What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Good luck to the boys. Specially Marland, a lad I know.

England make impressive start to AER Tournament
Sunday April 5, 2009
Issued by Paul Bolton

England 60 v 3 Georgia

ENGLAND's Under-18 AER side made an impressive start to the AER (Association Europeenne de Rugby) Tournament with a 60-3 win over a physical Georgia side at Hyeres near Toulon this afternoon.

England made the most of perfect conditions to play a fast and expansive game which brought them nine tries and a secured a semi-final meeting with Ireland back at Hyeres on April 8 (2.30pm GMT).

Wing Marland Yarde led the way with a hat-trick of tries in a performance that pleased England's head coach Paul Mullan and assistants Tim McBennett and Dave Reed.

"Tim was pleased with the support lines we ran and the fact that we ran in some good tries from great distances," Mullan said.

"We ran Georgia around a bit and attacked them through the 13 channel. Ben Ransom made a number of good breaks from full-back and Marland Yarde's hat-trick was supplied by some good ball from Ben Mosses and Henry Staff.

"Dave Reed was pleased with the loose play of our forwards but we need to tighten up in areas of our set piece which is something that we will be working on before we play Ireland."

England were 35-3 up at the break, which included five tries, and they maintained the intensity in the second half despite bringing on five replacements, one enforced when fly-half Tom Heathcote suffered a knee injury.

Apart from Yarde's hat-trick England's other tries were scored by Oliver Robinson, the son of former England flanker and coach, Matt Kvesic, Mike Wilcox, David Francis, Ransom and Heathcote. Heathcote kicked the opening penalty and three conversions before he was injured. Wilcox, who took over the kicking duties, landed three conversions.

The AER Tournament is effectively the European Under-18 Championship and involves 32 countries divided into four groups and seeded.

England, who last won the competition three years ago, are in the top group and are seeded third.

England Under-18 AER side:

15 Ben Ransom (Tonbridge School, Saracens and Kent);
14 Marland Yarde (Whitgift School, London Irish and Middlesex),
13 Ben Mosses (Millfield School, Bath and Somerset),
12 Henry Staff (Bedford Modern School, Saracens and Hertfordshire - captain),
11 Will Jones (Henley College, London Wasps and Oxfordshire);
10 Tom Heathcote (Bishop Wordsworth's, Bath and Dorset & Wiltshire),
9 Chris Cook (Millfield School, Bath and Somerset);
1 Louis Padian (Bromsgrove School, Moseley, Worcester Warriors and North Midlands),
2 Josh Elliott (Dulwich College, Old Alleynians, London Wasps and Surrey),
3 Chris Fox (Bromsgrove School, Worcester Warriors and North Midlands),
4 Kieron Low (Havant College, Chichester and Sussex),
5 Matthew Steele (Dame Alice Owen School, Saracens and Hertfordshire),
6 David Francis (Twyford C of E High School, London Wasps and Middlesex),
7 Oliver Robinson (Prior Park College, Bath and Somerset),
8 Matt Kvesic (Worcester Sixth Form College, Worcester Warriors and North Midlands).



Replacements used:
Matt Keyte (Dulwich College, Bath and Surrey),
Anders Mogensen (Millfield School and Northampton Saints),
Mike Wilcox (St Peter's RC HS, Gloucester and Gloucestershire),
Joe Launchbury (Christ's Hospital School, Harlequins and Sussex),
Liam Wilkinson (St Peter's RC HS, Gloucester and Gloucestershire).

Quote:

ligger
Good luck to the boys. Specially Marland, a lad I know.

Guess he heard you

Now we'll see if England can avoid losing to Ireland in the Semi Final like the previous two seasons...

Slater582, my only worry now is.... will he want to come back down to earth and play with us mere mortals!