Welsh sides fall to junior and final defeats

U16 INTERNATIONAL
WALES 32 ENGLAND LIONS 34
By Ian Golden
 
In a titanic battle between the two nations, England Lions edged out Wales 34-32.
 
Wales took the lead on eight minutes. It was all created by Junior Westwood who made a 70-metre run before being tackled. Tyler Sykes was yellow carded on the next tackle, then Wales made use of the extra man straight away with Jake Nottingham scoring in the corner. Ethan Paterson couldn’t convert.
 
Only a try-saving tackle on Joseph Johnson, that looked to many like a shoulder charge, prevented Wales from doubling their lead straight away.
 
This proved to be a major turning point in the game and instead it was England who levelled. Kian Goodhand went over in the corner. Stanley Beaumont’s kick put them 6-4 up.
 
And as soon as Sykes returned to the field, he scored, on the end of another good passing move. Beaumont couldn’t convert but England were now 10-4 up.
 
From kick-off, it was 16-4. Zavier Dele Charley scored under the sticks and Zak Mannion converted.
 
England now looked unstoppable. Nathaniel Parker was over from the next set with Mannion’s kick hitting the post.
 
And just before half-time, a good run from Jayden Aaron increased their lead to 24-4.
 
Wales stormed out of the blocks in the second half and there was just a minute gone when Paterson scored the opening try but he couldn’t add the extras.
 
From the next set, Wales scored their third try as Jacob Jones dived over in the corner. Paterson converted well.
 
The comeback continued. Harri Jacob scored under the sticks and Paterson converted.
 
And they levelled just after the hour when Samuel Dickenson dived in under the sticks. Paterson’s kick gave them the lead again.
 
Skipper Jake Nottingham extended Wales’ advantage five minutes later. Junior Westwood converted.
 
England hit back with 10 minutes remaining through Lucas Mulqueeney with Mannion converting.
 
And the same player gave his side the lead back from the next set with an unconverted try.
 
Wales were attacking in the final minute but couldn’t break through for a winner.

 
WALES U16
1 Kai Sengul (Aber Valley Wolves/Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni)
2 Joseph Johnson (Cardiff Blue Dragons/Corpus Christi High School)
3 Sam Grice (York Acorn/Manor CE Academy)
4 Jake Nottingham (Bridgend Blue Bulls/Ysgol Dyffryn Amman)
5 Jacob Jones (Bridgend Blue Bulls/Strade School)
6 Junior Westwood (Crosfields/Great Sankey High School)
7 Henry Parker (Aber Valley Wolves/Llanishen High School)
8 Harri Jacob (Torfaen Tigers/Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw)
9 Finlay Walker (Aber Valley Wolves/Y Pant Comprehensive School)
10 Nathan Davies (Bridgend Blue Bulls/Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth)
11 Kaden Johnson (Crosfields/Great Sankey High School)
12 Ethan Paterson (Aber Valley Wolves/Islwyn High School)
13 Kade Woodward (Torfaen Tigers/Ysgol Gymraeg Gwmraeg Gwynllyw)
Subs:
14 Leo Bonham (Bridgend Blue Bulls/Pontarddulais Comprehensive School)
15 Samuel Dickenson (Woolston Rovers/St. Ambrose College)
16 Morgan Marozzelli (Aber Valley Wolves/Blackwood Comprehensive School)
17 Charlie Bennett (Torfaen Tigers/Ebbw Fawr Learning Community)
18 Owain Martin (Bridgend Blue Bulls/Ysgol Bryntawe)
19 Jacob Morris (Cynon Valley Cavaliers/Aberdare Community School)
22 Jake Sheppard (Torfaen Tigers/Islwyn High School)
 
Tries: Nottingham (8, 65), Paterson (41), Jones (45), Jacob (56), Dickenson (61)
Goals: Paterson 3/5, Westwood 1/1
 
ENGLAND U16
1 Jaylen Conway (Hensingham)
22 Tyler Sykes (Dewsbury Celtic)
2 Diego Walker (Leigh Miners Rangers)
4 Kian Goodhand (West Hull)
5 Oliver Shallcross (West Hull)
6 Jack Bibey (Leigh Miners Rangers)
7 Nathaniel Parker (West Bank Bears)
8 Arben Pervizaj (Hensingham)
14 Stanley Beaumont (Hull Wyke)
10 Alfie Cox (Wath Brow Hornets)
11 Henley Donnan (Hensingham)
12 Alex Golightly (Bentley ARLFC)
13 Layton Dockray (Wath Brow Hornets)
Subs:
9 Lucas Mulqueeney (Crosfields)
15 Lloyd Stainton (Egremont Rangers)
16 Jayden Aaron (Ashton Bears)
17 Zak Mannion (West Bank Bears)
18 Zavier Dele Charley (Salford City Roosters)
19 Lewis Pilling (Blackbrook Royals)
 
Tries: Goodhand (14), Sykes (19), Charley (22), Parker (24), Aaron (40), Mulqueeney (69, 74)
Goals: Beaumont 1/2, Mannion 2/4, Sykes 0/1
 
Half-time: 4-24
Referee: Craig Davies

 
U18 INTERNATIONAL
WALES 6 ENGLAND LIONS 50
By Ian Golden
 
In a contract to the U16s game, there was only going to be one winner in the 18s encounter, as England Lions ran in nine tries to overcome Wales.
 
There were just three minutes gone when Harley Nelson ran in under the posts to give England the lead. He converted his own try.
 
Scott Simmons soon went over for England’s second with Nelson’s conversion doubling the advantage.
 
Oliver Smart scored in the corner for England’s third try, and Daniel Knott went over in the opposite corner in the next set. Both tries went unconverted and the score was 20-0 on 20 minutes.
 
Then from a scrum, Henry Ogden slipped past the Wales line to easily score under the posts. Nelson converted to make the score 26-0.
 
From kick-off, Wales finally got on the board. Connor Lacey scored near to the posts and Charlie Stoddart converted.
 
But it was soon back to business for England as Nelson picked up a bounce to score and converted himself, giving England a 32-6 lead at the break.
 
First on the board for England in the second half was Josh Blinkhorn, scoring under the sticks on 52 minutes and making it easy for Nelson to convert.
 
Then Luke Sutcliffe stretched over for England’s eighth try of the afternoon. Nelson converted.
 
The final move of the game saw Simmons dive over for his second and England’s ninth with Nelson’s kick bringing up the half-century.
 
WALES
1 Brandon Richards (Bridgend Blue Bulls / Coleg y Cymoedd)
2 Ethan Stebbings (Aber Valley Wolves)
3 Harrison Doe (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
4 Oliver Ford (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
5 Ben Morris (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
6 Charlie Stoddart (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
7 Llewellyn Hawkes (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
8 Alex Banks (Torfaen Tigers / Coleg y Cymoedd)
9 Jayden Grey (Bridgend Blue Bulls)*
10 Calum Jones (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
11 Carter Barnes (Torfaen Tigers / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
12 Daniel Bartlett (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
13 Connor Lacey (Cynon Valley Cavaliers / Coleg y Cymoedd / Salford Red Devils)
Subs:
14 Cory Westermark (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
15 Jamie Jenkins (Cardiff Blue Dragons / Coleg y Cymoedd)
16 William McCarthy (Aberavon Fighting Irish)*
17 Dafydd Morgan (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)
18 Dylan Morgan (Cardiff Blue Dragons / Coleg y Cymoedd)
19 Rhys Davies (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)
20 Lewis Jones (Aber Valley Wolves / Coleg y Cymoedd)*
*Also played for Salford but not yet signed for them.
 
Tries: Lacey (29)
Goals: Stoddart 1/1
 
ENGLAND
1 Harry Sheridan (Rochdale Mayfield)
2 Daniel Knott (Dalton)
3 Oliver Smart (Siddal)
4 Henry Ogden (Siddal)
5 Harley Nelson (Kells)
6 George Jamieson (Salford City Roosters)
7 Devan Sharp (Wath Brow Hornets)
8 Dylan Grears (Kells)
9 Scott Simmons (Orrell St James)
10 Armand Jozsef Palinka (Milford)
11 Keane Elms (Blackbrook Royals)
12 Ben Metcalfe (Rochdale Mayfield)
13 Luke Sutcliffe (Blackbrook Royals)
Subs:
14 Joshua Blinkhorn (Dalton)
15 Jack Lawler (West Hull)
16 Malachi Price (Wigan St Judes)
17 Lewis Davies (Pilkington Recs)
19 Tom Farren (Roose Pioneers)
 
Tries: Nelson (3, 39), Simmons (8, 80), Smart (17), Knott (20), Ogden (25), Blinkhorn (52), Sutcliffe (59)
Goals: Nelson 7/9
 
Half-time: 6-32
Referee: Kristoff Young
 

inspiresport Champion Schools, Year 10 Girls Final

Brooksbank School (Halifax) 36, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf (Cardiff) 10

By Andy Wilson.

The Brooksbank School overcame a brave challenge from Cardiff’s Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf to claim the inspiresport RFL Champion Schools title for Year 10 Girls in the superb surroundings of St James’ Park in the first match of Super League’s Magic Weekend in Newcastle.

Lil Seal, a half-back who is already in the Leeds Rhinos Under-16s set-up, scored 28 of Brooksbank’s points with four tries and six goals from as many attempts in a sparkling individual performance.

She combined brilliantly with full-back Madison Clegg, a team-mate at both Leeds and the Greetland All-Rounders community club, who scored the other two tries and provided a superb inside pass for Seal’s second.

“It’s been a fantastic experience,” said Seal after the Brooksbank team had received their medals in front of their parents at the Leazes end of St James’ Park.

“Even as a Man United fan I reckon this is one of the best stadiums in the country, and it’s brilliant that we get the chance to play here. It’s fantastic for girls’ Rugby League – especially with the Women’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley later this year.”

Seal had completed a hat-trick by half-time, one of them a 60-metre individual effort to dive between the posts at the Gallowgate end.

But Brooksbank had also shown resilience in defence to withstand several bouts of pressure from their Welsh opponents, who finally claimed the try their efforts deserved when Erin Lee-Williams dived over on the right.

They added a second try early in the second half through Evie Collingwood, with Megan Jones adding an excellent conversion to reduce the deficit to 24-10.

But Seal responded by laying on Clegg’s second try with a beautiful long pass before completing the scoring with another long-striding effort from inside her own half.

Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf made history as the first Welsh team to qualify for a Girls Champion Schools Final, and for two of their squad – Megan Jones and Olivia Rawnsley – the marathon journey to Newcastle was made even more complicated by the fact they were singing at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in Llandovery, meaning they arrived in the team hotel at 3am on Saturday morning.

Before the match, the all-girl officiating team had been presented with special commemorative whistles by the RFL’s Chief Executive Tony Sutton as part of the sport’s partnership with Acme.

Megan Mills from Hull refereed the match with Esmai Wright and Rhiannon Horsman of Leeds her touch judges. Wigan’s Olivia Leech and Niamh Bragg were in goal judges, with Rebecca Floyd from St Helens the reserve official.