England Saxons Team to face 02 Ireland Wolfhounds
By RFU Press Office
January 24 2014
Callum Clark will captain England Saxons in Saturday’s match against the O2 Ireland Wolfhounds at Gloucester (5pm, live on Sky Sports HD1).
The Northampton Saints flanker - on his first Saxons' appearance - leads a side with an average age of 24 against the Wolfhounds, who were beaten 14-10 when the teams met in Galway last year. Six others in the starting line-up are making their debuts at this level: wing Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), centre Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs), prop Alex Waller (Northampton Saints), lock Charlie Matthews and flanker Luke Wallace (both Harlequins), and No. 8 Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs). Watson, 19, joins the Saxons after being temporarily released from England’s RBS 6 Nations squad to give him senior international experience on the wing. “Calum Clark has been a positive influence from the moment he arrived in camp, he commands the respect of the group and I’m sure he will lead from the front,” said Joe Lydon, RFU Head of International Player Development. “Freddie Burns has also made an outstanding contribution in the time he’s been with us and he will be vice-captain at Kingsholm.” There are only three full internationals in the Saxons line-up with eight caps between them in the shape of London Wasps scrum half Joe Simpson (one cap), Gloucester Rugby fly half Burns (three) and wing Charlie Sharples (four). Lydon said: “The players in this squad have worked very hard in a short week and there will be a lot of tremendous talent from the Aviva Premiership on show this Saturday and against Scotland A in Glasgow on Friday week. They've been helped by an outstanding contribution from the staff and coaches led by Jon Callard, Simon Hardy and Paul Gustard. “Players can make an immediate step from the Saxons into the senior side but we’re also looking at the development of those players with the longer term potential to push for places in England’s World Cup squads in 2015, 2019 and beyond. “First and foremost, though, we want to win against the Wolfhounds and Scotland A. The recent history of these games tells us it will be hard work against two fiercely competitive teams.” England Saxons |
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Anthony Watson
England Saxons 8-14 O2 Ireland Wolfhounds
England Saxons fell to a disappointing 14-8 defeat against an experienced Ireland Wolfhounds side in front of over 8,000 fans at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium.
Bath wing Anthony Watson scored England’s only try, while Gloucester’s Freddie Burns added a penalty, but Ireland struck twice – first through scrum half Isaac Boss and then fly half Ian Madigan.
Despite having over 60 per cent possession during the game England couldn’t capitilise, although they came close to a second try in the dying moments through impressive Wasps centre Elliot Daly.
The Saxons fielded a youthful line-up with only eight caps-worth of senior international experience in the shape of Gloucester’s Charlie Sharples (four caps) and Freddie Burns (three), and Wasps’ scrum half Joe Simpson.
They were looking for a third successive win over Ireland after tight wins in Exeter and Galway in the previous two seasons but trailed early on. The Wolfhounds drove close-range lineout and Boss broke round the back of the maul to elude two tacklers with Madigan’s conversion putting them 7-0 up in the fifth minute.
The Saxons retained plenty of possession but it took them 20 minutes to strike back with Watson pouncing on an Irish error. He was pressing up on Darren Cave and when the ball ricocheted away off the centre’s chest the Bath wing accelerated away from 50 metres to score.
Burns’s conversion effort hit the post though and the Wolfhounds produced another piece of quick-witted work on the half-hour.
Madigan’s tapped penalty was followed by a twist over the line and the Leinster fly half converted his own try for a 14-5 lead his side held at the break.
The Saxons had a stiff breeze at their backs in the second half and dominated territory after that but the closest they came to reducing the deficit was when Burns hit the left-hand upright from 30 metres out.
The arrival of Northampton Saints No.8 Sam Dickinson added some more momentum and his powerful carrying set up the position for Burns to kick a first penalty on the hour to leave his side trailing by six points going into the final quarter.
Some quick hands freed up Elliot Daly with five to go but the former England Under 20 international was stopped just short of the line, and he had another chance in the final play but was held up just short before Burns made a dive for the corner but it wasn’t to be.
England Saxons now look ahead to next Friday when they take on Scotland A.
England Saxons: Elliot Daly (London Wasps); Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Matt Hopper (Harlequins; Rob Miller, Sale Sharks, 41), Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs; Henry Slade, Exeter Chiefs 31), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby); Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby), Joe Simpson (London Wasps; Dave Lewis, Exeter Chiefs 74); Alex Waller (Northampton Saints; Nathan Catt, Bath Rugby 60), Jamie George (Saracens; Dave Ward, Harlequins 64), Tom Mercey (Northampton Saints; Scott Wilson, Newcastle Falcons 41), Charlie Matthews (Harlequins; Elliott Stooke, Gloucester Rugby 50), George Kruis (Saracens), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints, captain), Luke Wallace (Harlequins), Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs; Sam Dickinson, Northampton Saints, 50).
O2 Ireland Wolfhounds: Felix Jones (Munster); Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Connacht; Ian Keatley, Munster 60), Darren Cave (Ulster), Craig Gilroy (Ulster; Simon Zebo, Munster 50; Ian Madigan (Leinster), Isaac Boss (Leinster); David Kilcoyne (Munster; Jack McGrath, Leinster 51), Rob Herring (Ulster; Richardt Strauss, Leinster 51), Martin Moore (Leinster; Stephen Archer, Munster, 50), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Dan Tuohy (Ulster), Rhys Ruddock (Leinster), Tommy O’Donnell (Munster), Robin Copeland (Cardiff Blues).
Replacements:
Robbie Diack (Ulster)
Jordi Murphy (Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Connacht)
Referee: Ian Davies (WRU)