England Under 18s -  Six Nations Festival

England 32 v Scotland 5

England Under 18s completed their Six Nations Festival campaign on a massive high today (Tuesday), recording a third consecutive win after a dominant 32-5 victory over Scotland at Musgrave Park RFC in Cork.   The victory hands the England young guns a Grand Slam of victories this season following a win over Wales at Worcester Warriors Sixways Stadium in March also.

England Coach Alex Sanderson said: "I am delighted and the boys are ecstatic. This was a good win but just as importantly it means we have defeated all our opponents, and they have been tough opponents this season.

"In the short term, we have a development tour to Argentina in August and I'm sure this will be a great experience for all these players. In the long term I am sure several of these lads have a really bright future ahead of them. I wouldn't be surprised if they replicate the talent of the England Under 19s team in 2005. That team included the likes of Danny Cipriani, Shane Geraghty and Nick Abendanon who have all gone on to play for England seniors since. There is some real talent here.

"Today's match was especially pleasing. In the first half we really took the game to Scotland. Even though they came out very passionate we stuck to the structures we have put in place all season and we were able to dominate. In that first half we scored 27 points alone and that was very satisfying when we came in at the break.

"After the restart we lost a bit of our structure and that was a little frustrating, but the boys managed to stay dominant and secure the win and ensure we finished our season with four wins from four. The players certainly deserve it as they are a great bunch of lads."

In blustery conditions at Musgrave Park England dominated from the start and it only took Haileybury and Saracens hooker Jamie George eight minutes to put some points on the board for England. The try came as a result of some very good sustained pressure from the forwards and George then dummied his way through Scotland's defence to touch down.

England then went a man down with the sin-binning of Bristol and Millfield prop Mako Vunipola, but the young guns weren't put off their stride and in fact stretch their lead to 17-0. Sedbergh and Sale Sharks centre Tom Casson, who has also been England's captain for the Six Nations Festival, led by example claiming the brace of tries.

On 24 minutes the skipper weaved his way through several Scotland defenders to score just shy of the posts, while on his second score just six minutes later Casson again found room in Scotland's defence to touch down. With fly-half Rory Clegg adding a conversion England had established a comfortable lead.

George then rounded off England's first half with his second try of the afternoon and his third of the tournament benefitting from some more good work by the forwards. Clegg was as consistent as ever with the conversion and then a penalty to hand England a 27-0 lead at half-time.

England lost some momentum after the restart and Scotland came back at them scoring through their hooker Alun Walker on 50 minutes. They missed the conversion though and England soon established their authority again.

QEGS Wakefield & Leicester Tigers' Andy Forsyth then had the final word for England after a terrific try from the backs which saw Sam Smith and Tom Homer assist in setting up Forsyth with the decisive score.

England Under 18s

1 Joe Marler (Richmond College & Harlequins), 2 Jamie George (Haileybury & Saracens), 3 Mako Vunipola (Millfield & Bristol Rugby), 4 Tom Holmes (Sandbach & Sale Sharks), 5 James Gaskell (Sandbach & Sale Sharks), 6 Joe Trayfoot (Epsom College & Harlequins), 7 Jacob Rowan (Bradford GS & Leeds Carnegie), 8 Alex Gray (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons), 9 Sam Harrison (John Cleveland College & Leicester Tigers), 10 Rory Clegg (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons), 11 Will Hurrell (Wyggeston & QE1 Coll Leicester Tigers), 12 Tom Homer (Milton Abbey & London Irish), 13 Tom Casson (Sedbergh & Sale Sharks) C, 14 Sam Smith (Cranleigh & Harlequins), 15 Tom Catterick (Barnard Castle & Newcastle Falcons).

Replacements: 16 Lee Imiolek (Myerscough College & Sale Sharks), 17 David Blackwell (Hartpury College & Gloucester Rugby), 18 James Currie (Millfield & Bath Rugby), 19 Joe Quinn (St Wilfred's School & Leeds Carnegie), 20 Rob Milligan (Rugby School & Northampton Saints), 21 Joe Barker (QEGS Wakefield & Leeds Carnegie), 22 Jordi Pasqualin (The King's School Gloucs & Gloucester Rugby), 23 Freddie Burns (Bath College & Bath Rugby), 24 Andy Forsyth (QEGS Wakefield & Leicester Tigers), 25 Christian Wade (RGS High Wycombe & London Wasps), 26 Jack Wallace (RGS High Wycombe & London Wasps)

Tries: George (2), Casson (2), Forsyth

Conversions: Clegg (2)

Drop Goals:

Penalties: Clegg

Substitutions: Blackwell for George, Milligan for Trayfoot, Quinn for Homes, Currie for Vunipola (all 35), Forsyth for Casson (39), Imiolek for Marler (49), Burns for Clegg (50), Pasqualin for Harrison (50), Barker for Rowan (50), Wallace for Hurrell, Wade for Smith (both 65).

Scotland

1 Nicky Little (Hawick), 2 Alun Walker (Musselburgh), 3 Craig Owenson (Musselburgh), 4 Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County), 5 Robert Harley (West of Scotland), 6 Jason Hill (Stirling County), 7 Michael Maltman (Musselburgh), 8 Stuart McInally (George Watson's College) captain, 9 Alex Black (Prince Henry's School), 10 Ross Aitken (Bell Baxter/Howe of Fife), 11 Tom Brown (Edinburgh Academy), 12 Alex Dunbar (Annan), 13 Alex Blair (Edinburgh Academy), 14 Max Learmonth (Berwick), 15 Sam Hughes (Merchiston Castle School).

Replacements: 16 Mungo Strachan (Fettes College), 17 Andrew Fraser (York), 18 Ross Sutherland (Sandbach), 19 Russell Weir (Merchiston Castle School), 20 Michael Tait (Kelso Quins), 21 Jamie Harris (Merchiston Castle School), 22 Rory Drummond (Bell Baxter HS), 23 Seumas MacKenzie (Murrayfield Wanderers), 24 Luke Pettie (Gala Wanderers), 25 Callum Connor (Bradford Grammar), 26 Andrew Fraser (York), 27 Michael Fedo (Bell Baxter/Howe of Fife).

Tries: Walker

Conversions:

Referee: Stefano Penne (Italy)

Half-time score: England 27 Scotland 0

England Under 18s Six Nations Festival Fixtures

England Under 18s v Wales, March 2nd, Worcester Warriors Sixways WON 25-15

England Under 18s v Italy, March 26th, Temple Hill Cork, 

WON 78-8

England Under18s v France, Mar29th, Cork Institute of Technology, WON 18-0

England Under 18s v Scotland, April 1st, Musgrave Park Cork, 

WON 32-5

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