RBS Six Nations Jnrs & Women 2013 | Rugby Union | Tournament

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A Teams

IRELAND 10 - 14 ENGLAND SAXONS

SPORTSGROUND, GALWAY Friday 25th January 2013
KO: 19:35 HT: 10-0 Att: tbc

THE O2 Ireland Wolfhounds fell away in the second half as England Saxons emerged as 14-10 winners of a closely-fought 'A' international match at the Sportsground.

Kevin McLaughlin muscled over for a tenth minute try, with Paddy Jackson's right boot ensuring a 10-0 half-time lead for the O2 Ireland Wolfhounds.

George Ford's 50th-minute penalty got the Saxons off the mark, and the 19-year-old out-half went on to guide the visitors home backed by a stiffening Galway wind.

Ford and man-of-the-match Graham Kitchener sparked the break that eventually led to Will Fraser's unconverted try in the right corner.

The win was wrapped by a late penalty from Ford his third of the match with the Wolfhounds pinned back for the remaining five minutes and out of scoring range.

Both teams contained a smattering of senior-capped players with some harbouring hopes of earning Six Nations call-ups.

The fit-again Luke Fitzgerald, enjoying his first run-out in green since neck surgery last summer, boosted his chances with a workmanlike display.

The Wolfhounds' debutant full-back Robbie Henshaw impressed under the high ball and threatened on occasion in attack, while home captain James Coughlan was particularly effective during the opening 40 minutes.

Leicester's Jordan Crane skippered a Saxons side with an average age of less than 24 and they came under immediate pressure from their more experienced opponents.

Connacht duo Henshaw and David McSharry enjoyed early carries roared on by the Sportsground faithful but the wind-backed Jackson pulled a third minute penalty wide.

Although Ford probed with a couple of accurate kicks, the Wolfhounds maintained their stranglehold of possession and the breakthrough duly came.

A Devin Toner-won lineout in the English 22 saw Mike Sherry maul up close to the line, and a well-timed pick and go saw flanker McLaughlin drive over from close range.

Jackson converted from the right and the Saxons, using their powerful scrum, did well to avoid leaking further points during a one-sided opening quarter.

Lewis Stevenson was hauled down near the posts following a well-executed move off a lineout, while hooker Sherry also showed his ball-carrying ability.

The Saxons won a couple of penalties to get into scoring range. However, Ford's first attempt on goal a meaty 41-metre penalty in the 27th minute bounced back off the right hand post.

With Crane and Jordan Turner-Hall wielding more influence and Ford providing direction from the stand-off position, the visitors started to find some rhythm.

Jackson put 10 points between the sides with a well-struck penalty, awarded for a stray elbow on his half-back partner Paul Marshall. Saxons hooker Joe Gray was fortunate that the match officials failed to spot the exact offender.

But Gray was part of a dominant English scrum. They had the Wolfhounds under all sorts of pressure in the set piece approaching half-time, with Nick Wood especially effective at loosehead.

They were close to forcing a penalty try, but somehow the Irish survived and it was no surprise to see the Saxons forwards resume in control.

Jon Callard's men gleaned the early momentum in the second half, building ominously from a Kitchener-won lineout.

They had to settle for three points from Ford after Michael Bent infringed at a scrum. Importantly, the teenager's tactical kicking also kept the Saxons in control of territory.

The Wolfhounds' defensive workload was taking it toll and after skipper Coughlan came in at the side of a ruck, Ford rifled over his second successful penalty for 10-6.

Iain Henderson almost made an immediate impact off the Irish bench. The big Ulsterman was pinged for a double movement as he stretched for the try-line, following up on a midfield break from Darren Cave.

The Saxons soon carved open the Irish defence with that Ford-inspired attack. A spell of patient build-up play was then rewarded with Fraser's 67th-minute effort out wide.

The Saracens flanker did superbly well to ground the ball despite being tackled by Fitzgerald. Ford sent his touchline conversion attempt wide.

A couple of crooked lineouts left the Wolfhounds frustrated and Ford, with the breeze behind him, made the game safe with an assured 75th minute kick from near halfway.

15 Robbie Henshaw* 14 Andrew Trimble 13 Darren Cave 12 Dave McSharry* 11 Luke Fitzgerald 10 Paddy Jackson9 Paul Marshall 1 David Kilcoyne 2 Mike Sherry* 3 Michael Bent 4 Lewis Stevenson* 5 Devin Toner 6 Kevin McLaughlin 7 Tommy O’Donnell* 8 James Coughlin (C) BENCH: 16 Damien Varley 17 Tom Court 18 Declan Fitzpatrick 19 Iain Henderson 20 Rhys Ruddock 21 Isaac Boss 22 Ian Madigan* 23 Ian Keatley

SCORERS T: McLaughlin C: Jackson P: Jackson

15 Elliot Daly 14 Christian Wade 13 Joel Tomkins 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Tom Biggs 10 George Ford 9 Richard Wigglesworth 1 Nick Wood 2 Joe Gray 3 Paul Doran-Jones 4 Graham Kitchener 5 George Robson 6 George Kruis 7 Will Fraser 8 Jordan Crane (C) BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Matt Mullan 18 Shaun Knight 19 Ed Slater 20 Jamie Gibson 21 Joe Simpson 22 George Lowe 23 Kyle Eastmond

SCORERS T: Fraser P: Ford (3)

ENGLAND SAXONS 9 - 13 SCOTLAND A

KINGSTON PARK, NEWCASTLE Friday 1st February 2013
KO: 20:00 HT: 6-10 Att: 6,480

ENGLAND SAXONS ran out of steam against a dogged line of tacklers and outstanding Scotland A defence at Kingston Park.

Leicester Tigers fly half George Ford’s three penalties hauled them back into the game after Duncan Taylor’s first minute try and a conversion and two penalties from Tom Heathcote.

But despite dominating long spells the Saxons couldn’t get over the try line and somehow the Scots survived having two men sent to the sin bin in the closing minutes of their rearguard action.

The Saxons had made just two changes to their starting line-up, bringing in Jonny May on the wing and Matt Mullan into the front row as they looked to build on their impressive 14-10 away from home against Ireland Wolfhounds a week earlier.

The Scots fielded a side with more experience in terms of age and caps in a game with several interesting sub-plots.

Saxons fly half Ford lined up against his former England Under 20 teammate Tom Heathcote, while Scotland A full back Greig Tonks had been part of the same England age group team as Quins centre Jordan Turner-Hall and Wasps scrum half Joe Simpson.

And everyone in the England camp wanted to take some degree of revenge for last year’s 35-0 defeat at Gala.

All that was put to one side, though, when the Scots got off to a dream start.

Ford’s kick out of defence was grabbed by Duncan Taylor who eluded England’s chasers then turned and galloped in from the 22.

Heathcote added a neat conversion, then the two fly halves traded shots at goal with two Ford efforts to one from his rival in increasingly treacherous conditions of strong wind and heavy rain.

The Saxons dominated the closing stages of the half but couldn’t find a way through – and Heathcote nudged the visitors further in front when they claimed a rare scrum penalty five minutes after the break.

England had grown in stature through the game in Galway despite leaving it until the last quarter to strike and they did the same here but simply couldn’t find a way through in lashing rain and swirling snow that made moving the ball wide a lottery.

Replacement wing Kyle Eastmond did force Tonks to carry the ball over his line with a neat run and kick and Ford then pulled the Saxons within four points with his 72nd minute penalty after another dominant scrum.

So it was all hands to the pumps now for the Scots as they lost two props to yellow cards. Gordon Reid went for pulling down a maul from a close-range lineout, then two more penalties were conceded at five metre scrums with Jon Welsh following Reid into the bin.

Any chance of a pushover or penalty try disappeared with the uncontested scrums that followed the sin-binnings, though, and a final Saxons handling error as they tried to get over allowed Scotland to celebrate a second successive win at this level.