England No Match For Barbarians.

Irish players played a significant role in the Barbarians’ demolition of a young England side at Twickenham on Saturday, with tries from Shane Horgan and Malcolm O’Kelly. Jason Leonard marked his final appearance
at
Twickenham by scoring one of the Barbarians’ four tries as they
overwhelmed a
fledgling England side 32-12.

England coach Clive Woodward, unable to select players appearing
in
Saturday’s play-off matches or those chosen for the tour party to New
Zealand
and Australia, which departs Wednesday, saw very few of the new boys
make a
convincing claim for Test honours.

The Barbarians, badly needing a victory after a 42-0 midweek
defeat by
Wales in Bristol left some questioning their value in the
professional era,
outscored England four tries to nil.

Veteran England prop Leonard, the world’s most-capped player with
114 Test
appearances, got the ball rolling and he was followed over by Ireland
wing
Horgan, All Black wing Bruce Reihana, South Africa back-row
Bobby
Skinstad and Ireland lock O’Kelly, who was particularly prominent throughout.

Fly-half David Humphreys, landed
two
conversions and a penalty.

All a lacklustre England could manage in reply was four penalties
from
Newcastle outside-half Dave Walder.

In front of a near-capacity crowd of over 70,000, Leonard got the
match off
to a storybook start.
There were just three minutes gone when Harlequins forward Leonard
rumbled
over following former All Black scrum-half Mark Robinson’s break.

Then a dreadful mix-up gifted the Barbarians a second try. Ireland
captain
Brian O’Driscoll punted the ball downfield and into the England
in-goal area.
There seemed no danger as Michael Horak and Nick Walshe but the
England duo
missed the ball allowing Horgan, another of Ireland’s Triple Crown
stars, to
pounce.

Walder kicked two penalties but England lacked ideas against a
star-studded
line-up.
The Barbarians, then scored a third try with a smart move.
Horgan burst down the left wing and the ball was recycled to
Humphreys
whose cute inside pass to Reihana in the 25th minute left the England
defence
totally flat-footed.

Walder landed two more penalties before the break before Humphreys
kicked
one of his own.

At half-time the Barbarians were 20-12 ahead, a flattering
scoreline for
England. But in a second period made tricky by increasingly heavy
rain, the
Barbarians ensured the points total gave a truer picture of the
match.

Even when replacement Skinstad was sent to the sin-bin shortly
after taking
the field, for killing the ball, England failed to capitalise on
their man
advantage.
Instead Skinstad returned to score the Barbarians’ fourth try when
he
intercepted Walder’s telegraphed pass and waltzed in under the posts
to give
Humphreys the simplest of conversions.

Leonard, replaced in the 67th minute, walked off to a standing
ovation from
the crowd, Woodward included.
And there was still time for one more score when O’Kelly came off
the back
of a maul and dived over.

AFP – 2004.