Rugby Union: Slemen remains tolerant despite England fade-out

BC President's XV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

England XV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ENGLAND made a meal of defeating a BC President's XV at Thunderbird Stadium at the University of British Columbia. Although the tourists were always in control, they faded noticeably in the last part of the game.

England ruled the line-out in Wednesday night's match through their captain, Nigel Redman, the athletic Alex Snow and the newly arrived Richard Langhorn. The scrum-half Steve Douglas, who is the most recent of England's arrivals, also put in a creditable performance but was on the receiving end of some bad ball for which he paid physically.

England's coach, Mike Slemen, was measured in his criticism of the win. 'We won a lot of ball, made a lot of mistakes and really tired later in the game. But in fairness several of our players haven't played since late April and were not match-fit.'

Steve Hackney was put away by his fellow winger Adedayo Adebayo for England's first try, and then the mobile Mark Rennell looped outide his left wing to take a return pass and crash over in the corner. Grayson notched a penalty and a booming conversion for a 15-6 half-time lead.

A long penalty from Grayson after Alan Buzza had suffered a late tackle lengthened the margin with England firmly in the driving seat. A perfectly executed line-out peel from Langhorn to Snow set up position for England's third and final try, scored by Adebayo.

BC President's XV: Try MacKinnon; Penalties Ross, MacKinnon. England: Tries Hackney, Rennell, Adebayo; Conversion Grayson; Penalties Grayson 3.

BC PRESIDENT'S XV: B Jordan; S MacKinnon, K Towes, R Toews, R Wheeldon; R Ross, I McKay; K Wirachowski, J Benko, P Szabo, A Wilson, I Cooper, R Robson, M Schmid, A Phillips (I Kennedy, 31).

ENGLAND XV: A Buzza (Wasps); S Hackney (Leicester), J Fletcher (Tynedale), G Childs (Wasps), A Adebayo (Bath); P Grayson (Waterloo), S Douglas (Newcastle Gosforth); M Hynes (Orrell), K Dunn (Wasps), D Garforth (Leicester), N Redman (Bath, capt), A Snow (Harlequins), M Greenwood (Wasps), R Langhorn (Harlequins), M Rennell (Bedford). Replacements: D Hopley (Wasps) for Adebayo, 78.

Referee: C Marsden (Vancouver).

Injuries have forced England to name AN Other at centre for the first match with Canada here tomorrow, in the hope that Stuart Potter of Leicester, who is arriving today, may step into the breach.

ENGLAND (v Canada, Vancouver, tomorrow): D Pears (Harlequins); A Buzza, D Hopley (both Wasps), A N Other, C Oti (Wasps); P Challinor (Harlequins), K Bracken (Bristol); D Rowntree (Leicester), J Olver (Northampton, capt), V Ubogu (Bath), M Johnson (Leicester), A Blackmore (Bristol), J Hall (Bath), N Back (Leicester), S Ojomoh (Bath). Replacements: N Beal (Northampton), A N Other, S Douglas (Newcastle Gosforth), K Dunn (Wasps), D Garforth (Leicester), R Langhorn (Harlequins).