2007-08 News - Gloucestershire win U20s County Championship
Gloucestershire U20s 26 Yorkshire U20s 17
Gloucestershire upset the form-book at Twickenham when they beat favourites Yorkshire with a performance of relentless determination and sound defensive commitment that the White Rose side could not cope with in the final of the National Under 20 Championship.
Yorkshire went into the game having cut a swathe through the North, but the men from the South West were made of much sterner stuff and exerted a level of pressure that their opponents had not experienced this season. They did not react well and fell below the high standard they had set for themselves.
Gloucestershire could not have wished for a better start. After only 53 seconds they went ahead when a clearance kick by fly-half Jonny West was charged down and lock Jack Robson was on hand to gather the loose ball and dive over.
Fly-half Tony Wicks converted and then extended his side’s lead on 17 minutes when he landed a penalty after a Yorkshire offence at a ruck.
Yorkshire gradually began to settle and though the Gloucestershire defence held firm to keep wingman Alex Orr out at the corner, they were not so successful when second-row Dominic Parsons plunged over from close range for West to convert.
Gliucestershire responded by taking play back into the Yorkshire 22 with some strong running and good support and when the White Rose men could not resist handling at a ruck under their own posts, Wicks added his second penalty.
There was worse to follow for the defending champions. After 34 minutes they failed to deal with a Wicks cross-kick and this the second-row John Hennessy claimed the touchdown, Wicks converting to leave Yorkshire trailing 20-7.
First-half injury time brought an exchange of penalties by Wicks and West, leaving Yorkshire 23-10 adrift going into the second-half and badly needing to recapture some of the form that had brought them to the final so emphatically.
There was no immediate shift in the shape of the game after the restart as Wicks nudged Gloucestershire further ahead with his fourth penalty and Gloucestershire continued to frustrate Yorkshire’s hopes of getting back into the game with a solid defensive performance.
Having shredded less able defences in en route to Twickenham, Yorkshire looked strangely shapeless and indecisive when confronted by a much sterner test, although they finally claimed their second try in the last minute of the game when they created enough space on the left for flanker Gavin Jones to score, centre Luke Gray converting.
Despite playing 14 minutes of injury time, in which Yorkshire were mostly on attack, Gloucestershire held their composure to the last to earn a deserved victory.
“People said we couldn’t do it, but nobody told Gloucestershire that,” said coach Paul Morris: “We were dismissed – there was no hope for us today. We couldn’t understand how Yorkshire could be such. But we came here and played them off the park.
“Being underdogs didn’t affect our preparations. We thought we could win, we thought we would win.
“We wanted a fast start and we got a fast start. Tony Wicks, our fly-half, was outstanding, but they all were. There’s a great rapport with the spectators and the support today was great. But when you’ve got a side that goes out and plays with 100 per cent of everything they’ve got, it’s not hard to support them. Everybody in Gloucestershire should be proud of this team.”
Yorkshire coach Anthony Posa acknowledged Gloucestershire’s superiority on the day, but insisted that his side were prepared for a serious test.
“I talked to the lads before about the need to be accurate and today we let ourselves down in that department, especially in the collision area and the lineout.” he said: “Once Gloucestershire got their lead they defended really well and were very well structured.
“Their defence was outstanding and their back-row did really well. We hadn’t met that kind of quality before. The key thing now is that the boys are prepared to learn from it.”
Yorkshire U20: H Duthie (Harrogate); S Bottomley (Leeds), T Stimpson (Dinnington), L Gray (Wharfedale), A Orr (Sandal); J West (Rotherham), J Gill (Wharfedale); A Ross (Rotherham), T Young (Harrogate), A Goodwin (Selby), J Brady (Pontefract), D Parsons (Sheffield Tigers), N Carter (Harrogate), G Jones (Huddersfield), R Burrows (Rotherham) capt.
Replacements (all used): S Rodgers (Dinnington), C Reakes (Sandal), S Maycock (Rotherham), P Altham (Wharfedale), K Dannatt (Hull Ionians), D Metcalfe (Harrogate), T Cokell (Wharfedale). T: Parsons, Jones. C: West, Gray. P: West
Gloucestershire U20: S Hawley (Dursley); C Hawkins (Hartpury Coll), R Winchie (Dursley), J Lister (Stroud), O Winterbottom (Dursley); T Wicks (Lydney), J Williams (Lydney); G Porter (Pertemps Bees), A Howells (Lydney) capt, C Bundy (Cinderford), J Hennessy (Matson), J Robson (Cinderford), J Preece (Pertemps Bees), C McNeil (Cinderford), B Morgan (Cinderford).
Replacements (all used): J Cresswell (Dings Crusaders), M Baker (Lydney), M Hurdle (Old Patesians), R Townsend (Hereford), W Foden (Hartpury Coll), S Arnott (Lydney), S Morris (Stourbridge).
Referee: A Hartwell (RFU). T: Robson, Hennessy. C: Wicks 2. P: Wicks 4
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GLOUCESTERSHIRE UNDER-20's 23pts HAMPSHIRE UNDER-20's 7pts
Gloucestershire Under-20's secured their place in the final of the 2008 County Under-20's Championship with a splendid victory over a good Hampshire side and will now play the current holders and favourites Yorkshire on Saturday May 10th (11.00am kick off) at Twickenham. Gloucestershire's decision to increase their squad to twenty four players proved to be foresighted as reserve hooker John Cresswell failed a fitness test on a broken nose prior to kick off. He was replaced on the bench by club mate prop Tim Brockett and he was soon called into action as within ninety seconds of the start Gloucestershire hooker and captain Ashley Howells suffered a neck injury and was forced to leave the game after lengthy treatment. Tight head prop Chris Bundy took over the hooking duties and to his immense credit was a very capable replacement. Hampshire were an organised and confident side and were given first use of a stiff breeze blowing down the Lydney pitch. They boldly tried to run the ball on many occasions from inside their own half when kicking for territory would have seemed to be the better option. Gloucestershire's defence was watertight and was the bedrock of their success. Within six minutes the home side engineered a position twenty metres out and Hampshire's forwards, under pressure at the scrum and the breakdown, conceded a penalty. Gloucestershire fly half Tony Wicks coolly took the home side into the lead. The next twenty minutes was fairly even with Gloucestershire's attempts to move the ball wide thwarted by an excellent Hampshire drift defence. However, the home side were getting the better of their opponents in the tight situations, especially the set piece. Eventually, near the half hour mark, acting captain and centre Rob Winchle broke free down the right hand touchline and his subtle kick ahead was pounced on by lively right winger Chris Hawkins for an excellent first Gloucestershire try. Wicks magnificently converted from the touchline. With two minutes to go to the interval Wicks increased the lead to thirteen points with a nerveless penalty goal.
The first score of the second half was always going to be vital and despite incurring the wrath of the referee with some needless penalties it was Gloucestershire who increased the tempo. With the wind behind them Gloucestershire put Hampshire on the defensive in their own twenty two. From a line out fifteen metres out on the left touchline the home forwards embarked on a well controlled driving maul. Inexorably it snaked its way to the Hampshire try line and flanker Jack Preece touched down for the vital try. The conversion was missed but Gloucestershire were in control against brave opponents who never gave them an inch voluntarily but a third try was looking inevitable. It came after the home side again mauled its way up the left touchline but this time the ball was released to Wicks, twenty metres out, and his pin point cross field kick was superbly caught by second row John Hennessy and his skilful offload released Hawkins to score his second try. Although the conversion was missed Gloucestershire were virtually home and dry with the final quarter still to be played. That they did not score again was down to a monumental rearguard action by the Hampshire side as they rallied to take the game to the home side. However, Gloucestershire's defence was secure and time and again they repulsed the attacks of the visitors but with six minutes remaining their line was finally breached as they succumbed to a series of pick and go rucks by the Hampshire forwards and the visitors claimed a deserved converted try under the Gloucestershire posts. There were no more alarms and Gloucestershire finished the game on the attack and claimed the right to contest their first ever final at this level nine years after its inception. Yorkshire have won six of the eight finals played but Gloucestershire's players' will remain unfazed by the challenge ahead.
Gloucestershire Under-20's team: Stefan Hawley (Dursley), Chris Hawkins (Hartpury), Rob Winchle (Dursley), Josh Lister (Stroud), Oli Winterbottom (Dursley), Tony Wicks (Lydney), Jimmy Williams (Lydney), George Porter (Pertemps Bees), Ashley Howells (Lydney), Chris Bundy (Cinderford), John Hennessy (Matson), Jack Robson (Cinderford), Matt Hurdle (Old Patesians), Jack Preece (Pertemps Bees), Ben Morgan (Cinderford) Replacements: Richard Townsend (Hereford), Tim Brockett (Dings Crusaders), Mike Baker (Lydney), Chris McNeil (Cinderford) , Will Foden (Hartpury), Sam Arnott (Lydney), Scott Morris (Stourbridge). Travelling Reserves: Marcus Brown (Old Richians), John Cresswell (Dings Crusaders)
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GLOUCESTERSHIRE UNDER-20's 27pts DORSET & WILTSHIRE UNDER-20's 0pts
Gloucestershire Under-20's secured a place in the semi finals of the National County Under-20's Championship with victory over Dorset and Wiltshire at Lydney RFC on Sunday and will now face Hampshire, also at Lydney, this Sunday 20th April (2.30pm kick off). Dorset and Wiltshire were formidable opponents and their pre-match confidence manifested itself right from the kick off as they collected their own kick and forced the hosts onto the defensive for nearly ten phases of play. However, Gloucestershire's competitiveness at the breakdown turned over possession and they soon settled into a rhythm as they worked their way up the field. Within ten minutes an excellent line out position was established in the scoreboard corner of the ground and a superbly controlled driving maul by the home forwards allowed hooker and captain Ashley Howells to claim the touchdown.
The conversion was missed and play proceeded at a frenetic pace with both sides attacking at will and delivering counter blows without severely wounding each other. Gloucesterhire always looked the more likely to deliver the knock out blows though and on the half hour fly half Tony Wicks kicked a penalty goal. With half time approaching and bolstered by the visitors'
kicker's inability to land two penalty opportunities the Gloucestershire youngsters' scored a breathtaking try. Heroic defence by the younger Dorset and Wiltshire team kept the home side out as Gloucesterhire battered their try line through a passage of play involving more than twenty phases.
Eventually the ball was moved left to right and Gloucesterhire's full back Stefan Hawley threaded his way through a gap to score a second try wide out on the right. The conversion was missed but the home team had a grip of the scoreboard as the half time whistle sounded.
The first score of the second half was always going to be vital and despite some frantic attacks from deep by the visitors' the home side's defence both close in and wide out was always secure and composed. On fifty minutes Gloucestershire delivered a telling blow as after driving play up the left hand touch line and into the visitors' twenty two the ball was spun to Wicks' and his pin point cross kick was collected by right wing Chris Hawkins in the in goal area to record a third Gloucestershire try. Wicks magnificently converted from the grandstand touch line. The visitors'
refused to lie down but their numerous attacks floundered on tremendous Gloucestershire tackling and an organised and disciplined defence. The Gloucesterhire bench was fully utilised and as normal the whole squad played its part on the march to victory. With ten minutes remaining Gloucesterhire pounded their opponents try line and second row John Hennessy, together with centre Rob Winchle the only player to have played every second of Gloucestershire's campaign so far, scored a deserved try. The talented Wicks made the conversion look easy and Gloucestershire stand just one win away
from an appearance at Twickenham in the final on Saturday May 10th.
Gloucesterhire Under-20's team: Stefan Hawley (Dursley), Chris Hawkins (Hartpury), Rob Winchle (Dursley), Josh Lister (Stroud), Oli Winterbottom (Dursley), Tony Wicks (Lydney), Jimmy Williams (Lydney), George Porter (Matson), Ashley Howells (Lydney), Chris Bundy (Cinderford), John Hennessy (Matson), Jack Robson (Cinderford), Matt Hurdle (Old Patesians), Jack Preece (Pertemps Bees), Ben Morgan (Cinderford) Replacements: Richard Townsend (Hereford), John Cresswell (Dings Crusaders), Marcus Brown (Old Richians),
Will Foden (Hartpury), Sam Arnott (Lydney), Scott Morris (Stourbridge).
