WALES 48 IRELAND 10

By Ian Golden at Sardis Road

Two former South Wales rugby league stars met as head coaches in the opening day of the Student Home Nations tournament in Pontypridd, with Paul Emanuelli’s Wales overcoming Carl de Chenu’s Ireland 48-10.

Emanuelli scored 282 points in 77 games for South Wales Scorpions from 2014-17 whilst De Chenu starred for a season for Celtic Crusaders in 2006 scoring 22 tries in 29 matches.

Ireland played well in the first half and matched Wales all the way, but there was only one winner after the break as the Welsh scored 32 unanswered points, despite not having a full complement of players when scoring over half of those.

Wales took the lead on nine minutes after Dylan Evans slipped the ball to skipper Jarred Hinnem to ground. Morgan Johnson converted.

The try didn’t open the floodgates. The first eight minutes saw Ireland close to scores a few times, and the same for about 15 minutes after Wales’ opener.

An error on Wales’ 10 metre line gave Ireland a repeat set and a scrum in the perfect place which they didn’t waste. Peter Ryan dived in under the sticks and Adam Malone converted to level.

Wales regained their lead straight away. After a mix-up in the Irish defence, Dafydd Rees grabbed a loose ball and ran home. Johnson converted.

Then came the try of the day. James Bartlett did well to beat his markers before cleverly creating a gap for Hinnem who skillfully avoided tackles to score his second of the game.

Ireland got back into the game just before half-time after Paul Bolger kept enough ball control to dive and score an unconverted try to bring the score back to 16-10.

Wales increased their lead five minutes into the second half when Lloyd Selby-Smith scored in the corner and Johnson converted well.

Ireland were unlucky not to get a try back when Matt Connolly’s pass to Mark Woods was deemed forward. Woods had grounded after a well-worked move.

Wales took advantage of their good fortune, went onto the attack and scored again. Bartlett touched down in the corner and Johnson’s kick went wide.

They cemented the win on the hour. Macauley Harris squirmed his way over for a typical hooker’s try, Johnson again unable to land the extras but Wales were 20 points up.

Ireland were given an advantage 13 minutes from time when Rhys Davies was sinbinned for a high tackle but it was Wales who scored with a man down. Harris was short of getting his second but from the next play, Hinnem grabbed his hat-trick try. Johnson converted.

Wales briefly went down to 11 men when Aled Davies was given a yellow card for tackling a man in the air, but again they scored, Harris with his second after Wales gained metres via a 40-20. Johnson converted.

They weren’t finished yet. Now back to 12 men, Wales scored their ninth try through Conor Harding. Johnson’s sixth conversion ending the game.

In the tournament’s opening game, England beat Scotland 58-18.

Day two of the tournament is on Thursday at the same venue, Sardis Road in Pontypridd with England taking on Ireland at 2.30pm before Wales face Scotland at 4.45pm. Free entry for all fans.

 

WALES

1 Rhys Gant (Educ8)

2 James Bartlett (Cardiff Met University)

3 Jarad Hinnem (University of South Wales)

4 Aled Davies (Liverpool John Moores Uni)

15 Dylan Evans (University of South Wales)

6 Morgan Johnson (Ellesmere College)

7 Fraser Stroud (Cardiff and Vale College)

8 Dafydd Rees (Manchester Met University)

9 Macauley Harris (Cardiff and Vale College)

10 Dewi Billingham (Leeds Beckett University)

11 Rhys Davies (University of South Wales)

12 Lloyd Selby-Smith (University of South Wales)

13 Ashley Bateman (Coleg Y Cymoedd)

Subs:

5 Conor Harding (Hartpury College)

16 Joel Hopkins (Oxford Brookes University)

17 Ryan Griffiths (Wigan Warriors Sports College)

18 Billy Forrester (West Cheshire College)

 

Tries: Hinnem (9, 33, 70), Rees (29), Selby-Smith (45), Bartlett (56), Harris (60, 77), Harding (80)

Goals: Johnson 6/9

Sinbin: R Davies (67, high tackle), A Davies (74, tackle in the air)

 

IRELAND

1 Dean McMahon (Athlone Institute of Technology)

2 Mark Woods (Ulster University)

3 Conor Creaby (IT Blanchardstown)

4 Matt Connolly (IT Blanchardstown)

5 James Millar (Ulster University)

6 Adam Malone (University of Limerick)

7 Bradley Sheridan (University of Warwick)

8 Aaron Ryan (Dublin Institute of Technology)

23 Ryan Guilfoyle (NUI Galway)

10 Peter Ryan (Coventry University)

11 Roy Stanley (NUI Galway)

12 Matt McKelvey (Belfast Metropolitan College)

13 Richie McHugh (Trinity College Dublin)

Subs:

15 Rory Wise (Oxford Brookes University)

17 Paul Bolger (University of Gloucestershire)

18 Jonny Mooney (Belfast Metropolitan College)

25 James Foley (Institute of Technology Carlow)

 

Tries: Ryan (26), Bolger (40)

Goals: Malone 1/2

 

Referee: James Jones

Half-time: 16-10

 

 

ENGLAND 58 SCOTLAND 18

By Ian Golden at Sardis Road

England had the perfect start to their tournament defence with a 40-point win over Scotland.

Scotland had England on the backfoot for the first five minutes and were unlucky not to take lead in this period. Douglas Chirnside was held up over the line and Nick Glohe was short before England were forced to concede a goal-line drop-out.

But Scotland mishandled from the first tackle after the kick, giving England their first attacking chance and they too were close to scoring, Jason Bass dropping a low pass as he was close to the line. Winger Lee Registe was also denied, pulled back after receiving a forward pass.

However England eventually took the lead on 14 minutes after Marcus Stock bustled his way over and Ben Stead converted.

They doubled their advantage from kick-off when Will Jubb went over from close range and Stead again adding the extras.

James Mason twisted round the post to ground with Stead’s goal bringing the score up to 18-0.

Scotland got a try back when Luke Punton finished off a good set of six and Matt Hogg converted.

But England soon addressed the balance when Bass set up Lewis Fairhurst to run over. Stead converted again making it 24-6 at the break.

Mason went over for his second and England’s fifth for an early second half score that Stead converted.

Scotland scored their second of the game through Jordan Duncan that Hogg converted but England were soon back on the board, Harry Chapman with try and Stead’s kick hitting the post.

Hogg would have felt unlucky not to have added a try to his goals after he intercepted a pass to run 60 metres and ground, but the referee called him back for offside.

Registe and Punton were both given yellow cards for their part in a brawl, giving both sides a bit more space for ten minutes, and it was England who made it count, their length of field set being finished off by Keiran Smith, who tapped the ball underneath the black dot.

And just before both sides were restored to full quote, Chapman scored a carbon copy try. Stead converted both and England led 46-12.

Alex Clegg’s try in the corner brought up the 50 which Stead again improved but Scotland’s Hogg finally got his try, a long range effort which he converted himself, to reduce the points difference.

However there was still time for Lewis Taylor to grab England’s final try with Stead adding his ninth goal.

Day two of the tournament is on Thursday at the same venue, Sardis Road in Pontypridd with England taking on Ireland at 2.30pm before Wales face Scotland at 4.45pm. Free entry for all fans.

 

ENGLAND

6 Lewis Fairhurst (Edge Hill University)

18 Lee Registe (Leeds Beckett)

3 Jason Bass (Newcastle University)

16 Matthew Chrimes (Leeds Beckett University)

14 Harry Chapman (Loughborough University)

7 Kieran Smith (University of Hull)

21 Ben Stead (University of Gloucestershire)

15 Jed Mawdsley (Newcastle University)

23 Will Jubb (University of Hull)

10 Daniel Gover (Coventry University)

11 James Mason (University of Gloucestershire)

24 Marcus Stock (University of Sheffield)

25 Ryan Langton (University of Hull)

Subs:

9 Luke Stephens (University of Gloucestershire)

32 Alex Ford (University of Exeter)

19 Alex Clegg (Northumbria University)

33 Lewis Taylor (Loughborough University)

 

Tries: Stock (14), Jubb (17), Mason (22, 44), Fairhurst (37), Chapman (53, 70), Smith (64), Clegg (74), Taylor (78)

Goals: Stead 8/9

Sin-bin: Registe (61, fighting)

 

SCOTLAND

1 Archie Andrade (Maltings College, Halifax)

2 Patrick Noutch (Carlisle College)

3 Jake Seymour (Leeds Becket University)

4 Murray Mitchell (ICAS Students)

5 Jordan Parry (University of Sheffield)

6 Matthew Hogg (Newcastle University)

7 Douglas Chirnside (Oxford Brookes University)

8 Mark Cordeaux (Sheffield Hallam University)

9 Jordan Duncan (SRUC Elmwood)

10 Nick Glohe (University of Newcastle NSW)

11 Charlie Emslie (Furness College)

12 Jack McMillan (Halifax Elite)

13 Luke Westman (Illawarra TAFE)

Subs:

14 Elliot Campbell (Gen2 Furness Skills Centre)

16 Niall Hall (Dundee College)

17 Luke Punton (Woodhouse Grove School)

19 Harris Jones (University of Gloucestershire)

 

Tries: Punton (29), Duncan (49), Hogg (75)

Goals: Hogg 3/3

Sin-bin: Punton (64, fighting)

 

Referee: Liam Rush

Half-time: 24-6