Irish pack put end to England youngsters' unbeaten record

England Under-18 Schools 9 Ireland Under-18 Schools 1

PAUL STEPHENS

England Under-18 Schools 9 Ireland Under-18 Schools 12

England's hopes of a third successive unbeaten European season at this level was dismantled by an ebullient Ireland side at Hull last night.

Although Ireland were not able to add any tries to the five they scored in beating Scotland 37-12 in Cork on Easter Saturday, they fully deserved their victory, which was the product of a resolute defence and a display by their pack - in which Robert Casey was quite outstanding - that was typical of their seniors in the Five Nations' Championship.

Although England, too, had comfortably beaten Scotland, the writing was probably on the wall when Wales held England to 7-7 at Bridgwater last month. A third Grand Slam beyond them, England were denied the opportunity to use their talented backs because Ireland closed them down so effectively and restricted the England forwards to scraps in the loose, and even less at the line-out.

Not that Ireland were any less confident with the ball in hand. Indeed Cormac Dowling almost crossed the England line after five minutes when the Ireland backs were released by their matchwinning outside-half Brian O'Mahony. Thereafter, there was not a try in sight from either side.

For this unflagging contest was never going to be won anywhere else but up front, or by O'Mahony's boot, unless England could manufacture a score or two from broken play. They never looked likely to.

England's James Brown, however, looked as if he could kick goals from anywhere. He landed three in four attempts. O'Mahony, by contrast, only looked comfortable from under 40 metres but, when it really mattered, O'Mahony banged over the winning penalty from all of 45 metres.

England: Penalties Brown 3. Ireland: Penalties O'Mahony 4.

ENGLAND: D Thompson (Millfield); C Armitage (Bradford GS), J Ewens (Colston's, capt), J Pritchard (Colston's), R Hartley (King's Macclesfield); J Brown (Millfield), R Pellow (Colston's); S Trethewey (Estover Com Coll), A Long (St Peter's, Bournemouth), J McCormick (St Joseph's, Ipswich), J Marston (Bradford GS), J Winterbottom (Diss HS), P Buxton (Cleeve Coll), R Moody (Oakham), R Beattie (Hymers Coll). Replacements: A Kershaw (QE Boys Sch, Barnet) for Trethewey, 20; R Lloyd (Solihull) for L Moody, 50.

IRELAND: T Keating (Blackrock); J Davis (Belfast HS), E Travers (Terenure), K Hartigan (St Munchin's), C Dowling (Presentation Coll, Bray); B O'Mahony (Christian Bros, Cork), C Scally (Blackrock); S McConnell (Coleraine Acad Inst), P Smyth (Blackrock), S Best (Portadown), P Bracken (St Andrew's Coll), R Casey (Blackrock), T Cahill (PBC, Cork), B Gibney (capt), L Cullen (both Blackrock). Replacements: J Campbell (Terenure Coll) for Best, 63.

Referee: P Bolland (Wales).