Ireland U-18s Complete Stirring Comeback To Win 50th Anniversary Schools International

50TH ANNIVERSARY UNDER-18 SCHOOLBOYS INTERNATIONAL MATCH:

Saturday, March 29 –

IRELAND UNDER-18 SCHOOLS 22 ENGLAND UNDER-18s 17, the Mardyke
Scorers: Ireland U-18 Schools: Tries: Bernard White, Fionn Rowsome, Ronan Kelly; Cons: Connor McVicker, Charlie O’Connor; Pen: Connor McVicker
England U-18s: Tries: George Marsh, Will Knight; Cons: Oscar Talbot 2; Pen: Oscar Talbot
HT: Ireland U-18 Schools 0 England U-18s 17

The Mardyke, the home ground of UCC Rugby Club, played host to this special match which marked the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s very first Schoolboys international fixture, against England in Dublin on March 29, 1975.

Saturday’s game also formed part of the IRFU’s 150th Anniversary celebrations for this season, and the Ireland U-18s, coached by Michael Hodge, delivered a performance worthy of the occasion with a tremendous three-try comeback.

George Marsh and Will Knight crossed for tries inside the opening 13 minutes, as England’s fast start saw them establish early scoreboard pressure. An Oscar Talbot penalty, on the half hour mark, gave them a 17-0 half-time lead.

Captained by Belvedere College prop Harry Goslin, Ireland had gradually grown into the contest, drawing positives from their defence and attack. Bernard White’s intercept score, barely two minutes after the restart, was just the tonic.

A classy long-range penalty from Connor McVicker was followed by a very well-taken try from Fionn Rowsome. Replacement Charlie O’Connor’s conversion made it 17-all with little over 10 minutes remaining.

Kelly’s pace out wide proved decisive in the end, the St. Gerard’s flyer finishing from over 40 metres out to give Hodge’s side some winning momentum to take into next month’s U-18 Men’s Six Nations Festival in Vichy (April 10-18).

Led by Elliot Williams, an U-19 debutant against Japan last week, England were first to threaten. They advanced from a scrum penalty and then pounced on a loose Irish lineout to release winger Junior Denny on the right, and then get their big forwards carrying.

From a close-in scrum, number 8 Marsh made good ground, released the ball after being tackled and regathered it to crash in under the posts for a fifth-minute try. Talbot topped it off with a straightforward conversion.

Adam Boyd and Jon Rogers got the ball to ground as Ireland successfully defended a maul, before centre White retrieved a kick over the top from Paul Neary, combining with Bobby Colbert whose kick through beat everyone into touch.

Neary then set up a break for Munster’s Jamie Walsh who galloped past the halfway line, yet England looked dangerous on the counter attack. Charlie Tamani used a Jack Lewis turnover to bulldoze his way back into the hosts’ 22.

Hodge’s charges got back in the defensive line, but English scrum half Isaac Mears capitalised on the quick ruck ball. He moved it infield where Knight stepped inside Neary’s tackle to raid in behind the posts, and Talbot comfortably converted.

The home side regrouped in impressive fashion, gaining territory and getting Blackrock College winger James Browne on the ball. The pack got the maul moving, and a subsequent attack down the short side had winger Colbert cutting in before his offload just evaded Nathan Noble.

Walsh and Goslin both got their hands to an English lineout, launching a promising spell. Openside Rodgers made a strong tackle-breaking run, and then Tom Bell weaved menacingly into try-scoring range before his attempted offload went to ground.

Tamani and tighthead Sam Bland both carried well to take the visitors back to the edge of the Irish 22. They showed their clinical edge again, drawing a penalty at a ruck for Talbot to widen the margin to 17 points.

The end-to-end action continued up to the interval. Ireland’s defence took inspiration from full-back Rowsome’s terrific try-saving tackle on Knight, while a Goslin turnover penalty also broke up a late English attack.

Just when England countered from a kick inside the opening minutes of the second half, a pass from Marsh was expertly intercepted by White. He had the gas to take off from the Irish 10-metre line and open his team’s account, finishing strongly ahead of James Pater.

Scrum half McVicker nailed the conversion from the left, closing the gap to 10 points. RBAI number 8 Boyd came up with an important penalty at the breakdown shortly afterwards, ensuring that England were unable to respond quickly.

McVicker’s right boot delighted the home crowd with a superb three-pointer, punishing Lewis for not staying bound at a scrum. The Belfast Royal Academy half-back increased his influence with an excellent touchfinder from the restart.

With over 50 minutes on the clock, centre Bell added zip to an Irish attack by hurtling onto a pass from Rodgers, Goslin also rumbling up towards England’s 22 before Tamani forced a knock-on from Colbert.

Bell got his hands over a dinked kick from replacement Luke Coffey, and although England covered Geoff O’Sullivan’s subsequent kick chase, Ireland managed to build phases and remain on the front foot.

They then struck for the levelling try, the pacy Rowsome nimbly cutting inside Henry Laidlow to race through from 30 metres out and back himself to score, getting the grounding ahead of the covering Talbot and Hugh Shields.

O’Connor equalised from the tee and then found an impressive touch after receiving the English restart. The visitors had a bright attacking spell, sparked by Shields and Tamani, only for Joe Christie to get his hands in at the breakdown to earn a penalty.

Kelly and Andrew Henson did well to tackle Tamani into touch, and even though England continued to press, a midfield pass evaded Henry Lumley’s clutches. Coffey intercepted it to bring play back up past the English 10-metre line.

Despite O’Sullivan knocking on into touch on the left wing, England remained out of striking range. Their replacement hooker Jerold Gorleku made a bustling carry, but fumbled in contact and Ireland turned the possession into a memorable winning try.

Rodgers and James Gould got the ball away for Coffey to put Henson darting into space. He accelerated past halfway and timed his own pass to perfection, sending Kelly scurrying past Tamani and all the way to the right corner despite Knight’s committed chase.

The home support raised the roof off the near stand in celebration before O’Connor missed the difficult conversion. It was not needed in the end, with Ireland controlling possession from a penalty before O’Connor, who did well to snap up a Christie lineout throw, found touch with time up.

TIME LINE: 5 minutes – England U-18s try: George Marsh – 0-5; conversion: Oscar Talbot – 0-7; 12 mins – England try: Will Knight – 0-12; conversion: Oscar Talbot – 0-14; 31 mins – England U-18s penalty: Oscar Talbot – 0-17; Half-time – Ireland U-18 Schools 0 England U-18s 17; 37 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Bernard White – 5-17; conversion: Connor McVicker – 7-17; 48 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools penalty: Connor McVicker – 10-17; 59 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Fionn Rowsome – 15-17; conversion: Charlie O’Connor – 17-17; 68 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Ronan Kelly – 22-17; conversion: missed by Charlie O’Connor – 22-17; Full-time – Ireland U-18 Schools 22 England U-18s 17

IRELAND U-18 SCHOOLS: Fionn Rowsome (Crescent College Comprehensive/Munster); Bobby Colbert (Gonzaga College/Leinster), Tom Bell (Ards RFC/Regent House School/Ulster), Bernard White (Blackrock College/Leinster), James Browne (Blackrock College/Leinster); Paul Neary (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Connor McVicker (Belfast Royal Academy/Ulster); Ben Guerin (Blackrock College/Leinster), Nathan Noble (Sullivan Upper School/Ulster), Harry Goslin (Belvedere College/Leinster) (capt), Jamie Walsh (Cistercian College Roscrea/Munster), Frank Maher (Terenure College/Leinster), Jonathon Ginnety (Castleknock College/Leinster), Jon Rodgers (Wallace High School/Ulster), Adam Boyd (RBAI/Ulster).

Replacements used: James Gould (Wallace High School/Ulster) for Guerin, Ronan Kelly (St. Gerard’s College/Leinster) for White (both 41 mins), Joe Christle (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) for Noble, Leo Anic (Creggs RFC/CBS Roscommon/Connacht) for Maher (both 44), Luke Coffey (Blackrock College/Leinster) for McVicker, Charlie O’Connor (RBAI/Ulster) for Neary, Geoff O’Sullivan (Terenure College/Leinster) for Browne (all 51), Geoff Wall (Blackrock College/Leinster) for Boyd, Ollie Fitzsimmons (Wallace High School/Ulster) for Goslin (both 57), Cian Butler (Portlaoise RFC/St. Mary’s CBS Portlaoise/Leinster) for Walsh, Andrew Henson (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College/Connacht) for Rowsome (both 60).

ENGLAND U-18: James Pater (Northampton Saints); Junior Denny (Gloucester), Will Knight (Gloucester), Declan Treacey (Bath), Charlie Tamani (Northampton Saints); Oscar Talbot (Leicester Tigers), Isaac Mears (Bath); Alan Poku (Saracens), Kealan Freeman-Price (Gloucester), Sam Bland (Yorkshire Academy), Freddie Ogden-Metherell (Gloucester), Henry Laidlow (Harlequins), Elliot Williams (Harlequins) (capt), Jack Lewis (Northampton Saints), George Marsh (Leicester Tigers).

Replacements used: Oliver Spencer (Yorkshire Academy) for Poku (43 mins), Henry Lumley (Northampton Saints) for Denny (44), Hugh Shields (Northampton Saints) for Pater (49), Tate Williams (Harlequins) for Lewis (53), Harry Wright (Gloucester) for Bland (55), Victor Worsnip (Bristol Bears) for Treacey, Archie Appleby (Northampton Saints) for Ogden-Metherell (both 57), Jerold Gorleku (Harlequins) for Freeman-Price (60), James Townsend (Leicester Tigers) for Mears (63).

Referee: Jack MacNeice (IRFU)