England boosted by Back

Ireland A 20

England A 21

There was little that was special about England's performance in winning yesterday's A match at Donnybrook except the win itself. But given that England fielded only two full internationals - and those with just three caps between them - against Ireland's eight, it was actually a win to applaud and savour.

England now have six victories to Ireland's seven in this fixture, the sixth coming more as a product of English durability and determination than anything especially memorable. That said, the second and clinching England try, scored by Neil Back after the ball had gone through 14 other pairs of hands, was a worthy culmination of their second-half improvement even if there was one rather obvious forward pass en route.

Earlier they had struggled while playing upwind, infringing as well as kicking too much and running into barn-door Irish tackling whenever something less obvious was attempted. Ireland deservedly led when the charge-down of Paul Grayson's kick by Alan McGowan led to David O'Mahony's try and, with McGowan converting and exchanging penalties with Grayson, they turned round seven points ahead.

In the second half Anthony Diprose's pushover try followed by a second Grayson penalty gave England the lead for the first time. After a Grayson drop goal and another McGowan penalty the game was settled by Back's try and Grayson's conversion, making it academic that the margin was reduced to a point when Billy Mulcahy charged down Steve Bates's clearance for a try which McGowan converted with the penultimate kick of the match.

Ireland A: Tries David O'Mahony, Mulcahy; Conversions McGowan 2; Penalties McGowan 2. England A: Tries Diprose, Back; Conversion Grayson; Penalties Grayson 2; Drop goal Grayson.

IRELAND A: J Staples (Harlequins); R Wallace (Garryowen), M Field (Malone), M McCall (Bangor), Daragh O'Mahony (University College Dublin); A McGowan (Blackrock College), David O'Mahony (Constitution); J Fitzgerald (Young Munster), W Mulcahy (Skerries), P Wallace (Blackrock College), D Tweed (Ballymena), R Costello (Garryowen), E Halvey (Shannon), B Cronin (Garryowen), D McBride (Malone, capt). Temporary replacement: R Wilson (Instonians) for Cronin (18-20).

ENGLAND A: A Tunningley (Saracens); D Hopley (Wasps), S Potter (Leicester), N Greenstock (Wasps), J Sleightholme (Bath); P Grayson (Northampton), S Bates (Wasps, capt); R Hardwick (Coventry), M Regan (Bristol), J Mallett (Bath), G Archer (Newcastle Gosforth), S Shaw (Bristol), L Dallaglio (Wasps), A Diprose (Saracens), N Back (Leicester).

Referee: N Lasaga (France).