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Midlands Under-18s were edged out 22-16 by the North in an entertaining third and final Divisional Match of the season at Broadstreet RFC near Coventry this afternoon.
The game offered players a final chance to impress the England Under-18 selectors who are picking a squad to begin training for the AER (Association of European Rugby) Tournament in Treviso, Italy in March and both sides played some open and enterprsing rugby in a game of fluctuating fortunes.
The lead changed hands three times in the final quarter before a well-taken try from the North's replacement winger Thomas Bowden (Kirkham GS and Lancashire) five minutes from time sealed victory for the visitors.
The Midlands, with just two players already through to the first England training session at Bromsgrove School next weekend, had plenty to prove but they fell behind to an early pensalty from North fly-half James Nettleton (Altrincham and Cheshire).
Fly-half Dave Marshall (Nottingham HS, Nottingham and Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire) quickly levelled for the Midlands but the North regained the lead on 21 minutes when the impressive number eight Freddie Silcock (Sedbergh School, Chester and Chshire) rounded off a period of sustained pressure with a close range try.
Nettleton was unable to add the extras and his miss looked like proving costly as the Midlands, inspired some pentetrative running from centre Guy Michels (Stamford School and NL&D) went 13-8 up by the break.
Michels' darting run and perfectly-timed pass set up right wing Earl Collins (Rugby School, Old Coventrians and Warwickshire) for the Midlands' opening try and Marshall tacked on the conversion followed by a penalty.
The North responded with a close range try from lock Myles Scott (Sedbergh School, Chester and Cheshire)midway through the second half and Nettleton's conversion allowed them to reclaim the lead.
But the Midlands were soon back in front when the North ventured off-side and replacement fly-half Luke Massey (King Edward VI School, Lichfield, Lichfield and Staffordshire) stroked over the penalty.
The North rallied again with an attack down the left side of the pitch and crisp handling which allowed play to be switched sharply right to create the overlap for Bowden who scampered over close enough to the posts to allow Nettleton to add the conversion.
Midlands Under-18s: 15 Jack Pons (Bromsgrove School, Moseley and North Midlands); 14 Michael Allen (Stamford School and Notts Lincs & Derbyshore), 13 Guy Michels (Stamford School and NL&D), 12 Andy Short (Worcester Sixth Form College, Worcester and North Midlands), 11 Earl Collins (Rugby School, Old Coventrians and Warwickshire); 10 David Marshall (Nottingham HS, Nottingham & NL&D), 9 Darryl Veenendaal (Oakham School, Bedford Blues and East Midlands); 1 Sean McCarthy (Warwick School, Worcester and Warwickshire), 2 Robert Beddard (Hartpury College, Burton and Staffordshire), 3 Alex Waller (Wellingborough School, Northampton Saints and East Midlands), 4 Chris Bailey (Bromsgrove School, Worcester and North Midlands), 5 James Freeman (Bromsgrove School, Camp Hill, Worcester and North Midlands), 6 Tom Maguire (Bromsgrove School, Moseley and North Midlands), 7 Dominic Taylor (Hartpury College, Burton and Staffordshire), 8 James Ingle (Bedford School, Ampthill and East Midlands). Replacements: Daniel Croll (St Joseph's College, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire), Luke Massey (King Edward VI School, Lichfield, Lichfield and Staffordshire), Richard Wilson (Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire), Ryan Simpson (Nottingham and NL&D), John Revell (West Notts College, Mansfield and NL&D), Adam Woodfield (Nuneaton and Warwickshire), Luke Willmott (High Pavement College, Paviors and NL&D).
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The North emerged as the only unbeaten side in the England RU Under 18 trials at Broadstreet RFC when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for the second time in three days to beat the South West 13-12 in the third of four highly competitive matches.
In the final game, the Midlands, winners along with the North in Friday's opening session when they beat the South West, went down 5-3 when an interception try turned the game in favour of London & South East.
The Midlands will probably look back on their defeat by London and believe that it simply wasn't to be their day. Neither side could engineer a decent opening in the first hair, the Midlands having the only scoring chance with a penalty that went wide.
Scoreless at the interval, the game produced its first points when fly-half Luke Massey (King Edward VI, Lichfield) kicked a penalty, but though they dominated territorially, the Midlands could not nail the win.
The outcome was decided 10 minutes from time when Brighton College centre Ross Chisholm picked off a miss pass in his own 22 and sprinted untouched for the winning score.
There was still time for the Midlands to hit the post with an attempted drop goal, but by then they probably realised it wasn't to be their day.
"It was very disappointing because of the way we dominated the game," said Nigel Foxall. "London only really got into our half once in the second-half, but that was when they intercepted and scored the winning try."
That match completed a series of game which have all been very keenly contested, with every game going to the wire.
England selectors met after the game to select a preliminary training squad for the AER (Association of European Rugby) tournament in Treviso, Italy in March.
The selectors will now name a provisional squad who will be invited for training at Bromsgrove School from January 4 to 6. Revised divisional squads will be selected for a third round of matches on December 30 when the Midlands play the North at Broadstreet (2pm) and London play the South West at Maidenhead (2pm). Players who missed the festival because of illness or injury will be given their opportunity to stake their claims for inclusion in the England training squad along with players the national selectors have asked to see play again.
England will play Scotland at Melrose on March 2 in a warm-up game to the AER Tournament which will be played in and around Treviso from March 14 to 23.
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The Midlands and the North took the first day honours with narrow victories in an entertaining start to this season's Under-18 Divisional Festival at Broadstreet RFC near Coventry today.
The Midlands held off a fightback by the South West to open the festival with an 18-12, the North left it until the final play of the game before they sealed a 22-20 victory over London & the South East.
There was little to choose between the sides in either contest, both producing plenty of enterprise and aggressive defence for the watching England selectors who will name a preliminary training squad for the AER (Association of European Rugby) tournament in Treviso, Italy in March after the second day of the festival on Sunday.
The Midlands established an important 13-0 lead in the opening game thanks to an early penalty from fly-half David Marshall (Nottingham HS, Nottingham and Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire) and a try from a charged down clearance scored by hooker Robert Beddard (Hartpury College, Burton and Staffordshire) and improved by Marshall.
Marshall added a second penalty within three minutes of the re-start but the South West, who had lost plenty of possesion in contact in the first half, looked after the ball much better in the second period and fought their way back into the game.
Replacement lock Rhys Jones (Corsham School, Corsham and Dorset & Wiltshire) was driven over for an uncoverted try but the Midlands swiftly cancelled it out when centre Oliver Grove (Rugby School, Worcester and Warwickshire) scored a superb opportunist try.
Grove, the younger brother of Worcester Warriors' former Scotland Under-19 centre Alex, had an excellent game and his powerful disagonal run to the line, where there appeared little on for the Midlands, sealed their victory.
The South West had the final say when right wing Christian Wade (RGS High Wycombe, London Wasps and Buckinghamshire) scored the try of the match when he collected the ball close to half-way and accelerated away for a stunning individual score which fly-half Alex Stevenson (Bloxham School, Banbury and Oxfordshire) converted.
The game was marred by an injury to South West centre Duncan Peters (Kings School, Gloucester and Gloucestershire) who suffered suspected cruciate ligament damage in the first half. Peters was taken to hospital by ambulance with an injury that may have ended his chances of winning international honours this season.
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