England Counties XV on the hunt for first win in Ireland

The RFU have named the England Counties squad to travel to Ireland in February 2013, to face the Ireland Club XV in Cork.

The squad, made up of players from National Leagues One and Two, includes five players who played in the fixture last year at Preston Grasshoppers, when England won by a record 34-16 scoreline.

Blackheath's Dave Allen, Blaydon's Matt Hall and Robbie Kalbraier, and Ealing's Sam Shires are included in the pack, while last season's man of the match, full-back Peter Hodgkinson of Ealing, is the only back to survive from the Preston fixture.

Since the fixture was created in 2007, Ireland remain unbeaten on home soil, a situation that England Counties team manager Michael Old wants to change. He spoke about the selection process when the squad was announced today: "Selection was very tough this season because of the quality of players throughout the leagues.  We are very pleased with the squad, it looks strong in all areas with plenty of power and pace which we need to take on the Irish, as well as a great mix of experience.

“Owing to the demand that the league schedule places on clubs and players, with the agreement and support of all clubs we have limited selection to two players per club for the 22 man squad.  Whilst this has without doubt been unfortunate on a few players, it has given the opportunity to others who deserve the recognition of their talent and form this season.”

England Counties Squad to play Ireland Club XV in the Ulster Bank International:

Forwards:

Dave Allen*^ (Blackheath) - the flanker has scored a remarkable 11 tries this season including four in the 35-18 victory over Cambridge in October. He has been an ever-present for his side this season, and has played for Wasps and Ulster.

Tom Fidler (Cambridge) - An ever present in the front row for struggling Cambridge, Fidler's performances have earned him the call-up to represent his country for the first time. He returned to Cambridge in the summer, after leaving for Ealing in February 2011 when the side announced their financial troubles. Starting out at Dings Crusaders in National League South Division 3, he has worked his way up the leagues via Newbury and Birmingham Solihull.

Mark George (Stourbridge) - The tight-head prop has played in every Saxons game this season, including two appearances off the bench, as the club now appear to be on the way to regaining their National League One place after relegation last season. He has experience at London Irish and Rotherham Titans.

Matt Hall*^ (Blaydon) - The 30-year-old hooker and head coach is now in his tenth season at Blaydon, where he is an ever-present this season. Hall played against Ireland Club XV at Preston last season.

James Inglis (Esher) - The lock began his career at Harlequins, making one appearance in their season spent in National One (2005/06). He spent one season at Cornish Pirates before signing for Esher in 2008.
Billy Johnson* (Old Albanian) - After starting at Hertford in London One, Johnson earned a contract with Championship Bedford Blues in 2011. Used sparingly at the Blues, he signed for OA's in the summer, where he has played in every match during their inaugural year at National One level.
Robbie Kalbraier*^ (Blaydon) - In his fifth season at Blaydon, Kalbraier also played against Ireland Club XV last season alongside his team-mate Matt Hall. He signed in 2008, from Darlington Mowden Park.
Alex Loney (Fylde) - The prop is now in his second season at Fylde, who he joined from Rotherham Titans. He began his career at Nottingham.
Sam Shires*^ (Ealing) - Shires has scored seven tries in his first season at Ealing. He joined the Trailfinders in 2012, moving south after two seasons at Tynedale.
Ollie Stedman (Tynedale) - Eight tries from the back row is the impressive haul from this ever-present. Stedman replaced Sam Shires at number eight, signing from Westoe. He is an England Under 20 international, with two appearances in the 2011 U20 Six Nations.
Will Warden (Richmond) - The lock is in his second season at Richmond, playing a major role in their promotion season last term. He signed from Loughborough Students, wherre he played for four seasons.
Ben West (Cinderford) - The second row forward has put in some impressive performances in this, his second season at Cinderford, where he moved from National One South outfit Newbury.

Backs:

Jack Adams (Cinderford) - Outside centre Adams is in his first season with Cinderford. Starting his career at Gloucester, he made his debut as a replacement against Sale Sharks in September 2005. After only two replacement appearances that 2005/06 season, he made 12 Premiership appearances the following season, and scored a try in their Heineken Cup defeat at Leinster.
Lewis Barker (Coventry) - Scrum-half Barker is in his second season at Coventry, after a two year spell at the now-defunct Rugby Lions. He made his debut for Loughborough Students in 2007.
Scott Barrow (Fylde) - A former Super League player with St Helens, Barrow joined Fylde in 2012 from Leeds Carnegie. The 32-year-old centre started his union career at Worcester, signing from the Saints, before moving to Orrell and then Glasgow Warriors.
Nev Edwards (Rosslyn Park) - Currently the top try scorer in National One with 12 in 13 appearances, Edwards is in his third season at Park. He began his career at Ealing, signing for Esher after two seasons at the Trailfinders.
Chris Elder (Esher) - In his debut season at Esher, the young full-back played for Henley Hawks previously. He represented England Under 18s in 2009/10.
Matt Heeks (Rosslyn Park) - Heeks signed in the summer from London Scottish, where he spent two spells with a season at Barking in 2010/11. He has represented Scotland Under 20s with two appearances in the 2008 U20 Six Nations.
Peter Hodgkinson*^ (Ealing) - Now in his sixth season at Ealing, full-back Hodgkinson has scored seven tries this term. He also played against Ireland Club XV last season, putting in a man of the match performance.
Will Hurrell (Stourbridge) - Inside centre Hurrell has scored eight tries this season in National Two North, having played regularly for London Welsh in their promotion season last year. He has also played at Nottingham, Coventry and Doncaster Knights, and represented England Under 20s in the 2010 U20 Six Nations.
Ollie Marchon (Old Albanian) - A product of the Saracens academy, Marchon made his England Sevens debut in Dubai last month. He is in his second season at Old Albanians, playing a major part in their rise to National One.
Rory Teague* (Blackheath) - Fly-half Teague began his career at Gloucester in 2003, signing for Bristol after two seasons. Whilst there, he gained his first team experience on loan at Stourbridge, before moving to Lydney. He signed for Blackheath in 2012, after a season at West Country side Cinderford.

*Previous ECXV Cap (7 players)
^played v Ireland at Preston 2012 (5 players)

England Counties Spring International Fixtures:

England Counties v Ireland Club XV (Friday 8 February) Cork, Ireland
England Counties v France Amateurs (Friday 22 February) Ealing RFC

North Wales rugby boost at Colwyn Bay

The recent IRB International Series at Colwyn Bay brought out the rugby public of north Wales; but that was only a part of the successful development of the game in the north of the country.

RGC1404 General Manager Rupert Moon - Pic (c) WRU

Former Welsh international scrum-half Rupert Moon, General Manager of RGC1404 - the club born out of a strategic plan by the WRU in 2006, and which has entered the Welsh league system this season – is keen to promote the advances that rugby union has made in what is traditionally seen as a strong football area.

“For the investment made by the IRB, WRU and Conwy Borough Council, we class it as a fabulous success. There was a global audience each weekend, televised in 45 different countries, the majority of whom had it live,” he said.

“For north Wales and Colwyn Bay, and the fact that the international teams worked with local clubs and schools, leaving a legacy of raising standards, that’s exactly what we are trying to do, to raise standards of rugby in north Wales.

“With a third of the population in the north of the country, we have to be inclusive, and that is what the WRU have been striding to do against the challenges of geography."

Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay - home of RGC1404 

Investment in the Eirias Park complex has been substantial, with an indoor training area, new Grandstand and VIP areas, and upgrade of the existing athletics track, as well as installation of the pitch which has now hosted international rugby, and new floodlights.

Over 5,500 attended the international double headers, a figure that Moon is delighted with. Add to the fact that Eirias Park is partway through a contract to host the Wales RBS Six Nations Under 20 home fixtures, he sees this as a great advert for the game in the north: “No one would have thought five years ago that it was possible to have three under 20s games sold out in the same season in north Wales, or that we would be hosting international double headers in Colwyn Bay.

“The facility has demonstrated that anything is possible. To redevelop the stadium with £6.5 million of funding which opens up not only a world stage but also a community stage. We had local kids from schools involved on the pitch and in the indoor training arena.

“It’s an aspirational culture we are developing. Now we have kids wanting to pull on their regional jersey as well as their club jersey. The influence of the WRU, working alongside partners, has allowed us to develop a college academy. We work alongside Rydal School, and Llandrillo College, to give us a foundation to build from.

“Building from an Under 16s and Under 18s side, we have now got a senior men’s team which has meaningful fixtures. It is about developing but also about aspiring to achieve the next level. The men have been put into a very tough league, with six of our first nine games played away from home.”

The fact that travelling for the RGC players is a major obstacle, to him shows the commitment there is to the game in the area.

“These guys are faced with a ten hour plus round trip on match day. The first player gets on the bus at 6:30am. They are prepared to travel to train, often over an hour and a half to training. Not only at seniors, that happens at the under-age levels as well. That is a huge commitment,” he added.

“We are also working in parallel to develop their coaches and facilities. When we have a RGC home game, we try to invite junior sections, where we coach the kids, and coach the coaches. We have regular ‘coach the coach’ sessions. Our junior sections are packed full from under 8s to under 16s, within the whole of Wales we are one of the best regions for the number of junior sides per club.

“We have to give them something to aspire to that is achievable – club rugby, regional rugby, through to international rugby. You cannot ignore a third of the population.”

The IRB International Rugby Series was streamed live by the IRB on their website, with a global population watching the four fixtures.

The USA beat Russia by 40-26 in the first of the double headers. Three first half tries, from Brian Doyle, Eric Fry and debutant Toby L’Estrange put the Eagles into a commanding 21-9 half-time lead, and although the Bears pulled back through tries from Vladimir Ostrushko and a brace from Andrey Temnov, Robbie Shaw, and two more from Chris Wyles gave the Americans their win.

That was followed by a one-sided affair, as Samoa beat Canada convincingly by 42-12. Robert Lilomaiava was the Samoan dangerman, scoring four, with Tai Tui’fua adding a fifth. James So’oialo kicked four conversions, adding three penalty goals, before the Canadians came back with two late tries from Connor Braid and John Moonlight.

The second double-header saw Tonga come from behind to beat the USA 22-13. Viliami Helu’s try was the Tongan’s solitary first half score, with Robbie Shaw dotting down for Zach Pangelinan to convert, and add a penalty before half-time. But into the second period, Tonga came back with tries from Sione Piukala and Joe Tuineau, while the USA could only manage a penalty kick.

The final game of the series saw the Canadians beat Russia by 35-3. Jeff Hassler scored two, setting up a third for Taylor Paris, while Nick Blevins added the Canucks’ fourth. James Pritchard kicked three conversions and three penalties, while Russia’s points came from an Igor Klyuichnikov penalty kick.

London Welsh get thumbs up for promotion

The decision last Friday to promote London Welsh to the Aviva Premiership was great news for anyone who holds the integrity of sport at heart.

Having declined their original application through not meeting the Minimum Standards Criteria (MSC) for playing Premiership rugby, the RFU had no option but to admit them to the top tier, on the basis of the decision by the independent panel led by James Dingemans QC.

Kassam Stadium
Pic (c) footballaway.co.uk

The panel met to decide on London Welsh's argument that the rules governing the Primacy of Tenure section of the MSC had infringed UK and EU competition law. London Welsh were successful in arguing their case, so are now free to play their fixtures at their new home, the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.

The ground is home to Oxford United, and owned by the club's former chairman, Firoz Kassam, who oversaw the completion of the stadium's construction over a decade ago.

Given the ground's main status prior to the introduction of the London Welsh scenario, it would be difficult to see how Primacy of Tenure could justifiably have been given to the rugby club.

Ground-sharing between different sports clubs at the highest level in England has been a feature of the sporting landscape since the advent of professionalism in rugby union during the 1990s.

London Irish have used the Madejski Stadium in Reading since 2000; Saracens have been Watford FCs tenants at Vicarage Road since 1997 (although will be moving to their own ground at Barnet Copthall before the end of season 2012/13); and London Wasps playing home fixtures at Adams Park in Wycombe since 2002, and prior to that, Loftus Road from 1996-2002, as part of their ownership by Loftus Road Holdings plc.

Sale Sharks have shared Stockport County's Edgeley Park since 2003, and will now play at the Salford City Stadium, alongside the Salford Reds Super League side. That move comes at a time when they remain as the only northern side in the Premiership, while there are five clubs within the London area.

The Newcastle Falcons will of course, face at least a year in the Championship, under the guidance of Dean Richards, who has a great track record in that division, taking Harlequins back to the Premiership in 2006 at the first attempt after their relegation the previous year.

The side who take up residency at the Kassam meanwhile, will not only have to prepare for life on the playing field among the rugby elite, but also need to build up their fan base in a city that up until now, has only been served by professional football. Rugby fans in the town may already have their allegiances with nearby London Irish in nearby Reading, or any of the clubs within reasonable travelling distance, including Gloucester, further along the A40 to Wales.

They need to recruit a new list of club sponsors who are willing to support the new venture - what happens to those businesses who have supported them over the years in Richmond, their spiritual home?

Despite much hype surrounding the Championship Play-off Final played at the Kassam, only 3456 turned up; a fair proportion of which would have been Cornish Pirates fans.

So, despite congratulations on a deserved promotion, the real battle starts by trying to win the hearts and minds of the good people of Oxford, and also their supporters from the bad times.

London Welsh fight on for Premiership place

The ongoing saga as to whether London Welsh can claim a place at rugby's top table next season seems as if it will continue long after tonight's final whistle was blown.

The second-leg of their Championship Play-off match against Cornish Pirates at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford may be irrelevant, if the RFU have their way.

The 29-20 win, for an overall aggregate victory, saw the Old Deer Park side earn the right to play in the Premiership - or so you might think. 

Pic (c) walesonline.co.uk

But the RFU decided on 23 May that London Welsh would not be eligible for promotion, after hearing the findings of an independent audit, requested by the London Welsh club.

The audit was requested after the RFU had deemed that the London Welsh club did not meet the Minimum Standards Criteria for playing in the Aviva Premiership as set by the Professional Game Board.

Their Old Deer Park ground in Richmond is unfit to hold Premiership rugby. The club attempted to work around this by arranging a ground-sharing deal with Oxford United, to play at the Kassam Stadium.

Despite this deal, the independent audit turned down this opportunity, claiming that primacy of tenure was one of several issues.

Another issue was that the club's back-up venue of Brentford FC's Griffin Park, was over 30 miles from the first option.

That in itself reeks of irony, in that Griffin Park lies only 3 miles away from Old Deer Park, when the club themselves are prepared to relocate 50 miles away in Oxford.

The final decision now lies in the hands of solicitors, and the bargaining carried out in the corridors of power. But really, what would a move 50 miles away from its traditional home mean to the club? 

The play-off match tonight certainly attracted what appeared to be a sell-out crowd to the Kassam, as the issue has galvanised a lot of support, but it has made for an interesting talking point.

Consider this - how far would you want your club to move just so they could play a couple of seasons of top flight sport? And would London Welsh then return to Richmond once their spell at the top is over?

RFU decide on Tuilagi tackle

Pic (c) Getty Images

An RFU disciplinary panel yesterday dismissed the citing of Leicester Tigers' Manu Tuilagi for an incident in the first minute of last Saturday's Aviva Premiership final, which Harlequins won by 30-23.

The tackle, on Danny Care, saw the Harlequins scrum half 'tipped' by Tuilagi, brought off his feet in the tackle, and made to land on his upper body. The tackle can be seen on the Aviva Premiership website.

Under the IRB Law 10 - Foul Play, 

"Lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground such that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground is dangerous play."

should result in a penalty kick. The referee, Wayne Barnes, played an advantage at this point, stating that although "the tackle was above the horizontal, it wasn't dangerous".

That comment was heard by anyone who had taken advantage of the Ref Link - a service where spectators at major rugby matches can hear the referee's comments during play. 

Harlequins played through the advantage, gaining ground past the point where the tackle had taken place. 

The incident was quickly forgotten in the stadium as the match was played at a frantic pace, and Quins displayed a game-plan that brought them their first ever Premiership title.

The RFU regulations allow for a player to be brought before a disciplinary committee after a game, even if, as was the case in this incident, the match referee had seen it and acted upon it.

The Citing Procedures state clearly that 

"Before bringing a citing complaint the Premiership Citing Officer must be satisfied that in his opinion the act of foul play merited the award of a Red Card"

Previous high profile incidents had brought this particular part of the game to the fore, not least the Wales captain Sam Warburton having been sent off during the RWC 2011 semi-final against France.

Although the game was allowed to go on, it came as no surprise to hear that Tuilagi had been cited for the tackle afterwards. The hearing, heard by Christopher Quinlan QC, Dan White and Nick Dark "was not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the referee was wrong in not sending off the 21-year-old" according to the RFU press release issued after the hearing.

Conveniently, the centre is free to travel as planned to South Africa with the England squad, where they are on tour during June.

Fylde over-run Macc in rugby 'El Classico'

What a game! Fylde supporters this season have had a great introduction to National League One, and I know that parking up on Ansdell Road every other week at 2 o'clock, I'm letting myself in for a great afternoon in front of me.

The fireworks during the second half of the game against Coventry in November saw a brand of rugby that the home support have savoured, but the second half turnaround yesterday, in my humble opinion, eclipsed that performance, and showed why sport at any level is just the purest form of entertainment.

Having lost both locks to injury the week before, Mark Nelson had to reshuffle his pack, bringing both Grant Ferguson and captain Sam Beaumont into the second row.

A real backs-to-the-wall performance during a first half which saw the visitors pile the pressure on the home side, it took Fylde a full ten minutes before they moved forward past their own 22 metre line.

Reporting for The Rugby Paper, this was another day where the rugby on view just couldn't be justified with a limit of 400 words, but here is what appeared in this morning's edition.

Fylde 48 Macclesfield 23

The final scoreline tells a different story to the reality of this match, as Fylde blew away Macclesfield in the final quarter with four tries to demolish the visitors’ hopes of taking anything from the game.

Mark Nelson was delighted with his side’s battling qualities throughout: “At half-time I told them to just keep putting them under pressure, and they did exactly what I asked of them” he said.

“The Fylde pack was magnificent today, against a huge pack. We showed a lot of tenacity, commitment, at the scrum, at the line-out, against much bigger opponents, and with those drive over tries, it shows that we can score from anywhere.”

That defensive tenacity was in view from the start, as Macclesfield were camped in the Fylde 22 for the first nine minutes. 

After weathering the early pressure, it was Fylde who scored first, as Jonny Roddam emerged from the bottom of a drive over after 13 minutes.

Macclesfield though, turned the screw, and answered five minutes later, when Josh Fowles accepted a pass from Ross Winney, running over on the left.

Winney added extra points from a neat drop goal and penalty, before Jack Moorhouse extended their lead on 30 minutes, while Richard Kenyon pulled back the deficit just before half-time, for a 16-10 lead to Macclesfield.

The visitors started the second period as they had the first, with Moorhouse scoring on 43 minutes, but that was to be their final score of the game, as the penalty count against them started to mount.

Oli Brennand started the comeback on 49 minutes, before getting his second on 60. Roddam added his second, after Tom Lavelle had thundered down the wing, to move Fylde into the lead on 65 minutes.

What really saved the game for Fylde however, was a try-saving tackle by Sam Beaumont on Fowles with ten minutes to play. 

That gave the home side the belief that they could hold out, and so it proved, as Brennand got his hat-trick minutes later, and set up Nick Royle to score the final try of the day.

Macclesfield’s Geoff Wappett thought his side should have taken something from the game: “I thought we got a bit silly or generous towards the end. I was disappointed at conceding the final points, and that we didn’t come away with a four try bonus point” he said.

For eagle-eyed readers out there, I failed to report on Evan Stewart's try-scoring contribution. He went over on 78 minutes, in another drive over the line against the club he left at the end of last season, and now sits in third place in the club's try-scoring list, with 16 tries. Not bad for a back rower!

Also missing was the detail of Macclesfield's Gavin Woods yellow-carded on 78 minutes for killing the ball in a ruck.

That result leaves Fylde level-pegging with Ealing in second placed, and a comfortable lead over fourth-placed Rosslyn Park. 

With six games to go, Fylde now have only two home games left, against third-bottom Birmingham on 31 March, and Ealing on 21 April, with a visit to table-toppers Jersey on the last day of the season, 28 April.

Teams:

Fylde: Royle, Viney (Waywell 68), Briers C, Briers S, Brennand, Kenyon, Wallwork (Depledge 73), Livesey (Griffiths 61), Roddam, Loney (Lavelle 49), Beaumont (McGinnis 80), Ferguson, Stephenson, McGinnis, Stewart

Macclesfield: O’Regan, Stobart (Hughes 57), Moorhouse, Davenport, Fowles, Winney, Eaton, Mantell, Moss (Kent 77), Robinson (Woods 40), Marsh, Williams (Roddy 73), Owen, Parkinson (Marsden 73), Barker

Scorers:

Fylde

Tries: Roddam 13 66, Kenyon 37, Brennand 49 60 75, Stewart 78, Royle 80

Conversions: Kenyon 49 66 75 80

Macclesfield

Tries: Fowles 18, Moorhouse 30 43

Conversions: Winney 43

Penalty Goals: Winney 27

Drop Goal: Winney 22  

Penalties Conceded:  2 - 12

Lineouts Won:          10 - 5

Lineouts Lost:          4 - 0

Scrums Won:            3 - 10

Scrums Lost:            0 - 0

Sin Bins:                  0 - 1 

Half-time: 10 - 16

Star Man: Grant Ferguson (Fylde)

Referee: Wayne Fella

Attendance: 824

Sale Sharks Press Conference - Tuesday 3 January 2012

Co-owner Ian Blackhurst today announced that Steve Diamond has been appointed Chief Executive of Sale Sharks from 1 February 2012.

In a lengthy press conference, the two men outlined their vision for the club's playing strategy for the future.

Both men reiterated during the meeting that they want to see the Sharks become a "Super Club for the north west". With the points raised during the announcement, they outlined their visions.
This involves the increase in the Academy structure at the club, which during Diamond's 11 month tenure at the club has seen the number of junior players at the club rise from 16 to 90 players.

As a mark of intent, Diamond stated that while he is at the club, they will not be making any further marquee signings, something that Blackhurst confirmed.

Blackhurst spoke of the club's past, in relation to their previous success of winning the Premiership title in 2006, having brought in foreign players to boost their chances of success. That title success he said, was "not sustainable as a result of the foreign players".

Currently operating well under the salary cap limits imposed by Premiership Rugby, and to make his point about the club now moving on the road to becoming a more sustainable financial model, Diamond stated that "You will not hear us bleating on about salary caps ever!".

Blackhurst confirmed that Diamond's "prime responsibility now is the success of the business". The coaching team will remain, with Tony Hanks as Head Coach being assisted by the current team already in place.

Manager Ray Unsworth, and assistant Pete Anglesea will continue to manage the Academy.

The new Salford Community Stadium, which hosts
its first fixture on 7 January.

On other matters, Blackhurst admitted that the club are still in negotiation about a move to the Salford Reds new stadium at Barton. Nearing completion, the stadium will be ready for the start of the 2012 Super League season, and there has been much talk of Sale becoming joint tenants with the Super League club.

"We're quite far in negotiations" Blackhurst advised, but it should be confirmed very soon, perhaps only in 6-8 weeks time.

Another move announced today was that the Carrington office block will be doubled in size, in order to accommodate all of the club's admin staff, who are to move from the offices currently in the Edgeley Park ground in Stockport. This move will happen in the next 12-18 months.

I think that this announcment gives a clear indication of where the club's future lies in terms of its Friday night home in the coming years.

The conference was recorded, and is available to listen to on the link below.



The Sale Sharks Director of Sport, Steve Diamond is announcing to the press plans which the club have for the future of the club at 12 noon on Tuesday 3 January.

A brief announcement was made in The Telegraph on 30 December, and comments in that report have already created much discussion within community rugby circles in the north west.

I'll be attending the meeting, and hope to broadcast the announcement live using the ipadio system.

Clicking on the embedded link below, you should be able to hear it live!! If there is a problem in any way, I'll also be recording it separately, and will upload it later in the day.

It would be great to hear some comments and feedback about it!

Sedgley Tigers hold on against Barking

 

Sedgley Park 23 Barking 8

National League One

Saturday 3 December 2011

Sedgley Park beat Barking at the weekend in their National League One match by 23-8. Poor weather conditions lead to handling errors and wayward kicking, but the teams still served up a great game.

The report below appeared in The Rugby Paper on Sunday 4 December.

Sedgley Park withheld second half Barking pressure to keep pace with the leading pack in the table after this match which was played at times in atrocious conditions.

Behind early on to a Chris Ashwin penalty goal, the Tigers lost captain Garth Dew and full back Richard Wainwright to injuries with less than ten minutes played.

The Tigers took the lead when Chris Parrott chipped for Fergus Owens to chase and touch down after 15 minutes.

Matt Riley converted, and added two penalty goals before half time, while Ashwin missed the chance to reduce the arrears on the whistle, to send the home team in 13-3 at the break.

Barking started the second period in the ascendency, and immediately put pressure on the Sedgley Park line, which led to penalties given away in dangerous positions. 

Riley’s kicking from hand was often found wanting, and was pounced upon by William Nelson on the left wing, who chased his own chip kick, and put down just in time before the ball went dead after it rebounded off replacement full-back Tom Leader.

Excellent running through the gain line by Oxley paid off for him on 67 minutes when he scored after stretching over the whitewash, before Riley converted, and added the final touch, kicking a 45 metre penalty goal with three minutes left.

Scorers:

Sedgley Park

Tries: Owens 15, Oxley 67

Conversions: Riley 15 67

Penalty Goals: Riley 23 29 77

Barking

Tries: Nelson 50

Conversions:

Penalty Goals: Ashwin 3 

Half-time: 13 - 3

Star Man: Richard Oxley (Sedgley Park)

Referee: Richard Kelly

Attendance: 215

Teams:

Sedgley Park: Wainwright, Dutton, Owens, Riley, Harrison, C Parrott, S Parrott, Birchall, Oxley, Flynn, Hopa, McGowan, Venter, Dew, Crous

Replacements: Black, Wright, Livesey, Urmston, Leader

Barking: Burcham, Nelson, Henderson, Broughton, Davey, Ashwin, Gash, Mullins, Bloomberg, E Ambrose, Burns, Smith, Sinfield, Ngan, Davies

Replacements: F Ambrose, French, Kersey, Jones, Neale

Fylde v Tynedale - Report

Here is last week's report on the National League One fixture at The Woodlands, as it appeared in The Rugby Paper on 23 October.

A good match that saw four tries from a forward (I don't know yet if he bought a round in the clubhouse afterwards).

Fylde 39 Tynedale 28

National League One

Saturday 22 October 2011

Fylde got their season back on track, but not by doing it the easy way.

A slow start by the home side allowed Tynedale to take the lead, captain Grant Beasley driving over, with fly-half Matthew Outson missing the first of five conversion attempts.

It took the home side some time to get into their stride, but once they did, Evan Stewart got them back on track from the back row, after a fine line-out maul. 

Fylde took advantage of Myles Scott’s sin-binning, with tries from centre Mike Waywell, and Stewart again, before entering half-time with a 24-8 lead after Stewart had scored his hat-trick, peeling away from a driving maul in the goal area.

Outson added his only successful kick of the day with a penalty goal on the stroke of half-time.

Full back Nick Royle got the ball rolling almost straight from the restart, after clever play by winger Olly Brennand, with Kenyon adding the extras.

A fourth try from Stewart gave Fylde a seemingly unassailable lead, but they did their best to try and throw the game away, leaking four tries in the last half hour.

Tynedale took advantage of Alex Loney’s yellow card for not moving out of the tackle area, with scores for replacement Greg Irvine and winger Allan Rogers, before left winger Peter Cole and Beasley once more touched down late on.

Scorers:

Fylde

Tries: Stewart 22 32 40 50, Waywell 26, Royle 42

Conversions: Kenyon 27 33 43

Penalty Goals: Kenyon 80

Tynedale

Tries: Beasley 3 80, Irvine 54, Rogers 64, Cole 75

Conversions:  

Penalty Goals: Outson 40

Half-time: 24-8

Star Man: Evan Stewart

Attendance: 835

Referee: John Meredith

Teams:

Fylde: Royle, Halsall, C Briers, Waywell, Brennand, Kenyon, Wallwork, Livesey, Roddam, Loney, Arnold, Rawlings, Stewart, McGinnis, S Beaumont (Capt)

Replacements: Lavelle, Griffiths, Ferguson, Depledge, Collins

Tynedale: Harris, Cole, Mountain, Smales, Rogers, Outson, Shaw, Harrison, Ridley, Dickinson, Scott, Dunn, Northcoat-Green, Beasley (Capt), Shires

Replacements: Westgarth, McGuigan, Irvine, Cousin, Bramwell

Commonwealth Youth Games 2011 - Rugby Sevens

The weekend of 10-11 September 2011 saw the introduction of Rugby Sevens to the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Tosha - the CYG2011 mascot

The fourth Games, held on the Isle of Man, from 8-11 September saw eight nations compete in the sevens tournament, including the very first time that an Isle of Man national side had been selected.

Funding from the Manx Government had been secured, to renovate the Bowl Stadium in Douglas, a part of the National Sports Centre in the town.

The newly refurbished stadium has a full 3G synthetic surface, which has been approved for use in rugby by the IRB, and also the footballing governing bodies, with the Bowl Stadium home to the Isle of Man FA.

The tournament was covered on Manx Radio as part of their status as Official Games Station, providing full coverage of the IOM Commonwealth Youth Games.

I would like to thank all at Manx Radio for their support and encouragement while I was there, on my first live broadcasting job. Here is my round up of the tournament, with all the results.

Tournament Format

Two groups of four teams were drawn to play each other in a round robin format, with all sides playing three games each day.

All sides would play a quarter final fixture, with the winners progressing to the Gold medal semi finals, and losers to the Bowl/Plate semi finals. The losers of the Gold medal semis would play for the Bronze medal, and the losers of the Bowl/Plate semi finals would play for the Bowl Final, and the winners, the Plate final.

Pool A

Isle of Man v Scotland

The first fixture of the competition was a major milestone for Manx rugby, with the Isle of Man competing as a national side for the first time at any level. Their fixture against Scotland ended in defeat by 43-5, although Liam Murphy would have his name in island history as the first try scorer for the Isle of Man.

Australia beat Canada by 31-0, and with both underdogs having taken heavy beatings, the second round of fixtures saw the Canadians almost upsetting the formbook with a one point defeat, by 15-14 to Scotland, while at Australians beat the hosts by a more comfortable 47-0. Scotland had made it hard for themselves, having taken a 15-0 lead, letting the Canadians come back at them, and just holding out for the victory.

Australia v Canada

The final round of matches in the pool was simply a case of fighting for positions, leading into the quarter finals. The Isle of man, perhaps fancying to do something against Canada, just didn't have it in them, and lost out by 50-0, while the Australians were too good for the Scots, winning by 19-5, and taking first place in Pool A.

Pool B

With two minnows of world rugby up against two giants, this pool was also to see some heavy defeats for the underdogs.

England v Sri Lanka

South Africa started the ball rolling, with ten tries in a 62-0 rout of Sri Lanka, before England put Trinidad & Tobago to the sword, with nine tries in a 53-0 victory.

The Springboks equalled their first scoreline, with ten tries against Trinidad & Tobago (62-0), with England also putting ten past the Sri Lankans in their 64-0 win.

Again, the last round of pool fixtures saw tight fixtures to sort out the quarter final places. First up, it was the battle between England and South Africa, with the English winners by 7-5; a 7-0 half-time lead being defended until the final hooter, when the Springboks scored, but they couldn't convert from a difficult angle.

South Africa v Trinidad & Tobago

The Sri Lankans beat Trinidad & Tobago by 17-5, despite going behind to the Carribean side.

The tight finish to the England v South Africa match had led to both sides being seen as favourites to progress to the final match.

Quarter Finals

The quarter final draw had thrown up some fixtures which observers could see would end up one sided, and this was the case in all but the final fixture.

The first of these saw Australia put Trinidad & Tobago to the sword by 53-0, before the home side played an England team who had every player in the squad signed up to Premiership Academy sides, and most of whom had played A League reserve team fixtures for their team.

The home crowd were firmly behind their team, as the English were camped in their own half for a full two minutes, before they managed to gain any territory against the Manx men. Despite the territory gained, the islanders just couldn't get any advantage against their opponents, with some ferocious defending keeping them at bay. Quality soon prevailed, and England went through with a 52-0 scoreline, but not without the home side getting the crowd cheering with some stout tackling.

Scotland won easily enough against Sri Lanka, by 47-0, before Canada lost out 24-12 to South Africa. The Springboks had led by 19-0 at half time, and shipped two tries in the second half, although the strong Canadians just couldn't come back at them in time.

Semi Finals

The Isle of Man's quarter final defeat had led to a Bowl/Plate semi final match against Sri Lanka, a fixture that Mike Dee, the IoM manager had thought would be "interesting"! It certainly ended up that way, with a very first historic Manx win, by 26-15. This match certainly had the crowd on their feet, with Andy Evans scoring two tries and Alex Murphy one by half time. The breathing space of two conversions from those tries was needed going into the second half, as the Sri Lankans came back with three tries of their own, before Dan Bonwick put down between the posts and converted for a fantastic result.

The strong side from Canada hammered Trinidad & Tobago by 60-7 in the other Bowl/Plate semi final, setting up a Bowl Final of Sri Lanka v Trinidad & Tobago and a Plate Final of Canada v Isle of Man.

The Gold Medal semi finals set up and 'Auld Enemy' clash followed by a battle of the southern hemisphere giants.

England proved too strong against Scotland, winning by 19-5, while the South Africans beat Australia by 26-21 in the match of the tournament so far. Lewis Holland had set the ball rolling for the Australians, before South Africa came back, to lead by 21-7 at half time. Australia came back, equalising through a converted Alex Northam try, with kicker Waldo Wessells continuing his excellent record throughout the tournament. The winning try though, came from Burger Odendal right at the death.

That result set up an intriguing rematch of England v South Africa for the Gold Medal. Would the final be as tight as the group game, which had been settled by a missed conversion?

Bowl Final

The Carribeans from Trinidad & Tobago lost out to Sri Lanka by 24-12 in a match where the Asian side were ahead throughout. The T&T team appeared to be too keen to use their feet when the ball was loose, and never really got to grips with the game.

Plate Final

This was the one which the local support were wanting to see, but the big Canadian side outmuscled the IoM team by 8 tries to none, securing the Plate Final by a score of 52-0. While it was a big disappointment for the home team, their manager Mike Dee had been pragmatic about their chances in the tournament beforehand, so to finish sixth out of eight was a big achievement for the squad.

Bronze Medal Final

A re-run of the earlier group game saw the Scots give the Australians a huge fright, leading the game going into the final minute, but a Will Miller try secured the Bronze medal for Australia, with a 15-12 scoreline.

Gold Medal Final

England took the honours against the Springboks once more, but with a 21 point margin after the 20 minute final match. Helped by a Jack Arnott hat-trick, they took the game by the scruff of the neck, with a 19-12 half-time lead, and never looked back throughout the second half. The final result of 40-21 looked harsh on the Springboks who made this into a final worthy of the name, and went home as Silver Medallists.

Full Results

Pool A

Scotland 43 - 5 Isle of Man

Australia 31 - 0 Canada

Scotland 15 - 14 Canada

Australia 47 - 0 Isle of Man

Canada 50 - 0 Isle of Man

Scotland 5 - 19 Australia

Pool B

South Africa 62 - 0 Sri Lanka

England 53 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago

England 64 - 0 Sri Lanka

South Africa 62 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago

South Africa 5 - 7 England

Trinidad & Tobago 5 - 17 Sri Lanka

Quarter Finals

Australia 53 - 0 Trinidad & Tobago

Isle of Man 0 - 52 England

Scotland 47 - 0 Sri Lanka

Canada 12 - 24 South Africa

Semi Finals

Plate & Bowl

Isle of Man 26 - 15 Sri Lanka

Trinidad & Tobago 7 - 60 Canada

Gold & Bronze

Australia 21 - 26 South Africa

England 19 - 5 Scotland

Finals

Bowl - Sri Lanka 24 - 12 Trinidad & Tobago

Plate - Isle of Man 0 - 52 Canada

Bronze Medal - Australia 15 - 12 Scotland

Gold Medal - South Africa 20 - 41 England

* All photographs courtesy www.cyg2011.com