an incisive run and feed Gibson, who neatly cut inside Linegar to score from 25 metres out. Wood topped it off with his third successful conversion.

Despite Ireland continuing to have most of the possession, England threatened with an interception from Victor Worsnip. Gibson and Wood combined to halt his progress, and a follow-up tackle from Wood forced Winters into touch.

Jonathan Pendlebury’s charges exerted some more pressure close to the interval, but they were guilty of obstruction when forming a maul, and then Linegar kicked a second penalty dead. In between, Sligo Grammar School’s O’Connell drove Tom Davis backwards with a thumping tackle.

Inside three minutes of the restart, Ireland were celebrating their fourth try and Deegan’s second. England out-half Linegar took a penalty quickly inside his own 22, but his long pass was intercepted by the Cistercian College Roscrea centre for a run-in from the right.

Ireland’s next visit to the English 22, on the back of Thomas Dougan and replacement James O’Leary’s counter-rucking, went unrewarded with the lineout not working out this time.

Having gained some decent field position through a couple of penalties, the English maul did the damage for hooker Davis to pull a try back in the 45th minute. Linegar’s conversion from the left restored the 14-point gap (28-14).

When England quickly came hunting again, Bill Hayes and replacement Conor Magee joined forces in a textbook choke tackle to win turnover ball from Elliot Williams. Ireland’s defensive workload was increasing, nonetheless.

A penalty plunged Ireland back close to their own try-line, and although their maul defence was good, England developed the play further infield where Worsnip shrugged off O’Shaughnessy’s tackle to make it a seven-point game.

Deegan led Ireland’s response by soaring highest to take down O’Shaughnessy’s well-placed restart kick. The attack gathered pace out to the left where O’Shaughnessy and Molony released Deegan into space, and his well-timed delivery sent O’Flaherty racing through to dive over in the corner.

O’Shaughnessy followed up with a tremendous touchline conversion, making it 35-21 with just under a quarter of an hour remaining. The Blackrock College half-back’s slick offload soon set up Molony and O’Sullivan to spearhead a break back up towards the English 22.

Firing back past the hour mark, England got their big ball carriers involved, and a spell of territory ended with replacement George Newman dummying his way over from a ruck. Linegar added the extras – with the aid of the left hand post – to set up a grandstand finish.

Ireland coolly saw out the game on their terms, though, as Jamie Conway was first to an English lineout ball that went loose. O’Leary then made up for a knock-on by winning a turnover via a choke tackle which also involved fellow replacement Michael Walsh.

A daring last-gasp raid out to the right saw O’Shaughnessy put Deegan outside the covering Newman, and he released O’Sullivan who tied in two defenders and passed back inside, once he had reached the English 22, for O’Shaughnessy to finish off behind the posts.

TIME LINE: 8 minutes – England try: Noah Caluori – 5-0; conversion: James Linegar – 7-0; 16 mins – Ireland try: Luke McLaughlin – 7-5; conversion: Tom Wood – 7-7; 24 mins – Ireland try: Jack Deegan – 7-12; conversion: Tom Wood – 7-14; 29 mins – England yellow card: Asa Stewart-Harris; 30 mins – Ireland try: Josh Gibson – 7-19; conversion: Tom Wood – 7-21; Half-time – England 7 Ireland 21; 38 mins – Ireland try: Jack Deegan – 7-26; conversion: Tom Wood – 7-28; 45 mins – England try: Tom Davis – 12-28; conversion: James Linegar – 14-28; 54 mins – England try: Victor Worsnip – 19-28; conversion: James Linegar – 21-28; 56 mins – Ireland try: Brian O’Flaherty – 21-33; conversion: Conor O’Shaughnessy – 21-35; 66 mins – England try: George Newman – 26-35; conversion: James Linegar – 28-35; 70+1 mins – Ireland try: Conor O’Shaughnessy – 28-40; conversion: Conor O’Shaughnessy – 28-42; Full-time – England 28 Ireland 42

ENGLAND U-18: Sam Winters (Bath/Harrow School); Noah Caluori (Saracens/Mill Hill School), Victor Worsnip (Bristol Bears/Clifton College), Felix Champain (Harlequins/Worth School), Julian Nunn (Bath/Beechen Cliff School); James Linegar (Bath/Kingswood School), Asa Stewart-Harris (Saracens/St. Albans School); Tom Dye (Northampton Saints/Ipswich School), Tom Davis (Sale Sharks/St. Mary’s College, Crosby), Ben Beere (Leicester Tigers/Stamford School), Elliot Williams (Harlequins/Gordon’s School), Jonno Balding (Gloucester/Radley College), Patrick Hogg (Newcastle Falcons/Durham School) (capt), Jack Marshall (Saracens/The Campion School), Connor Treacey (Bath/Beechen Cliff School).

Replacements: Oscar Thomas (Bath/Wellington College), Elvis Kitenge-Fuki (Newcastle Falcons/Gosforth Academy), Diamond Ayiehfor (Leicester Tigers/Warwick School), Jack Murphy (Saracens/Colfe’s School), Ollie Hull (Northampton Saints/Stamford School), Matthew Branch-Holland (Saracens/Ravens Wood School), George Newman (Exeter Chiefs/Truro College), Finn Keylock (Saracens/The Bishop Wand School), Cameron Ward (Bath/Cranleigh School), Fraser Rawlins (Saracens/Haileybury School), Ben Morrow (Saracens/Millfield School).

IRELAND U-18 SCHOOLS: Charlie Molony (Blackrock College/Leinster) (capt); Johnny O’Sullivan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Jack Deegan (Cistercian College Roscrea/Leinster), Sean Walsh (Coláiste Éinde/Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Josh Gibson (RBAI/Ulster); Tom Wood (St. Munchin’s College/Munster), James O’Dwyer (Gonzaga College/Leinster); Max Doyle (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster), Luke McLaughlin (Gonzaga College/Leinster), Blake McClean (RBAI/Ulster), Joe Finn (Cistercian College Roscrea/Munster), Donnacha McGuire (Blackrock College/Leinster), Diarmaid O’Connell (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Sligo Grammar School/Connacht), Bill Hayes (Cistercian College Roscrea/Munster), Thomas Dougan (Royal School Armagh/Ulster).

Replacements used: Conor Magee (Banbridge Academy/Ulster) for McLaughlin (half-time), James O’Leary (PBC Cork/Munster) for Walsh, Dylan McNeice (St. Michael’s College/Leinster) for Finn (both 41 mins), Sami Bishti (Blackrock College/Leinster) for McClean (44), Conor O’Shaughnessy (Blackrock College/Leinster) for Wood (47), Charlie Meagher (CBC Monkstown/Leinster) for Dougan, Brian O’Flaherty (Blackrock College/Leinster) for Gibson (both 55), Jamie Conway (Castletroy College/Munster) for Doyle (60), Christopher Barrett CBC Cork/Munster) for O’Dwyer, Michael Walsh (Blackrock College/Leinster) for Hayes (both 64). Not used: Noah Byrne (Gonzaga College/Leinster).

Referee: Daniel Canhenga (SA)