Foul weather marred the opening day of the Under-16 Festival at Broadstreet RFC near Coventry today making it difficult for players to impress the watching England selectors.
Driving rain throughout the afternoon coupled with numbing cold made handling difficult but the four sides overcame the difficult conditions to produce two close and entertaining matches.
In the opener the Midlands drew 5-5 with London & South East and the North took advantage of a small window in the weather to score two excellent tries and defeat the South West 10-5.
London's try against the Midlands was scored after six minutes when blindside flanker Jamie Bache (St Peter's HS and Essex) was driven over from a line-out.
The Midlands enjoyed territorial supremacy for long periods of the game but, despite several promising attacks, they found London's defence impenetrable.
Right wing James Trueman (Solihull School and Warwickshire) did cross late in the first half, only to be brought back for a knock-on as he went over.
It looked like Bache's try would decide the game until the Midlands scored a kick-and-rush try late in the second half when centre Jamie Elliott (Bedford School and East Midlands) kept his nerve and his footing to slither through for the equalising try.
England and Saracens centre Andy Farrell was among the shivering spectators in the stand for the opener. Farrell's son Owen (St Georges School, Harpenden and Hertfordshire) captained London and had a steady game in difficult conditions.
England's senior Under-16 side will compete in the Four Nations Tournament in Lyon from March 17 to 27 along with France, Italy and Wales. England Under-16s A will play in the Millfield Festival in Somerset from March 31 to April 6 alongside Canada, France A, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, USA and Wales A.
