England debut for Malcolm

10:08am Wednesday 26th March 2008

England u16s 12pts

Wales u16s 13pts

England suffered their first defeat at under 16 level since 2003 when a late penalty by Wales fly half Diggy Bird won the opening match of the Four Nations Tournament in France.

The match, in which Helston Community College's Malcolm Hearn made his debut at prop at Bourgoin's Stade Pierre Rajon, slipped away from England despite a strong start when, capitalising on initial Welsh nervousness, they built a 12-0 lead with tries by wings Sam Edgerley and Alex Lewington.

Bird kicked a penalty before half-time to trim England's lead to 12-3. And the outcome was settled by a second-half try by Wales's replacement No. 8, Thomas Young - son of the Cardiff Blues coach David - converted by Bird who added the decisive penalty from 40 metres out, five minutes from the end.

Edgerley's try after 10 minutes began at a lineout from which England won the ensuing ruck. Fly half George Ford combined with his inside centre and captain Owen Farrell who delivered a double miss pass to Edgerley and the Wellington College left wing beat two men, handed off the last defender and scored in the corner.

With 22 minutes gone right wing Lewington went over for England's second try which Ford converted though he had missed the conversion of Edgerley's score and was also off target with a couple of penalties; Farrell also attempted a penalty from close to halfway which fell just short.

"It was that sort of match, it didn't quite go for us," said George Squires, England Under 16 team manager. "We played poorly after a good start and shot ourselves in the foot.

"We should have been 20 points clear by half-time and the boys are devastated, they know they didn't perform."

England Under 16: J Cobden (King Edward VI Lichfield & Staffordshire); A Lewington (Nottingham High School & Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire); S Stuart (Sedbergh School & Yorkshire), O Farrell (St George's School Harpenden & Hertfordshire, capt), S Edgerley (Wellington College & Surrey); G Ford (Rishworth School & Yorkshire), R Glynn (Sedbergh School & Lancashire); M Hearn (Helston Community College & Cornwall), M Haywood (Tendring Tech College & Eastern Counties), H Allen (Hurstmere School & Kent), J Tyas (Brighton College & Sussex), S Twomey (St Wilfrid's RC School & Sussex), J Bache (St Peter's High School & Essex), C Walker (Settle College & Yorkshire), S Jones (Aylesbury Grammar School & Buckinghamshire). Reps: A Davies (Lymm High School & Cheshire), H Thomas (Millfield School & Somerset) , M Kvesic (Blundell's School & Devon), J Atkinson (Churcher's College & Hampshire).

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